A critical evaluation of the role of punishment in the classroom

Essay from the year 2000 in the subject Pedagogy - General, grade: 3, Cardiff University, course: Learning, Cognition and Cognitive Impairment, language: English, abstract: Punishment still plays a role in today's schools all over the world. As we see in an example of an Israeli school, there are very hard methods of punishment. But on the other hand you can find such a useful method as early intervention as is shown with an example of how to prevent pupils from marijuana use. But the quality of the school lessons and behaviour of teachers plays another important role. Stress in classrooms can be minimized through smaller classes, higher qualification of the teachers and use of better and more interesting learning material like school books. If we take a closer look at a developmental theory, for example the theory of the Russian psychologist Galperin, we see that punishment is wrong because it interrupts the process of harmonious learning. Especially when you take a closer look at how children learn to read, you can understand why punishment for deficits in learning is wrong. It is sad that punishment still plays a role in the classrooms though there are other more human methods of decreasing misbehaviour. The teacher is no judge who is allowed to punish children for misbehaviour. According to the law it is forbidden to beat the children as a teacher. The code of law of a country is the basis for the whole society - outside and inside of schools.