Lived Experiences of Preschool Teachers in Child Discipline at Haramaya University Model School, Ethiopia
Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study explores the lived experiences of five preschool teachers at Haramaya University Model School in Ethiopia, revealing that while they view discipline as a form of loving guidance essential for child development, they face significant emotional challenges due to large class sizes and cultural expectations, necessitating improved professional support and family collaboration for positive, non-harmful practices.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the earliest years of life, a child's world is built on relationships. Before they can read or solve complex problems, they are learning how to feel safe, how to trust the adults around them, and how to navigate their own big emotions. This period is critical for laying the groundwork for how a person will behave and learn for the rest of their life. When children act out, the way adults respond matters deeply. Some approaches rely on fear and force, while others rely on connection and guidance. The question of how to guide a young child without hurting them is not just a matter of rules; it is a matter of understanding how a child's mind and heart work. If a child feels threatened, they may stop learning. If they feel supported, they may learn to control their own behavior. This tension between maintaining order and protecting a child's emotional well-being is at the heart of a recent study conducted in eastern Ethiopia.
Researchers Kidist Desta and Dawit Negassa from Haramaya University set out to understand this dynamic from the perspective of the people doing the work: preschool teachers. They focused on a specific school, the Haramaya University Model School, where teachers care for children in a setting that mixes different languages and backgrounds. Instead of simply counting how many times a teacher scolded a child, the researchers wanted to know what those teachers actually felt and thought when they had to discipline a student. They interviewed five teachers who had been working with young children for anywhere from three to fifteen years. These teachers spoke in their native languages, sharing stories about their daily struggles and successes. The researchers listened closely, looking for the deeper meanings behind the teachers' words, a method that allows for a rich understanding of human experience rather than just a list of statistics.
The teachers described a complex reality where their professional ideals often clashed with the daily pressures of a crowded classroom. Most of the teachers viewed discipline not as a way to punish, but as a form of loving guidance. They spoke of patience, advice, and care, seeing their role as helping children understand right from wrong rather than simply forcing them to obey. They strongly rejected the idea of hitting or physically hurting a child, believing that such actions cause harm and damage the relationship between teacher and student. One teacher explained that children should be soothed and tolerated, not punished. Another noted that when they encourage a child, the child begins to answer and participate, whereas fear makes children hide and stop responding. The teachers understood that a child who is afraid will not learn; they will simply try to survive the moment.
However, the story was not entirely simple. While the teachers rejected harsh physical punishment, some admitted to using mild, symbolic forms of discipline that they felt were necessary to keep order. A few mentioned that they might threaten to hit a child with a stick or write a name on the board to scare a student into silence, even if they never actually carried out the threat. This revealed a difficult middle ground where teachers tried to balance their belief in gentle guidance with cultural expectations that sometimes view a little bit of fear or mild correction as a normal part of raising a child. They felt caught between what they knew was best for the child's emotional safety and what their community or parents might expect them to do.
The study also highlighted how emotionally draining this work can be. Teachers described the constant need to regulate their own anger and stress before entering the classroom. They spoke of the exhaustion of watching over large groups of children, some of whom have special needs or challenging behaviors that are difficult to manage. One teacher noted that some children are beyond their capacity to correct with standard advice, requiring them to separate the child or find different ways to handle the situation. They also faced pressure from parents, who might accuse them of being too harsh or, conversely, expect them to use physical punishment. This created a situation where teachers had to constantly negotiate their actions, trying to protect the children while satisfying the adults who sent them to school.
Ultimately, the research suggests that effective discipline in these preschools is not a set of fixed rules but a continuous, emotional effort. The teachers found that when they used love and encouragement, children became more confident and willing to learn. When they used fear, children withdrew. The study concludes that to support these teachers, schools and families need to work together to create an environment where positive, non-harmful methods are understood and valued. The teachers are already trying to do the right thing, but they need more support to navigate the difficult choices they face every day. Their experiences show that guiding a young child is a delicate act of balancing care with structure, where the goal is to help the child grow without breaking their spirit.
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