Teachers often confuse authority with power, to use the distinction made at the beginning of Reading 11. Probably the most common means of wielding power (for teachers) has been the use of corporal punishment. The following extract was taken from a two-part article in The Educator’s Voice, published by SADTU. Vally briefly analyses some of the reasons for the popularity of corporal punishment among teachers in South Africa. Corporal punishment is of course now illegal in South Africa (as it is in many countries). However, it still has many supporters among teachers and parents. Vally goes on to summarize a number of different research findings that indicate that corporal punishment has few, if any, educational advantages. Even if you feel inclined to question the research, the question remains: should professional teachers advocate a practice upon which so much doubt has been cast?
Type of Material:
The learning material is identified as reference material on the website. The learning material can also be considered an open journal article. It is an extract taken from a two-part journal article.
Recommended Uses:
As a resource for an assignment on corporal punishment or an exercise in looking at both sides of an issue. It could be a whole class discussion or individual journal reflection, or the basis for a debate.
Technical Requirements:
None other than a web browser and a PDF reader.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
The purpose of the article is to discuss beliefs and practices surrounding corporal punishment. The article focuses on South African schools.
Target Student Population:
The students enrolled in a undergraduate level comparative education class, global education class, or a classroom management course would be interested in the material. Teachers who want to learn about the thinking behind the use or non-use of corporal punishment.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
No specific skills or knowledge, but an education or parenting background would make the material relevant to the reader.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The article was an extract of an article that was written 20 years ago. This summary continues to resonate in the 21st century on the topic of corporal punishment in the classroom. It considers the social context in South Africa at the time of the original article.
Concerns:
This seems to be a chapter from a textbook. The author summarizes previous findings on corporal punishment research, but there are no citations nor references. The article was published in 1998.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The learning objective is to inform the reader and can be used to integrate into teacher education classes, particularly in South Africa. It can be readily integrated as an assignment for in-service and aspiring teachers and administrators in South Africa.
Concerns:
None.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
This is a PDF which makes it easy to download to any computer for reading. The article highlights certain vocabulary words along with their definitions. The definitions are in a left-side breakout column so that they don't interrupt the low of the information. The layout is easy to read.
Concerns:
None.
Creative Commons:
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