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The Effect of Punishment and Reward On The Performance of Secondary Schools Students in Bariga Local Government Area
The Effect of Punishment and Reward On The Performance of Secondary Schools Students in Bariga Local Government Area
This study attempted to examine the effect of punishment and reward on the performance
of secondary school students and to determine the gender difference in the students’
performance in schools.
The participants for this study comprised 120 respondents made up of 60 male and 60
female students. The instruments used were questionnaires and multiple choice test,
based on Mathematics and English Language which were administered to the selected
respondents.
The Pearson Product Moment Correlational Coefficient and the t-test were used to
analyse three null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that there
is a significant relationship between reward and academic performance of students, that a
significant relationship exists between punishment and academic performance of students
in secondary schools.
Also, it was revealed that there is significant gender difference in the academic
performance of students in secondary schools.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Certification ii
Acknowledgements iv
Abstract v
1.6 Punishment
References 46
Appendix 49
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction to the Background
Punishment according to Ilogu (2004) is defined “as the presentation of any annoying
(aversive) stimulus as a result of the performance of a response”.
The greater the amount of reinforcement the more rapid the rate of learning. Punishment
and reinforcement can be of good advantage to the teacher, in the sense that they promote
good discipline in the school. One aim of maintaining discipline in school is to teach the
child that there is moral orderliness in the world, and that certain behaviour and
performance call for praise (reinforcement) and some call for blame (punishment).
For the child, reinforcement and punishment are both essential for regulation of good
performance. One important aspect of the child development is that he becomes
responsive to social praises and blame (reward and punishment). This implies that in the
process of growth of the child, social control is necessary as to enable him or her acquire
positive habits necessary for growth and development of character and ethical standards.
To be of any use to the child, both punishment and reinforcement must be understood and
deserved by the child being punished or rewarded or else according to Awoniyi (1985)
the child will be confused, he may not even value it and so make jest of it, thereby
making it loose its usefulness which it is intended.
Although reinforcement should be more employed than punishment, yet they both serve
the same purpose of maintaining good discipline in the classroom. Punishment serves as a
warning, so that a particular act that leads to poor performance should not be repeated by
the child. Reinforcement on the other hand is meant to build up pleasant memories for
acting desirably, which can lead to good performance which a child will some how like to
maintain if possible in his learning.
For the child, punishment and reward are both essential for regulation of good
performance. For punishment and reinforcement to work effectively, they must be used
together. While punishment is a warning or corrective measure reward is a sign of
approval of a good performance in the school or classroom. They exist in close
relationship. The problem of classroom situation towards learning activities which can
lead to good performance is largely solved through punishment and reinforcement.
Hence, the need to justify and straighten out its use for effectiveness in maintaining good
performance in schools.
Even the teachers are not playing their own roles. Some teachers are involved in trading
instead of teaching the students. While some come to the classroom only when they fill
like coming rather than using minor punishment and reinforcement in order to get the
best performance from the students.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of punishment and reward on the
performance of secondary school students in Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos
State. Also to determine whether there is gender difference in the students performance in
school.
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The study is limited to selected schools. The study examines the effect of punishment and
reward on the academic performance of students in selected secondary schools in Bariga
Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Just as students tend to learn fast under a conducive environment. The use of punishment
and reward will bring forth:
1.8 Definition of Terms