Effects of Punishment on Teachers in Handling Disciplinary Issues in a Culturally Diverse Nation like Malaysia

This paper presents the different issues pertaining punishment and learning in schools. The paper begins by clearly defining the concept of punishment. Different cultures have different perceptions of punishment, especially in learning institutions. The focus, in this case, is on the Malaysian perspective, and the view of teachers on the same.

Running head: ETHICS IN EDUCATION 1
Ethics in Education
Student’s Name
Institution
Date

ETHICS IN EDUCATION 2
QUESTION
Discuss the effects of punishment and its implication on teachers when handling
disciplinary issues in a culturally diverse nation like Malaysia. Give examples to justify
your answer.
INTRODUCTION
This paper presents the different issues pertaining punishment and learning in schools. The paper
begins by clearly defining the concept of punishment. Different cultures have different
perceptions of punishment, especially in learning institutions. The focus, in this case, is on the
Malaysian perspective, and the view of teachers on the same. Corporal punishment remains an
issue of consideration, and different reasons have also been provided, based on whether the
practice should be eliminated or not. The primary goal of punishment is to invoke fear and to
ensure that the behavior in question does not occur again. The perspective of punishment in
schools in Malaysia is different as compared to generalized global views. Different cultures have
different perspectives and ways of viewing various aspects. Punishment in schools seems to be
ineffective, and an unacceptable method, especially in the maintenance of behavior and
discipline. It is, therefore, essential to note that discipline in schools does not only depend on
nonviolent responses but skills exhibited by trained teachers.
DISCUSSION
What is punishment?
Punishment refers to the imposition of an undesirable outcome on an individual, with the goal of
responding to a specific deterrent behavior. Punishment is in most cases, meted out by a specific
authority, and ranges from child discipline to criminal law (Bootzin et al. 2016). The unpleasant
outcomes may vary and include confinement, penalties, and fines.
The effects of punishment on students in general.
Children are affected both positively and negatively by punishment in schools. For example,
harmful effects of physical punishment may last from childhood to adulthood (Nichols &
Newman, 2016). Punishment is believed to dehumanize students in different learning

ETHICS IN EDUCATION 3
institutions. Punishment is also a violation of fundamental human rights to equal protection of
children under the law (Cicognani, 2014). Children are expected to be protected, and disciplined
in more humane and very reasonable modes, whether in schools or at home. Punishment in
school leads to lower intellectual achievements, considering that in some cases, some students
may end up suffering from mental health problems. Therefore, the abolition of corporate
punishment in learning institutions has been advocated for in different platforms. Physical
punishment to be specific needs to be banned in all nations. Positive effects of punishment on
children in schools include the fact that if children are not subjected to punishment, they are
bound to end up developing unmanageable behaviors in the long run (Coon, 2011). At the same
time, teachers and parents hold on to the belief that if children are punished in schools, they are
bound to concentrate on learning and respect authority in the most effective manner. Punishment
is, therefore, regarded as a tool of instilling discipline and facilitating learning in education
facilities. However, teachers are keen also to point out that it is a source of aggressiveness among
students.
The implication of punishment for teachers when handling discipline issues with
multicultural students.
The education philosophy embraced in Malaysia is based on the concentration of human
development. Therefore, human development is the primary focus in education, as well as
different policies and ideologies which have been developed over time (Nairne, 2012). Corporal
punishment is commonly practiced in some schools across the globe. The primary objective is in
most cases, to focus on mentorship for the students, and not to necessarily impose harm on any
occasion. Students in most cases, enter schools with disciplinary issues (Feldman, 2015). Basing
consideration on the death of an eleven-year-old boy from Malaysia, most policymakers are still
debating on whether abuse is eminent in most punishment strategies imposed by teachers, and
whether corporal punishment should be allowed to dominate the education sector. Corporal
punishment in Malaysian schools remains a very controversial issue of discussion when it comes
to disciplining children. For some parents, the practice of beating is upheld, in the name of ‘love’
(Gazzaniga, 2013).
Various cultural issues are present in the Malaysian context, when it comes to
punishment in schools, including femininity. In most schools, girls are considered inherently

ETHICS IN EDUCATION 4
obedient as compared to the males. He Malaysian culture considers that females are more
submissive, as compared to the males and should at no point, be subjected to beating (Gershoff,
2012). Boys, on the other hand, are considered to be hardened, and should always have the
ability to accept physical punishment and handle any form of reasonable pain (Murphy et al.
2010). In Malaysia, students have embraced the importance of corporal punishment. Most
students believe that sparing the rod will end up increasing the cases of disobedience and other
forms of indiscipline. In Malaysia, children are allowed to first, receive a warning before they are
punished for any offense which has been committed. This is because reasoning has been
considered a privilege and a right at the same time (Global Initiative to End All Corporal
Punishment to Children, 2009). Caning, therefore, is not worshiped in the Malaysia cultural
context, an issue that teachers have had to adjust to for an extended period now.
Disciplinary issues teachers face
Teachers face two fundamental disciplinary issues when dealing with the punishment of
students in the Malaysian context. First, the education policy is focused on economic and
personal development. Therefore, students and institution management views learning as an act
to be closer to the creator. With this in mind, punishment and harm are to be wholly ruled out.
Student etiquette is at its best, but indiscipline often goes unpunished in most cases. The learning
policies also emphasize on good behavior, which makes it easier for the teachers to emphasize on
ethical conduct and doing well for others (Kail, 2006). Another disciplinary issue faced by
teachers from the Malaysian perspective has to do with behavioral perspectives which have been
embraced by the Malaysian people. Punishment and extinction are considered to be the most
effective methods when it comes to decreasing a response especially among students (Kail,
2006).
In Malaysia, the elimination of rewards, which is considered positive reinforcement, is
highly emphasized. Most cultures believe in positive rewards as a way of encouraging discipline.
However, discipline in Malaysian context is considered a developmental norm, and rewards are
only motivated by exemplary performance in schools (Curthrow, 2012). Malaysia is also made
up of different individuals from different backgrounds, which displays the presence of diverse
cultures. Teachers face the challenge of identifying what works well for different cultures, and
what ought to be avoided to avoid further confrontation and harm which may be directed towards

ETHICS IN EDUCATION 5
children. Therefore, teachers face the problem of adjusting, to fulfill different requirements in
their course of duty.
CONCLUSION
Based on the problem in question, the issue of punishment should be handled more proactively.
Schools need to embrace employment of counselors, who will help enhance positive teacher-
student relationships. Students need to be made aware of the goodwill teachers have especially in
case disciplinary action is imposed on them. At the same time, teachers need to be able to relate
well with students, for increased moral responsibility especially in learning institutions. Self-
management also needs to be promoted within the schools, to impose control, especially for the
younger children. With these issues in consideration, students will end up liking school, subjects,
and their teachers. Dropouts in the Malaysian education system will also be reduced, which will
increase education and learning efficiency. Timeout strategies can also be used to maintain
discipline in classrooms, rather than resulting in corporal punishment. Timeout involves a
method where the student is removed from the prevailing situation and left to reflect and
meditate on the offending behavior. In my view, these different strategies should be
implemented, to boost discipline in learning institutions and focus on better correction methods
rather than adverse punishment strategies.

ETHICS IN EDUCATION 6
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