The Negative Consequence of Teacher Directed Violence to Student Learning

Abstract

The study explores the experiences of secondary school teacher-directed violence. Violence directed at teachers can have a negative attitude towards their job, as well as not performing to expectations. Thus, it is important to increase knowledge regarding violence as educators experience it, so as to be able to work preventively and minimise the violence. The study is guided by the ınterpretative phenomenological analysis which seeks to understand the experiences of teacher-directed violence. Interviews were conducted with 10 teachers from various secondary schools at a neutral venue outside the respondents’ schools and homes. Analysis revealed five main themes, namely absenteeism due to fear, fear for their safety, teacher turnover as result of violence, harassment, and intimidation. The findings revealed that more serious acts of violence on teachers affected their performance at school. If not addressed, this problem of violence has the capacity to render the education system dysfunctional. In conclusion, authorities must act against this threat on teachers in order to normalise the situation at schools throughout the country.