American Journal of Educational Research
ISSN (Print): 2327-6126 ISSN (Online): 2327-6150 Website: https://www.sciepub.com/journal/education Editor-in-chief: Ratko Pavlović
Open Access
Journal Browser
Go
American Journal of Educational Research. 2022, 10(2), 85-98
DOI: 10.12691/education-10-2-3
Open AccessArticle

School Violence and Open Spaces for Learning in Cameroon

Abraham Tamukum Tangwe1,

1Faculty of Education, Protestant University of Rwanda, Rwanda

Pub. Date: February 27, 2022

Cite this paper:
Abraham Tamukum Tangwe. School Violence and Open Spaces for Learning in Cameroon. American Journal of Educational Research. 2022; 10(2):85-98. doi: 10.12691/education-10-2-3

Abstract

The paper sets out to examine school violence as a hiccup to open spaces for quality education in Cameroon. It was crafted from research on violence and educational quality in Cameroon colleges, emphasizing the effects of violence on students’ learning outcomes. This translates to how much and how well children learn and the extent to which their education leads to personal, social, and developmental benefits through respect, tolerance, collaboration, and creativity to attain education for life. The paper has been conceived using the experimental group design with a causal approach wherein the cause and effect are examined. The study was guided by the social interaction theory that shows that an actor's social influence contributes to producing victims' behavior. The research question focused on the extent of violence in education. The specific objective of this study was to understand the learners' violence, the effects of violence on their motivation and self-esteem, and its influence on their learning outcomes. It adopted the quantitative method of data collection and analyses followed by examining the data by appropriate statistical and mathematical rules for significant relations. The quantitative data obtained from the interviews of 924 respondents analyzed using ANOVA but reduced to descriptive statistics in this paper. The analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, frequencies, and regression analysis. The findings indicate an acute prevalence of violence in school, poor school quality, and challenging socioeconomic background. Besides this, the argumentation of schools as open spaces becomes moribund and problematic.

Keywords:
violence educational quality open spaces human rights

Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]  UNO (1948): United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. UNO. Source: Available online at https://www.jus.uio.no/lm/un.universal.declaration.of.human.rights…/portrait.a4.pdf, checked on 9/20/2017.
 
[2]  UNESCO (2000, April 26). The Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments (No. ED-2000/WS/27). France. Retrieved from UNESCO website: www.unesco.org, September 3rd 2017.
 
[3]  Grima, G. (2008). What is quality education? Retrieved from https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/what-is-quality- education.234848.
 
[4]  Abma T. et al. (2001). Dialogue on Dialogue. Evaluation, 7(2), 164-180.
 
[5]  Chappell, K., & Craft, A. (2011). Creative learning conversations: producing living dialogic spaces. Educational Research, 53(3), 363-385.
 
[6]  OECD (2010). PISA 2009 Results: Overcoming Social Background: OECD. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/publishing/corrigenda.
 
[7]  Rubin, C. M. (2019). The Global Search for Education: Open Spaces Open Minds. Retrieved from https://www.cmrubinworld.com/open-spaces-open-minds-school-environment.
 
[8]  EFA global monitoring report (2005): Education for all: The quality imperative. UNESCO. Paris. Available online at www.efareport.unesco.org, checked on 10/20/2017.
 
[9]  Nchia, L. N.et al. (2013). Teachers’ Conceptions and Obstacles to Sex Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in Cameroon. International Journal of Science and Research, 4(1), 2319-7064.
 
[10]  Zimet, D. G. et al. (1988). The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Journal of personality assessment, 52(1), 30-41.
 
[11]  Aljazeera (11 December, 2021). Spiral of Violence Shuts Schools in Cameroon’s Anglophone Region. Doha. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/12/11/spiral-of-violence-shuts-schools-in-cameroons-anglophone-region.
 
[12]  Pandey, P. & Pandey, M. M. (2015): Research Methodology; Tools and Techniques. Romania. Available online at www.euacademic.org/BookUpload/9.pdf, checked on 6/25/2019.
 
[13]  Benbenishty R, Daru E. R. & Astor R. A. (2021). An Exploratory Study of the Prevalence and Correlates of Student Maltreatment by Teachers in Cameroon. Int J Soc Welfare., 1-11.
 
[14]  Straus, M. A.; Paschall, M. J. (2009): Corporal Punishment by Mothers and Development of Children's Cognitive Ability: A Longitudinal Study of Two Nationally Representative Age Cohorts. In Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma 18 (5), pp. 459-483.
 
