Rewards as Hidden Curriculum and Their Impact on the Moral Values of Secondary School Students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This research paper investigates the role of reward practices in schools as a hidden curriculum that influences the moral values of students in a secondary school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Although the reward system is a common practice in ensuring discipline, academic participation, and desirable behaviour, its moral consequences have not been explored extensively. Based on semi-structured interviews with ten purposely sampled male teachers in the public secondary schools, the research examines the way in which teachers perceive and practice reward practices, and the reward practices denote implicit moral expectations. Thematic analysis with the help of the thematic analysis provided by Braun and Clarke (2006), five related themes appeared: (1) dualism in rewards as a motivator and compliance mechanism; (2) moral legitimacy and pedagogical importance of non-material recognition; (3) fairness and transparency as the necessary ethical prerequisites to the implementation of rewards; (4) application of reflective pedagogy to develop intrinsic moral reasoning; and (5) contextual and cultural factors that affect the reaction of students to rewards. The results show that even though praise and symbolic recognition have the ability to strengthen prosocial behaviour, overdependence on material rewards can lead to transactional attitudes that subvert the inherent morality. The research claims that reward practices should be planned as moral indicators that are part of the hidden curriculum and not just behavioural management strategies. The paper has implications for policy change, teacher education and moral pedagogy in resource-limited educational institutions.