To conclude the study in the field learners were asked how they thought the current discipline system could be improved (Glenn, 2012). The Grade 10 learners were asked to rank what they believed to be in most need of review. Of the respondents 38% ranked consequences as the number one aspect of the disciplinary system in need of revision; 36% believed that the rules needed to be reviewed and 26% felt that the procedures should be reconsidered (Figure 4.9).
116 Figure 4.9: Aspects of the current discipline system which learners believed were in
most need of attention
The focus group discussions held with members of the RCL reinforced this opinion (Figure 4.9) and provided various simple strategies which could be implemented. The most notable suggestion was that of “following up”. RCL respondent 2 stated “also just
following up a lot … makes a big difference.” RCL respondent 1 agreed saying “they don’t back it up and check that they follow through”.
The problem seems to arise especially when detentions and demerits are given. According to the learners, the educator often forgets to make an arrangement which gives learners the impression that they can get away with it. RCL respondent 4 shouted “Double check!” It was said that if educators followed up as intended that the procedures currently in place could be sufficient (Kimani, 2013:17). Perhaps instead of changing the system, management needs to look at ways to make it more efficient? The next suggestion was that of reviewing the consequences (Figure 4.9). RCL respondent 3 explained “you can get away with not doing your homework 20 times and
nothing will happen, I think that’s a lot”.
The group was in agreement that the more demerits accumulated, the harsher the consequences should be, but were uncertain of a method in which to implement such a system. RCL respondent 4 claimed “it can be improved by increasing the punishment …
36% 26% 38% Rules Procedure Consequences
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it should be more than just one afternoon detention … consequences need to be harder …demerits are given like free sweets”. RCL respondent 1 echoed this idea saying
”there should be no mercy at all … harsher penalties are needed”. But what does this entail?
Suggestions of harsher punishments were given by members, most including manual labour. Many of these penalties were related to detentions, as it was said earlier that detention has become almost like a free period. RCL respondent 2 suggested “they
should make us do gardening or something at the school”. RCL respondent 5 added,
“They should make you do like the dishes in the staffroom, like we all hate dishes!” RCL respondent 3 explained “after school detention means you miss out on an hour of
sport” and that for children who are serious about their sport it is a good enough
motivator. RCL respondent 5 disagreed saying “if you get detention at first and second
break, that’s harsh”. She added “some teachers are harsh with their punishment but some teachers aren’t … like sanding desks or scraping off gum”. With this in mind,
perhaps to begin with, a learner who does not comply with the code of conduct should start with one break detention, then two and then an afternoon. As the number of demerits increases, so the time spent in detention increases.
When discussing classroom management and the effect of the educator (Figure 4.2) on a class, the RCL suggested positive reinforcement in the form of praise and reward to be more effective than reprimand which is in line with the findings from the questionnaire (Figure 4.8). RCL respondent 5 said that “the more often a teacher shouts
the less effective she is”. RCL respondent 4 claimed “talk to me and help me understand why I was wrong”.
According to the RCL respondents, learners needed to be encouraged and as RCL respondent 2 stated “you should be rewarded for what you do because then it motivates
other students to do better”. RCL respondent 5 said “they have to show you that being a good child is better than being a bad child.”
RCL respondent 4 said that this could be accomplished if the educator shows “general
118 should also be meaningful. She also suggested better and more consistent communication between school and home (Figure 4.1).