[15]  Bufacchi, V. (2005): Two Concepts of Violence. In Political studies review 3, pp. 193-204.
 
[16]  Dietz, T. L. (2000). Disciplining Children: Characteristics Associated with the Use of Corporal Punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(12), 1529-1542.
 
[17]  Ellison, C.G. & Sherkat, D.E. (1993): Conservative Protestantism and support for corporal punishment. In American Sociological Review 58 (1), pp. 131-144.
 
[18]  Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal Punishment by Parents and Associated Child Behaviors and Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review. Psychological Bulletin, 128(4), 539-573.
 
[19]  Hughes, C. (2020). Addressing violence in education: From policy to practice. Prospects, 48(1-2), 23-38.
 
[20]  Stewart, A. L., Hays, R.D. & Ware, J. E. (1988). Communication The MOS Short-form General Health Survey Reliability and Validity in a Patient Population. Medical Care, 26(7), 724-735.
 
[21]  Krug, E. G. et al. (2002): The world report on violence and health. In The Lancet 360 (9339), pp. 1083-1088.
 
[22]  Scheunpflug, A. & Asbrand, B. (2006). Global Education and Education for Sustainability. Environmental Education Research, 12(1), 33-46.
 
[23]  Freire, P. (2005). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th-anniversary ed.). New York: Continuum. Retrieved from http://www.jjolson.org/UWYOSowk5720/FreirePedagogyoftheOppressed.pdf.
 
[24]  Fredriksson, U. (September, 2004). Quality Education: The Key Role of Teachers (No. 14). Retrieved from Educational International website: glotta.ntua.gr/posdep/Dialogos/Quality/ei_workingpaper_14.pdf.
 
[25]  Mncube, V. & Harber, C. (2013). The dynamics of violence in schools in South Africa (No. 98822608). Pretoria. Retrieved from http://www.krepublishers.com/special_volume_The-Dynsmics-of-Voilence.html, September 25 2017.
 
[26]  Tchombe, T. (2006): Education, Violence, Conflict and Prospect for Peace in Africa: An Evaluation of Research Endeavours for Peace Education. Colloque international. Yaounde, Cameroon, checked on 10/21/2017.
 
[27]  Anderson C. A. & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 53, 27-51. Retrieved from https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135231, October 5th 2017.
 
[28]  Durlak, J. A. et al. (2011). The Impact of Enhancing Students Social and Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School Based Universal Interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-435.
 
[29]  Alrawwad, T. M., & Alrfooh, A. E. (2014). Causes of Students’ Violence at AL-Hussein Bin Talal University. International Education Studies, 7(3), 30-39. May 13th 2019.
 
[30]  Lynch, M. & Ciccheti, D. (1997). Children's Relationships with Adults and Peers: An Examination of Elementary and Junior High School Students. Society for the Study of School Psychology, 35(1), 81-99.
 
[31]  Lisak, D., Gardinier, L., Nicksa, S. C., & Cote, A. M. (2010). False allegations of sexual assault: An analysis of ten years of reported cases. Violence Against Women, 16, 1318-1334.
 
[32]  Savin-Badin, M. & Major, C. H. (2013). Qualitative Research. The Essential Guide to Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from [Search domain www.routledge.com/Qualitative-Research-The-essential-guide-to-theory-and-practice-1st-Edition/Savin-Baden-Howell-Major/p/book/9780415674782] https://www.routledge.com/Qualitative-Research-The-essential-guide-to-theory-and-practice.
 
[33]  Doherty, D. & Berglund, D. Psychological Abuse A Discussion Paper (No. HP20-12/2008E-PDF). Ottawa. Retrieved from Public Health Agency of Canada, website: www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/nc-cn, September 5th 2017.
 
[34]  McGuigan, W. M. & Pratt, C. C. (2001). The predictive impact of domestic violence on three types of child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(7), 869-883.
 
[35]  Basile, K. C. & Smith, S. G. (2011). Sexual Violence Victimization of Women: Prevalence, Characteristics, and the Role of Public Health and Prevention. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 10(10), 1-11.
 
[36]  Lamont, T. (2018). Catholic schools as spaces for transformative encounters. Religious Education, 113(3), 302-313.
 
[37]  Hilton, J. (Ed.). (1993). New Directions in Theatre. Macmillan Publishers. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ checked on 20-08-2021.
 
[38]  Dicklitch, S. (2002). The Southern Cameroons and minority rights in Cameroon: Failed Democratic Transition in Cameroon: A Human Rights Explanation. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 152-176.
 
