Are caning and learning friends or foes in Ghanaian secondary schools?

A total of 3,342 eleventh graders from 10 public Senior High Schools were engaged in an investigation of the nature of motivation for the learning of mathematics in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The Likert survey revealed both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, while in the interview students mainly provided extrinsic motivation explanations. Although motivation and caning seems a contradiction in terms, unfortunately, it is a style of motivation experienced by some students in the context of this study. Specifically, the interviewed students mentioned fear of corporal punishment as the most important demotivating issue and high stake national examination results remain the impetus for the learning of mathematics in Ghana. The respondents bemoaned the effects of corporal punishment upon their learning of mathematics and its implications for their capacity to benefit from school were expressed.