RCL respondent 4:“I think they should actually explain the discipline system in the
beginning to everyone” (Glenn, 2012). She would also like to ensure “constant communication with parents, not only when things go wrong”. It was suggested by RCL
respondent 3 “better communication with parents, like maybe an sms system” (Figure 4.7). This suggestion sparked some brainstorming and it was suggested that if the demerits recorded in the homework diary were done away with and instead minor misdemeanours such as late coming or incomplete homework received a sms, that parental involvement would increase as a whole and learner behaviour would improve. There appeared to be a lot of support for the learner-centred approach (Dinkmeyer & Carlson, 2013:27). RCL respondent 3 stated “I think if the demerit system wasn’t about
catching the child out, but more as a, ok, he made a mistake, how are we going to work together as teacher and pupil to help him through this?”… So rather than find a punishment, try and help them”. For example, “if you gonna suspend someone for fighting they should go for counselling too”. The RCL focus group was in agreement
with this strategy but questioned how it could work with the vast numbers of learners. The principal felt that “disciplining difficult children is hard work, when in actual fact we
should be focussing on the 98% of the kids who are good”. In reality the behaviour
problems take up more of an educator’s time than the learners who are deserving of his attention. “I can see the problems. I don’t know what the solution is … [Perhaps] “if we
more readily had disciplinary hearings…” this may deter learners from misbehaving for
fear of parental involvement (Figure 4.8).
The principal stated that he would like “develop a preventative system … If I had the
resources, I could hire a professional to assess every child on entry and identify possible problems before they occur”. Unfortunately resources are minimal and with the
vast number of learners efficiency may be substandard.
The principal explained his view on the tremendous influence society has on our learners. As a solution he suggests “we should be focussing on morals. That’s what we
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should be teaching … Currently the curriculum time allocation does not allow for the concepts of manners, morals and values in the depth that is required to make a difference”. The principal commended Lead SA saying “Lead SA I think is a very positive thing and I think we need more.” Lead SA is an organisation which encourages
all South Africans, through the media, to “lead the way” by displaying responsible behaviour and promoting working together, to make South Africa a better place for all. The principal also commented that over the years he has observed learners at the school who cannot contend with mainstream schooling. He said the need was for “more
special schools to accommodate learners who cannot cope in mainstream classes [and] greater parent support and involvement” for all learners. The principal suggested, “I think what might be useful for universities when they are doing teacher training, is to actually do a longer teacher training, maybe two months at a stretch kinda thing”.
4.6 SUMMARY
In this chapter, the researcher presented the findings of the study. These findings are based primarily on the analysis of questionnaires and are supported by the transcripts of the focus group and interviews conducted during the course of the study. Findings were discussed in four parts that correspond with the major themes that emerged from the data.
- The first section focussed of causative factors of disciplinary problems in which the home environment and peer influence were the biggest factors.
- The second section questioned the effectiveness of the current disciplinary system, where it was agreed that the system was effective for the average child but not severe enough for the child with behavioural problems.
- The third section investigated different discipline management strategies in which it was found that parental involvement was the most effective, followed by praise and reward and withdrawal of privileges.
- The final section looked at a means of improving the system. It was said that the consequences needed to be harsher, including parental involvement at earlier
120 stages. It was also suggested that educators engage in better follow up and control of discipline measures. There was also some support for behaviour modification programs within the discipline system.
In Chapter 5 conclusions emanating from the study will be presented. Recommendations to improve the discipline problems experienced at the secondary school as well as recommendations to improve the current discipline system will be made.
The limits of the study will be reported on, as well as proposals made for further research.
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CHAPTER
FIVE-
CONCLUSION
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this study was to examine the learners’ perspectives of the discipline problems at a secondary school in Gauteng. Four fundamental questions framed this research:
- What do learners suggest as causative factors for the manifestation of poor behaviour?
- How do learners perceive the current disciplinary problems at a secondary school in Gauteng?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the disciplinary system at a secondary school in Gauteng as perceived by the learners?
- What improvements to the disciplinary system do the learners suggest?
The research questions were answered by themes that emerged from the questionnaires, focus groups and interview data and were reported in Chapter 4.
The aims of this research were to undertake a study of the relevant literature to consider the causative factors associated with discipline problems in secondary schools; to conduct an investigation to determine how the discipline system was perceived by the learners; to establish how effective the various discipline strategies are in maintaining discipline and to make recommendations on how the discipline system can be improved based on the literature review and on the empirical research findings.
This chapter will review, analyse, and discuss (in light of the relevant literature) the findings of this study. In this chapter conclusions will be drawn, as well as
122 recommendations for improvement and further study to be made. The limitations of this study will also be highlighted.