[39]  Bissessar, C. S. (2014). An Exploration of the Relationship between Teachers╎ Psychological Capital and Their Collective Self-Esteem. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(9), 35-52.
 
[40]  Li, Z. & Qiu, Z. (2018). How does family background affect children’s educational achievement? Evidence from Contemporary China. The Journal of Chinese Sociology, 5(1), 1.
 
[41]  Murphy, T. (2010). Conversations on engaged pedagogies, independent thinking skills and active citizenship. Issues in Educational Research, 20(1), 35-36.
 
[42]  Doering, A. (2006). Adventure Learning: Transformative hybrid online education. Distance Education, 27(2), 197-215.
 
[43]  Harrison, M. (2018). Space as a tool for analysis: Examining digital learning spaces. Open Praxis, 10(1), 17.
 
[44]  Barker, L. R. (2017). Introduction to Open Spaces for Dialogue and Enquiry: Critical literacy in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://slidex.tips/download/introduction-to-open-spaces-for-dialogue-and-enquiry-critical-literacy-in-higher.
 
[45]  Heatherton, T. E. & Polivy, J. (1991). Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring State Self-Esteem. Journal or Personality and Social Psychology, 60(6), 895-910.
 
[46]  Eisenbraun, K. D. (2007). Violence in schools: Prevalence, prediction, and prevention. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 12, 459-469.
 
[47]  Adesope, A. O. et al. (2017). Effects of Corporal Punishment on Learning Behavior and Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Ibarapa East Local Government, Oyo State. International Journal of Advanced Academic Research | Arts, Humanities & Education, 3(10), 14-20.
 
[48]  Hamburger, M. E., Basile, K. C. & Vivolo, A. M. (2011). Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experiences: A Compendium of Assessment Tools (2nd). Atlanta, GA. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention, October 10th 2017.
 
[49]  Kwachou, T. M. E. (February 2015). Sexuality Education in Cameroon: The Necessity and Possibilities. London. Retrieved from UCL Institute of Education, website: https://www.academia.edu/17941213/Sexuality_Education_in_Cameroon_The_Necessity_and_Possibilities, March 26th 2020.
 
[50]  Gregòri, S. P. (2014). Types of Factors in Educational Peaceful-Coexistence. American Journal of Educational Research, 2(2), 84-96.
 
[51]  Meinck, F.et al. (2018). Adaptation and psychometric properties of the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool for use in trials (ICAST-Trial) among South African adolescents and their primary caregivers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 82, 45-58.
 
[52]  Gardner, D. G. & Pierce, J. L. (1998). Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy within the Organizational Context. An Empirical Examination. Group and Organization Management, 23(1), 48-70.
 
[53]  Bandura, A. (1994). Self-Efficacy. In V. S. Ramachaudran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (pp. 71-81). New York.
 
[54]  Bunch, M. E. (1958). The Concept of Motivation. The Journal of General Psychology, 58(2), 189-205.
 
[55]  Deci, E. L. et al. (1991). Motivation and Education: The Self-Determination Perspective. Educational Psychologist, 26(3 & 4), 325-346.
 
[56]  Colorado Education Initiative (2014). Colorado’s Student Perception Survey. Retrieved from http://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/our-work/educator-effectiveness/studentsurvey/sps-administration/.
 
[57]  Shim, J. M. (2015). The limits of dialogue among teachers from different national contexts. International Journal of Progressive Education, 11(1), 1-207.
 
[58]  UNESCO (2019). New Methodology Shows that 258 million Children, Adolescents and Youth Are Out of School. Retrieved from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/new-methodology-shows-258-million-children-adolescents-and-youth-are-out-school.
 
[59]  UDHR. (2015). Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. UNO. https://www.un.org/en/udhrbook/pdf/udhr_booklet_en_web.pdf.
 
[60]  OCHA. (January, 2022). Cameroon Situation Report. United Nations Organization. https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/cameroon.
 
[61]  Brophy, J. (2006). Grade Repetition. The International Institute for Educational Planning. http:// www.unesco.org/iiep checked on 20th August 2020.
 
[62]  Carey, D. & E. Ernst (2006). "Improving Education Achievement and Attainment in Luxembourg," OECD Economics Department Working Paper (No. 508). OECD Publishing. Retrieved from OECD website: www.oecd.org/eco/working_papers.
 
[63]  Ho, K. (2007). Structural Violence as a Human Rights Violation. Essex Human Rights Review, 4(2), 1-17.
 
[64]  Ember, C. R. & Ember, M. (2005). Explaining Corporal Punishment of Children: A Cross-Cultural Study. American Anthropologist, 107(4), 609-619.
 
