The Impact of Learner Ill-Discipline on Teaching and Learning in High Schools of Waterberg District, Limpopo Province
Issue: Vol.5 No.13 Issue Article 22 pp.2280-2295
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451322 | Published online 25th October, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Studies have indicated that lack of discipline among learners in schools is one of the foremost problems facing schools both nationally and internationally. This paper thus investigated the causal factors of learner ill-discipline at the school level with the intention to come up with practical measures that can be applied by the schools to curb learner indiscipline. The qualitative method with a case study approach was used to conduct an in-depth investigation into the phenomenon of learner indiscipline. Three high schools in the Bela-Bela township were sampled as participants for the study. Data was collected through one-on-one semi-structured interviews and document analyses on learner code of conduct and school disciplinary policy. Three (3) school principals, six (6) teachers and six (6) learners were interviewed. The findings revealed that schools are characterised by rampant levels of learner ill-discipline with a negative impact on teaching and learning. The study argued that two primary factors fuelling learner ill-discipline in schools are the inappropriate implementation of the learner code of conduct and the school disciplinary policy. It concluded that there is an urgent need for proper implementation of the learner code of conduct and the disciplinary policy in the schools. This study strongly recommends that education authorities put measures in place to ensure that schools comply with the proper implementation of the code of conduct and school disciplinary policy. The findings of this study contribute to a discourse in the body of knowledge in learner discipline.
Keywords: Ill-Discipline, Learner Performance, School Disciplinary Policy, Code of Conduct
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Dr. Ernest Khalabai Mashaba is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, at Tshwane University of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. with specialization in Educational Management. He currently supervises Masters and Doctoral students. With his passion for research, Dr Mashaba is advancing knowledge by publishing scholarly articles in national and international journals in the field of Educational Management, Policy Studies, and Economics of Education. Dr Mashaba has also presented research papers at national and international conferences. He has received institutional awards for his research work.
Dr. Ntshengedzeni Albert Tshisevhe is residing at Modimolle in the Limpopo Province. He acquired his Masters of Education Degree from Tshwane University of Technology in 2021. In 2024, he obtained his Doctor of Education Degree from the same institution – Tshwane University of Technology. Doctor Tshisevhe has already published two articles in two internationally accredited journals. Currently, Dr Tshisevhe is an educator at Lekkerbreek Primary School, and has served the school for twenty years. He is teaching Natural Science and Technology. He is also a tutor at the University of South Africa.
Prof. Simeon Maile is a research professor in the School of Education at Tshwane University of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. with specialization in Educational Management. He currently supervises Masters and Doctoral students. He has presented papers in national and international conferences. He has received institutional, national awards, and international research grants. He has authored and co-authored three books and has edited one volume on issues of poverty in South Africa. He has published widely in national and international journals in the field of Educational Management, Policy Studies, and Law of Education.
Mashaba, Ernest Khalabai, Ntshengedzeni Albert Tshisevhe & Simeon Maile. “The Impact of Learner Ill-Discipline on Teaching and Learning in High Schools of Waterberg District, Limpopo Province,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.13 (2024): 2280-2295. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451322
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).