On the basis of interviews of a sample of teachers and administrators, we examine Taiwan's 2006 legislative ban on school corporal punishment, seeking to understand why the practice persists within the nation's junior high schools. Results suggest that while teachers reject harsher forms of corporal punishment, many continue to view its moderate use as a practical, acceptable tool for pupil control. This appears to result from schools’ traditional reliance on informal, discretionary forms of punishment and the high-stakes testing environment. Our study illustrates how conflict between macro and local environmental structures, needs, and values can delay and limit broad reform efforts.
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