[65]  Galtung, J. (1990). Cultural Violence. Journal of Peace Research, 27(3), 295-305.
 
[66]  Krug, E. G. et al. (2002). The world report on violence and health. The Lancet, 360(9339), 1083-1088.
 
[67]  Rahman, M. K. (2015). Is there any different between ' control variable' and 'moderating variable? Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_there_any_different_between_control_variable_and_moderating_variable2, January 13th 2021.
 
[68]  Mumthas, N. S., Munavvir, J. & Gafoor, A. K. (2014). Student and Teacher Perception of Disciplinary Practices: Types, Reasons, Consequences and Alternatives. Guru Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences, 2(4), 301-308.
 
[69]  Aldig, Ebru; Arseven, Ayla (2017): The Contribution of Learning Outcomes for Listening to Creative Thinking Skills. In JEL 6 (3), p. 41.
 
[70]  Andreotti, V. (2007). Critical Literacy: Theories and Practices. Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice, 1(2), 4-73.
 
[71]  Arstein, E. (2009). Associations between Corporal Punishment and Behavioral Adjustment in Preschool-Aged Boys and Girls (Bachelor thesis). University of Michigan, USA. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Corporal-Punishment-and-Behavioral-Adjustment-1-%3A-Arnstein/f163116ef4fda8da2099b0f33936f9ce2cadcb9b, January 10th 2019.
 
[72]  Barakat, B., & Bengtsson, S. (2018). What do we mean by school entry age? Conceptual ambiguity and its implications: The example of Indonesia. Comparative Education, 54(2), 203-224.
 
[73]  Bo Goranzon, M. F. & Sallstrom, P. (1993). The Concept of Dialogue. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-349-22750-1_7.
 
[74]  Davis, J. & Bauman, K. (2013). School Enrollment in the United States: 2011: Population Characteristics. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED579118.pdf.
 
[75]  Dedeoglu, H. (2015). The limits of dialogue among teachers from different national contexts. International Journal of Progressive Education, 11(1), 1-207.
 
[76]  Ferrara, P.et al. (2019). Physical, psychological and social impact of school violence on children. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 45(1), 76.
 
[77]  Galtung, J. (1969). Violence, Peace, and Peace Research. Journal of Peace Research, 6 (3), 167-191.
 
[78]  Kyriakides, L., Kaloyirou, C. & Lindsay, G. (2006). An analysis of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire using the Rasch measurement model. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 781-801.
 
[79]  Krogull, S., Scheunpflug, A. & Rwambonera, F. (2014). Teaching social competencies in post-conflict societies: A contribution to peace in society and quality in learner-centred education. Münster: Waxmann.
 
[80]  Midgley, C.et al. (2000). Manual for the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales. Retrieved from www.umich.edu/~pals/PALS 2000_V13Word97.pdf, July 10 2018.
 
[81]  OECD (2010): Education at a Glance 2010: OECD Indicators. OECD. Paris, France (ISBN 978-92-64-055988). Available online at www.oecd.org/bookshop, checked on 10/9/2017.
 
[82]  UNICEF: Changing lives of girls: Evaluation of the African girls' education initiative. Available online at https://www.unicef.org/search/search.php?q_en=Jomtien+report+2000 &, checked on 23-10-2019.
 
[83]  Reynolds, R., Macqueen, S., & Ferguson-Patrick, K. (2019). Educating for global citizenship: Australia as a case study. International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning, 11(1), 103-119.
 
[84]  Rosenberg, M. B. (2009). How You Can Use the Non-Violent Communication Process. Retrieved from https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/aboutnvc/4partprocess.htm.
 
[85]  Schlack,·R. et al. (2013). Physical and Psychological Violence Perpetration and Violent Victimization in the German adult population: Results of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1). Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz, 5(6), 755-764.
 
[86]  Scriver, S. et al. (2015): Conceptualizing violence. A holistic approach to understanding violence against women and girls.
 
[87]  National University of Ireland, Galway. Available online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290344003, checked on 10/10/2017.
 
[88]  UNESCO (2005). The Dakar Framework for Action – Education for All: Meeting our collective commitments (No. ED-2000/WS/27). France. Retrieved from UNESCO website: www.unesco.org
 
[89]  Usman, M. T. et al. (2016). Parents Socio-Economic Status and Students Academic Performance in Nigeria Educational System. International Journal of Education and Information Technology, 2(3), 14-18.
 
[90]  https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/51191, (Cameron Humanitarian Situation Report), checked 4 September 2020.