The Effectiveness of Reward and Punishment in Promoting Discipline Among Secondary School Students in Obio-akpo Lga
CHAPTER ONE
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of rewards and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary school students. Specifically, the study intends to:
- Establish the influence of rewards on students’ respect for school rules on the effectiveness of reward and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary students in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area.
- Establish the influence of punishment on correcting deviant behaviour among secondary school students on the effectiveness of reward and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary students in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area.
- Determine the influence of rewards on class attendance and academic performance of secondary school students on the effectiveness of reward and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary students in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area.
- Determine the influence of punishment on class attendance and academic performance of secondary school students on the effectiveness of reward and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary students in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
The main objective of this chapter is to review related literature as they relate to the study. The review is carried out under the following sub-headings
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework
Review of Empirical Study
Summary of Literature Review
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This research study is anchored on the Theory of B. F. Skinner which is the Operant Conditioning (1953). The Operant Conditioning Theory or sometimes referred to as Instrumental Conditioning, is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Skinner paired a dog and a bell in order to study how stimulus affects behavior. He concluded that through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior. As a behaviorist, Skinner believed that internal thoughts and motivations could not be used to explain behavior. Instead, he suggested, we should look only at the external, observable causes of human behavior. The term operant refers to any “active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences”. In other words, Skinner’s theory explained how we acquire the range of learned behaviors we exhibit each and every day.
The Components of Operant Conditioning:
A reinforcer is any event that strengthens or increases the behavior it follows. There are two kinds of reinforcers: Positive rein forcers are favorable events or outcomes that are presented after the behavior. In situations that reflect positive reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by the addition of something, such as praise or a direct reward. Negative reinforcers on the other hand involve the removal of unfavorable events or outcomes after the display of a behavior. In these situations, a response is strengthened by the removal of something considered unpleasant.
In both of these cases of reinforcement, the behavior increases. Punishment, on the other hand, is the presentation of an adverse event or outcome that causes a decrease in the behavior it follows. There are two kinds of punishment: Positive punishment sometimes referred to as punishment by application, involves the presentation of an unfavorable event or outcome in order to weaken the response it follows. Negative punishment, also known as punishment by removal, occurs when a favorable event or outcome is removed after a behavior occurs. In both of these cases of punishment, the behavior decreases.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
Research Design
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e. mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
Population Sampling Size
The population for the study will consist of executives and their subordinates in the organization which is charged with the application of management by objectives to attain organizational goals in the organization.
This study was carried out to examine the effectiveness of rewards and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary school students in Obio-Akpo local government in River State. Hence, the population of this study comprises of students of selected secondary schools in Obio-Akpo local government in River State.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of two hundred and twenty-nine (229) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which two hundred and fifteen (215) were returned while two hundred and ten (210) were validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 210 was validated for the analysis.
DATA PRESENTATION
The table below shows the summary of the survey. A sample of 229 was calculated for this study. A total of 215 responses were received whiles 210 was validated. For this study a total of 210 was used for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Introduction
This chapter summarizes the findings on the effectiveness of rewards and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary school students in Obio-Akpo local government in River State. The chapter consists of summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of the Study
In this study, our focus was to examine on the effectiveness of rewards and punishment in promoting discipline among secondary school students in Obio-Akpo local government in Rivers State. The study is was specifically carried out to ascertain the perception of the teachers on the effects of rewards and punishment, establish whether reward influences student’s respect for and conformity to school rules and regulations, determine whether punishment have impact on correcting deviant behavior among secondary school students and investigate whether the use of reward and punishment is effective in promoting discipline among secondary school student.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 210 responses were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are students of selected secondary schools in Obio-Akpo local government in Rivers State.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that;
- The perception of the teachers on the effects of rewards and punishment is positive.
- Reward influences student’s respect for and conformity to school rules and regulations.
- Punishment have impact on correcting deviant behavior among secondary school students.
- The use of reward and punishment effective in promoting discipline among secondary school student.
Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proffered.
- Whenever children make a mistake, they should be corrected in the best way possible so that they can grow to be responsible persons.
- Parents should not leave the burden of disciplining their children to the teacher- they should complement their efforts by disciplining the child whenever he/she is away from school.
- Adults should set good examples to the young ones by behaving in the required manner- this should especially begin with the parents.
- The process of managing students’ acts of indiscipline in schools should start with the identification of the type of student enrolled in schools. Because it is only when the personal psychological makeup of the students is known that one can device the appropriate methods of managing them to the desirable standard.
- Corporal punishment and expulsion should be discouraged among the teachers because of their negative psychological effects on the students as established by the scholars.
- Behaviour modification techniques should be employed to manage unruly behaviours of the students as alternative to expulsion and corporal punishments of different kind.
- Each school should have a functioning disciplinary committee that sees to every cases of acts of indiscipline of the students and which should be headed by a trained guidance counsellor.
- A wholesome approach to manage students discipline should be adopted by all the school administrators and managers.
- Each school should have a set of rules and regulations that will guide all actions and in –actions of the students during school hours and should be constantly read to the hearing of all students.
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