Survey results on the Project Grundtvig learning Partnership

"Learning Positive Discipline"

Amici del centro socioculturale San FrancescoUmbertide_Italy

Receivement of the questionnaires

Distribution of 2530 questionnaires to the parents of students from 6 to 18 years old

Collection of the results of a representative champion of each school for a total of 400 questionnaires

Elaboration of the results in two different champions: the first regarding pupils from 6 to 13 years old and the second

regarding pupils from 14 to 18 years old

77,4%

8,1%

14,5% Italian European Extraeuropean

Foreigners students in our city

In our city there is a strong presence of foreigners (approximately 23%) of various nationalities which causes some difficulties in preparing the questionnaires for a problem of language and culture.

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13 years old

The data sample of primary school (6-10 years) and secondary school level (11-13 years) is composed by 257 families.The respondents have these features:

67%

33%Mothers

Fathers

The predominant age is the one that goes from 25 to 44 years (61%).

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13 years old

The data sample of primary school (6-10 years) and secondary school level (11-13 years) is composed by 257 families.The respondents have these features:

54%24%

17%5% High School Degree

University Degree

Middle School

Elementary School

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13 years old

82%

18%UrbanSuburban

The data sample of primary school (6-10 years) and secondary school level (11-13 years) is composed by 257 families.The respondents have these features:

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13 years old

The data sample of primary school (6-10 years) and secondary school level (11-13 years) is composed by 257 families.The respondents have these features:

82%

10%

8%Typical nuclear familyInclude Grand-parentsSeparated-divided

69%

18% 13%

Good status of family-af -ford to buy what is suffi-cient to live on

No problem to afford to buy expensive things

Not able to cover basic expenses

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13 years old

The data sample of primary school (6-10 years) and secondary school level (11-13 years) is composed by 257 families.The respondents have these features:

Disciplinary methods

Punishments and rewards are given by both parents.Tended to be more mothers than fathers dispensing rewards 20 % versus 6 %, and 18 % compared to the punishment of only 7% of fathers.

Disciplinary strategy

REMAIN CALM AND DISCUSS

PUNISHMENT PUNISHMENT

JUSTIFIED

The interesting thing is that there is a very strong correlation between the behaviors reported by parents who responded to the questionnaires and those adopted by their parents when they themselves were children.

In many cases the percentages coincide and when the attitude changes is always for the better.

The practise of remain calm and discuss current is equal to 77% , compared with 65% of the parents of the past.

Translated into everyday practice the attitude of education of the parents of respondents had this dimension : " It is so . End of story".

7% reported that at one time, for their parents , spanking and more generally the " beating" was a common practice against the 1% of today.

However we can say that the attitude of the parents toward physical punishment ( beatings and slaps ) remains a percentage that goes from 18 to 25 %. This percentage represents parents who believe that the punishment is a educational tool , even if only in power (only a possibility). In all the questions and the various items the percentages of likelihood or approval stood on this datas. Psychologically say that 20 out of 100 parents approve physical punishments may seem "acceptable" . If we transform it in 2 out of 10 and still 1 of 5 parents who have this idea , it changes the perception of the problem : a parent in five believes that physical punishment is a permissible method of education .

Comparative analysis

In this phase we will analyze the questionnaire data of parents of pupils aged 14 to 18 years with the sample data from 6 to 13 years.The number of households who responded to the questionnaires for parents of pupils in high schools is 128.The characteristics are:

76%

24%Mothers

Fathers

The predominant age is the one that goes from 45 to 54 years (56%).

Second sample: 14-18 years old

The data on school qualification possessed is almost unchanged. As well as the area of residence. The family composition is similar: the only increasing percentage is the one of those who claim to be separate-divided: from 8% to 13% of respondents.

Comparative analysisSecond sample: 14-18 years old

Disciplinary methods

Punishments and rewards are given by both parents even in this age group.

There are changing modes that express approval : more verbal claims (55% ) than embraces (23% ), compared to respectively 32% and 40% of the previous sample. Clearly, the age of the children growing reduces the impulses of “tenderness" by the parents.

Faced with a problem you tend to remain calm and discuss with the same percentages of the sample as before, but you fight slightly more.

Sometimes Often Very often0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Sometimes Often Very often0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

First sample: 6-10 years old and 11-13

years old

Second sample: 14-18 years old

Even in this sample of parents, slightly more mature than the first, there is a very strong correlation between the behaviors reported by parents who responded to the questionnaires and those adopted by their parents when they themselves were children.

And even in this case, parental attitudes toward punishment be given to children show light and shade , rather they are even more marked.

In particular, the question " physical punishment is the last situation that parents should use ? " The results become even clearer than the previous sample : 71% agrees (67% in the previous sample).

Conclusions

Even though times have changed and they are certainly for the better relationships between parents and children, there are some "scabs of the past" of the old pedagogical certainties. The physical punishment as a tool, even if seen as the last card to play.

Changing strategy could be to approach an educational system seen as co-evolution, which means building relationships, rules, narratives (ie, meanings ) " between all parties involved, understanding and respecting of educational processes of all adults and not without making value judgments. The slogan could be "disarm educational tools for a more effective relationship between parents and children".