After the stick: Empowering educators to deal with discipline in high-risk secondary schools without

resorting to violence

Sharon JohnsonPhD Psychology (Stellenbosch)

Supervisor: Prof Tony Naidoo

What progress in education since democracy?

School to university to job system is failing SA society.

We are suffering from “emotional and social illiteracy” where emotions triumph over logic, reason replaced by wrath and where books take second place to rocks (Jansen, 2012).

No short cuts to changing society – we need to place education at the centre for change, confronting the rot in the school system.

Social revolution

Learner killed in gang crossfire Weapons brought to school Teacher glued to his chair Fire started at school Bomb scares disrupted classes Teacher throttled a child in a fit of rage 13 year old learner accidentally shot dead

by his father Pupil pulled a gun on headmaster and

teacher

Teaching context

“I am not so negative about my work because you have a role to play. Learners have become very aggressive, you know they question you, they don’t take very well to authority, especially the Grade 8’s – it’s a difficult stage where they are at…In the past I did have a stick, but this year I have not used the stick; just once. If you hit a child there are repercussions, so I don’t want to go there. I try to use my voice when I can and I think that is where the burnout comes in a lot of the time…what it is doing to me physically.”

Teacher comment

SA teaching profession in a crisis Severe shortages of teachers High absenteeism and resignation High levels of stress related diseases such

as high blood pressure and diabetes

Crisis in the profession

Social and physical pain produce similar brain responses for distress

All threat will be interpreted and magnified by learners

SCARF (Rock, 2009) :status; certainty; autonomy; relatedness and fairness

Three brain model – physical response first, emotional response and finally rational response

Brain responses to threat

 

Schools

 

Interventions

 Qualitative methods

 Quantitative

methods 

 School 1: TRE -17 educators

School 2: TP - 16 educators

School 3: TA - 10 educators

School 4: Control - 20 educators

 

 Trauma Release Exercises (TRE)

Transpersonal Psychology (TP)

Transactional Analysis (TA)

 

 

 Focus group: thematic analysis

 

 Statistical analysis:

 

Perceived Stress ScaleBurnout: Personal, Work and Client (Learner); Well-being Coding analysis: Workshop assessment questionnaire and appreciative inquiry reflections on stressors

Research Design - Overview of Mixed-Methods Research Methodology

63 took part – 20 in a control group; the rest in three high schools on the Cape Flats

Both sexes equally represented: 32 men; 31 women

Most were married (76%); most were Christian (65%);

Most were aged between 40 and 50 years. 65% reported themselves to be burnout Burnout is emotional exhaustion,

depersonalisation and lack of personal accomplishment with unmet needs.

Demographic details of educators

Physical response: Trauma Release Exercises (Berceli, 2007) – neurogenic tremors

Emotional response: Transpersonal Psychology in Capacitar workshops (Cane, 2000) – heart coherence

Rational response: Transactional Analysis (Berne, 1961) – social psychology

Intervention design

Statistical analysis revealed that stress and learner burnout reduction were significant in the TRE and TA interventions, pre- to post tests, with TP showing a trend of reduction.

Multiple benefits on a physical, emotional and rational level for all interventions.

Classroom competence improved, with educators taking responsibility for discipline

Violence was no longer considered an option in any of the classrooms after the interventions.

Findings

Violent behaviour between educator and learners in the gangland schools of the Cape Flats was positively affected by teachers attending psycho-educational workshops over a relatively short period of time (10 weeks, 15 hours in total), with simple insights and techniques which can be taught relatively easily. Whether these are physical, emotional or rational ways of working with educators, all are effective and can be combined for optimal effect.

Conclusion

For further information please contact: Sharon Johnson: shajohnson@mweb.co.za 072 2644140

References: Berceli, D. (2007). Evaluating the effects of stress reduction exercises. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State UniversityBerne, E. (1961). Transactional analysis in psychotherapy. New York: Grove Press.Cane, P. M. (2000). Trauma healing and transformation. California: Capacitar int.Jansen, J. (2012, January 7). Matric razzmatazz conceals sad reality. Weekend Argus, p.4. Johnson, S.M. (2013). Impact of stress and burnout interventions on educators in igh-risk secondary schools. Doctoral dissertation, University of StellenboschScaer, R.C. (2007). The body bears the burden: Trauma, dissociation and disease (2nd ed.). New York: Norton.

Thank you