Teachers as agents of change: positive discipline for inclusive classrooms in Kakuma refugee camp

ABSTRACT

Refugee children have often witnessed or experienced trauma, violence, and death. While conflict harms the psychosocial well-being and emotional development of children, an inclusive educational environment can serve as a safe haven for refugee students. Drawing on qualitative data collected between 2015–2017 in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, including 81 semi-structured interviews and extensive feedback gathered during teacher training workshops, this paper examines the micro-level disciplinary practices among teachers that promote or impede the inclusion of refugee children. The paper presents the tension between teachers’ own negative experiences with corporal punishment as students, and their justification for using corporal punishment as teachers. Additionally, it highlights the role that continuous professional development plays in making positive changes to teachers’ beliefs and practices. The authors argue that providing a safe space for reflection and discussion on corporal punishment and positive discipline is pertinent to reducing negative practices and stress the key role teachers play in creating such environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher professional development
• teacher change
• positive discipline
• corporal punishment
• inclusive classrooms
• refugee education
• Kenya

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Charlotte Bergin is an Education Adviser at Save the Children where she works across a range of settings in East and West Africa and the Middle East. Charlotte specialises in education policies and practices in contexts of forced displacement, and has particular expertise in teacher professional development and the relationship between education and gender equality. Charlotte is a qualified teacher and teacher trainer, is co-chair of the Teachers in Crisis Contexts Working Group and an active member of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies.

Lauren Bowden is an English as a New Language Specialist at a primary school in Brooklyn, New York. With a Master of Arts from the International and Comparative Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, Lauren’s research interests are centred around teacher professional development globally and teacher support networks. Her experiences include several years as a classroom teacher, working with students learning English as a Second Language as well as students with special needs, and various teacher professional development programmes in East Africa.

Jihae Cha is a doctoral fellow in the International and Comparative Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Jihae's research interests are situated at the intersection of education quality, gender, and psychosocial well-being. She is also interested in students’ motivation and academic persistence in crisis contexts both in camp and urban settings. More recently, Jihae has conducted multiple research studies in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya on the issues of student motivation and aspiration, accelerated education, and teacher professional development.

Danielle Falk is a doctoral student in the International and Comparative Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include the role and well-being of refugee teachers as well as the policies that affect educators in crisis and displacement contexts. Most recently, Danielle was the Lead Trainer and Capacity Building Manager for Teachers for Teachers in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya. Danielle completed her Master of Arts at Teachers College where she was a research assistant on a global education study for urban refugees as well as a study on refugee teacher identity and professional development. Danielle also supported research on the education sector in Rwanda during her Master’s studies, where she previously had lived and worked at a secondary school for vulnerable adolescents and orphans.

Mary Mendenhall is an Associate Professor of Practice and the Director of the International and Comparative Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She designs and leads grant-funded implementation projects and research studies about the policies and practices of refugee education across camp, urban, and resettlement contexts as well as teacher support, collaboration, and professional development in crisis settings. Dr. Mendenhall leads the research workstream of the Teachers in Crisis Contexts Collaborative, under the auspices of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies. She also serves as an advisory council member for both the Carey Institute of Global Good’s Center for Learning in Practice and the Right to Education.

Notes

1 Pseudonyms have been used for all teachers.