High prevalence rates of corporal punishment in schools worldwide
and the associated negative mental health issues show the
need for interventions addressing this problem. Yet, so far there
are very few intervention studies aimed at altering corporal
punishment administered by teachers, particularly in low- or
middle-income countries.
To conduct a feasibility study of the newly developed intervention
approach, Interaction Competencies with Children for
Teachers (ICC-T)—a training workshop designed to prevent corporal
punishment and improve the teacher-student relationship.
The 1-week ICC-T intervention was conducted with 30 teachers
in a Tanzanian primary school. Participants filled out a survey
before, directly after, and 3 months following the intervention.
The widespread use of corporal punishment indicated strong
demand for a preventive intervention. The feasibility of ICC-T
was good: Despite challenging conditions, implementation of
the training and participants’ acceptance was high. Further,
participants reported a good integration of the training’s core
elements in their daily working routine, improvements in the
teacher-student relationships, and in the students’ behavior.
ICC-T shows a promising feasibility in the Tanzanian teacher
sample. These encouraging results highlight the need for
further studies testing the efficacy, sustainability, and effects
of ICC-T on the students’ well-being.
University of Konstanz