TEACHERS' PERCEPTION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT

The study evaluated secondary school teachers'' perception on the effectiveness of physical punishment as a disciplinary measure in selected secondary schools in Osun State.This was with a view of exploring the effects of physical punishment in encouraging/discouraging secondary school students from delinquent and violent acts. Quantitative and Qualitative data were collected through simple random sampling, In-depth Interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD). Data were analysed using inferential statistics and TextBase Beta respectively.The study revealed that there was no significant relationship between teachers'' demographic attributes such as (age, level of education, length of service and sex) and their perception on physical punishment. The qualitative analysis showed the influence of religion on teachers'' perception, (King Solomon, in the Book of Proverbs [13:24]), (Proverbs 22:15, KJV) and (Proverbs 23:13,15, KJV). In conclusion, physical punishment was perceived as an effective disciplinary measure for correcting and maintaining discipline among secondary school students as well as,in molding and shaping their cognitive and psychosocial growth and developmental ability.