Teacher and learners’ belief in a just world and perspectives of discipline of Grade 4 - 8 learners in South African schools

Abstract

In the present study we examine the personal belief in a just world for teachers and learners in predominantly Afrikaans-speaking South African schools, and the relationship between teachers' personal belief in a just world and their perception of problem behavior in the classroom. The study is informed by national debates of school violence in South African schools, and international debates on zero-tolerance policies to address school violence. Our findings suggest that teachers' personal belief in a just world predicts their perception of problem behavior in classroom behavior in four areas, namely challenging authority, disrespecting rules and authority and teacher negativity. Teachers with a strong personal belief in a just world were more likely to view classroom behaviours as problematic. Children generally reported that their teachers were fair and just and liked them. However, boys were more likely to have experienced trouble with their teachers and to view them as unfair and unjust. We discuss the significance of the findings in terms of school violence and also mention gendered interpretations to school violence.

Re-conceptualizing classroom assessment fairness: A systematic meta-ethnography of assessment literature and beyond

“…Three sub-themes were found as related to students' beliefs about fairness: belief in a just world, beliefs about the meaning of learning, and locus of control (Duplaga & Astani, 2010;Peter & Dalbert, 2010;Thorkildsen, Nolen, & Fournier, 1994). Extensive research has been conducted into belief in a just world, connecting students' belief systems to fairness perceptions (Alt, 2015;Alt & Itzkovich, 2015;Donat, Dalbert, & Kamble, 2014;Human-Vogel & Morkel, 2017;Peter & Dalbert, 2010;Peter, Dalbert, Kloeckner, & Radant, 2013;Peter, Kloeckner, Dalbert, & Radant, 2012). Belief in a just world is a construct with two facets; the first one is personal belief in a just world that considers the extent individuals construe their life events as fair; the second one is general belief in a just world that refers to the extent individuals believe that the world is a fair place.…”