Teachers’ Perception of Prevalence and Forms of Violence in Early Childhood Classes in Delta State of Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines teachers’ perception of prevalence and forms of violence in early childhood classes. Its theoretical basis was conceptualized on the behavioural theory which stresses that behaviour is a function of the person and his environment. Violence is one of the greatest social problems facing Nigeria and the entire globe. Most times, people view it as an act exhibited by only youths and adults. But the violence we see today, the seeds must have been sown in the formative years. It therefore becomes pertinent to investigate violence in early childhood classes. The study is guided by two research questions and one hypothesis. It employs a descriptive survey design. The population for the study comprised all primary school teachers in Delta State. A sample of one hundred and twenty teachers teaching in early childhood classes was drawn using the simple random sampling technique from both urban and rural areas. The instrument used was the questionnaire titled “Prevalence and Forms of Violence (PFV)”. Cronbach alpha which yielded a coefficient index of 0.77 was used for the reliability. The data gathered were analyzed using mean and t-test. From the analysis, it was revealed that shouting, noise making, fighting, verbal abuse, slapping, tearing pupil’s books, hitting, beating were more prevalent in early childhood classes. It was therefore recommended among others that parents and teachers should strive to be good role models and that parents should learn to minimize conflicts in the home. Curriculum planners should endeavour to do relevant curriculum to stem violence.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p469