Exploring the implementation, (in)effectiveness and challenges of alternative disciplinary strategies in Ghanaian basic schools: A qualitative case study of the GA East Municipality

Kingsley Wedzi; Abigail Aryeh-Adjei; Ama Pokuaa Fenny

doi:10.60923/issn.1825-8670/22248

Authors

Kingsley Wedzi University of Ghana

Kingsley Wedzi is a recent graduate from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) and an administrative assistant at the University of Ghana School of Law to the Law and Development Programme at the University of Ghana, Legon. He is a development practitioner with research focus and interest in education enhancement, poverty reduction, human rights promotion, health improvement and environmental sustainability. In these areas, he studies program design and implementation, community engagement and participation, assessing the implementation of policies, capacity building and training, and advocacy and policy influence. He looks forward to gaining practical experiences in order to contribute to his country and the world at large.
Abigail Aryeh-Adjei University of Ghana

Abigail Aryeh-Adjei is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Adult education and Human Resource Studies, University of Ghana whose work centres on community development, educational management, and policy analysis. Her research examines how school and community systems influence learner wellbeing, equity, and academic engagement. She is particularly interested in management practices, disciplinary policies, and the sociocultural factors shaping educational effectiveness in Ghanaian schools. Her scholarship explores how institutions can adopt contextappropriate, studentcentred, and sustainable approaches to school management. She has published on issues of teaching and learning, community participation in education, and the dynamics of institutional change in developingcountry settings.
Ama Pokuaa Fenny University of Ghana

Ama Pokuaa Fenny is an Associate Professor with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economics Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana. She is a health economist whose research focuses on the evaluation of health and development programs in low- and middle- income country settings. In these settings, she studies the role of health financing strategies in offering social protection to vulnerable groups, targeted health system strategies to improve health seeking behavior and costing and cost-effectiveness methods that address efficiency of health programmes. Her current research focuses on the evaluation of child and adolescent health interventions looking specifically at the efficiency and financing of facility based programs and the role of policies in the health service delivery systems in Africa. She has several years of practical experience; lending her technical expertise to the Ministry of Health in Ghana and several other national and international agencies.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.1825-8670/22248

Keywords:

Alternative disciplinary strategies, Corporal punishment, Constructive disciplinary toolkit, Non-violent discipline, Ghana Education Service

Abstract

This study explores the implementation, (in)effectiveness and challenges of alternative disciplinary strategies in basic schools in Ghana following the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) 2017 ban on corporal punishment. In response to global human rights standards and evidence of the harm caused by physical discipline, the GES introduced a constructive disciplinary toolkit. However, there is limited understanding of how these alternatives are implemented by teachers. Using a qualitative approach grounded in Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), data were collected through 18 interviews across basic schools. Findings reveal that teachers use alternatives such as writing lines, cleaning, kneeling or standing. Many educators expressed concerns about the ineffectiveness of these methods due to the lack of immediate impact on students, among other factors. The challenges include decline in students academic performance and motivation and cultural resistance to non-physical discipline. The study highlights the need for teacher training, clear guidelines, and systemic support for effective, non-violent discipline.

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Exploring the implementation, (in)effectiveness and challenges of alternative disciplinary strategies in Ghanaian basic schools: A qualitative case study of the GA East Municipality

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