Abstract
According to Baron and Richardson (1994:1), it is unusual to pick up a newspaper, watch the news on television or even page through a magazine without learning about aggression or violence. In South-Africa many such articles in magazines and newspapers indicate that aggression has found a place in society and is experienced daily by people. In addition, aggression is experienced daily by educators in the schools. Furthermore, examples are provided by newspaper headlines such as: “Pupil in hospital after being belted” (Sowetan, 13 May 2003:6) and “Bail for teacher accused of death beating” (Daily Sun, 2 August 2003:2). Some learners and educators encounter verbal insults, rough physical contact and hostile rejection. These aggressive encounters are sometimes perceived as aggression in a less intense form.
Secondary school male educators are to supposed to build relationships with and set an example for the learners at their schools. Therefore it was hoped that a contribution could be made to lessen aggression, which is a destructive element in their relationships, not only with the learners, but potentially with all stakeholders, including colleagues, school management teams, school governing bodies and even figures within the structures of the Mpumalanga Department of Education.
Against this background, the need arose for an effective way to reduce aggression, hence this research deals with secondary school male educators’ own aggression. The purpose of this research study was to explore and describe secondary school male educators’ experience of own aggression and furthermore to describe and to recommend guidelines to support those educators who experience own aggression.
The participants in this research study were all white Afrikaans speaking, secondary school male educators from the Mpumalanga Department of Education. All the interviewees were between the ages of 36 and 58 years, with experience of teaching, both in the former Transvaal Education Department as well as the new Mpumalanga Department of Education.
The research design was based on qualitative research because of its exploratory, descriptive and contextual nature. Qualitative research attempts to describe, interpret or reconstruct the depth, richness and complexity of an identified phenomenon in order to gain an understanding of it and insight into it (Burns & Grove, 1997:67). Qualitative research implies a direct concern with experience as it is lived, felt or undergone by people (Merriam, 2001:6; Sherman & Webb, 1988:7). During phase one data were collected through phenomenological interviews which were audiotaped, and field notes, reflecting the researcher’s observation during the interviews. Creswell (1998:51) explains that a phenomenological study describes the meaning of the lived experiences of several individuals about a phenomenon. Therefore the interviews were transcribed for data analysis purposes. Ethical guidelines, which served as standards and as the basis on which the researcher ought to evaluate his conduct during data collection, were followed.
During phase two of the research study, the data were analysed according to Tesch’s method (Creswell, 1994:154-155), an approach for data reduction, after which a literature control was conducted to verify and complement the results. In a literature control, information from the literature is compared with the findings from the study, not only to substantiate the findings but also to enhance the trustworthiness of a research study. In addition, to ensure the trustworthiness of this research study, Guba’s model (Krefting, 1991:214-222; Lincoln & Guba, 1985:290-327) was applied.
According to the data analysis, three themes were identified, namely:
· Secondary school male educators experience their own aggression in a variety of ways.
· Secondary school male educators are of the opinion that a loss of power and/or control elicits aggression.
· Secondary school male educators are of the opinion that the implementation of guidelines will enable them to cope with their experience of own aggression.
In view of these broad themes, guidelines were described to support secondary school male educators who experience own aggression and therefore also to facilitate mental health. The research findings showed that secondary school male educators experience own aggression in a variety of ways such as experiencing themselves as not being aggressive. They also associate their own aggression with positive as well as negative feelings. Furthermore, these male educators experience ambivalent feelings in relation to their own aggression. They experience a loss of power and/or control, and they are of the opinion that because of this loss these feelings of powerlessness and not being in control give rise to own aggression. Thus there is a need for the implementation of guidelines to support these secondary school male educators who experience own aggression.
Based on these findings, guidelines were described to support secondary school male educators who experience own aggression and recommendations were made regarding an approach that would facilitate mental health. More importantly, this study firstly intended to be of value, not only to secondary school male educators, but to all educators in preventing aggressive behaviour (Aggressive behaviour refers to that behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being). Secondly this study also intended to prevent aggressiveness (that relatively persistent readiness to become aggressive) in a variety of different situations.
Prof. C.P.H. Myburgh