The management of classroom discipline by educators and HODs of Gauteng East primary schools

Abstract

Classroom discipline is one of the pillars of good education globally. This study aimed to determine the role of teachers and HODs in maintaining effective classroom discipline among learners in selected primary schools in Gauteng East. The research question set by the researcher to gather the relevant information was: How does a purposively selected group of primary school HODs and teachers in the Gauteng East District view their experiences, skills and knowledge of classroom discipline and management in a post-corporal punishment era, as explored through a qualitative study using multiple techniques of data gathering? The researcher sought to determine how classroom discipline and management took place and which strategies teachers and HODs could adopt for effective classroom discipline and management. A qualitative research approach was employed for the empirical inquiry carried out at the selected research sites. Information about classroom discipline and management strategies was gathered from selected participants, made up of 24 teachers and six HODs from six primary schools. This was achieved using semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, document analysis and observation tools. The study revealed that all the selected participants were applying the reactive or punitive disciplinary approach rather than a proactive or positive approach. The literature review on the causes of poor classroom discipline and management, along with the research-based behavioural strategies and the empirical enquiry in the selected schools, allowed the researcher to critically assess the current disciplinary strategies implemented by teachers and HODs in Gauteng East primary schools and to make meaningful recommendations for improvement of discipline and classroom management. The main recommendations entail that teachers and HODs extend their horizons in order to be able to use the three models of control proposed by Wolfgang and Glickman in their classrooms. Use of the three models would aid them in exercising effective and meaningful classroom discipline and in utilising the strategies emanating from the research on effective classroom management. These main recommendations are further extended in the additional recommendations put forward.

Klaskamerdissipline is wêreldwyd een van die hoekstene van goeie onderwys. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om die rol van onderwysers en departementshoofde in die doeltreffende handhawing van klaskamerdissipline by leerders in uitgesoekte laerskole in Gauteng-Oos te bepaal. Die navorsingsvraag wat deur die navorser gestel is om die tersaaklike inligting in te samel, was: Hoe beskou ʼn doelbewus gekose groep laerskooldepartementshoofde en laerskool-onderwysers in die Gauteng-Oos-distrik hul ervarings, vaardighede en kennis van klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur in ʼn post-lyfstraf-era, soos ondersoek in ʼn kwalitatiewe studie met behulp van verskeie data-insamelingstegnieke? Die navorser het gepoog om te bepaal hoe klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur plaasgevind het en watter strategieë deur onderwysers en departementshoofde aangewend kan word vir doeltreffende klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg vir die empiriese ondersoek wat by die gekose navorsingsplekke uitgevoer is. Inligting oor klaskamerdissipline en -bestuurstrategieë is verkry van gekose deelnemers bestaande uit 24 onderwysers en ses departementshoofde van ses laerskole. Dit is gedoen deur halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, fokusgroeponderhoude, dokumentontleding en waarnemingshulpmiddele te gebruik. Die studie het getoon dat al die gekose deelnemers die reaktiewe of strafbenadering tot dissipline gevolg het, eerder as ʼn proaktiewe of positiewe benadering. Die literatuuroorsig oor die oorsake van swak klaskamerdissipline en -bestuur, tesame met die navorsingsgebaseerde gedragstrategieë en die empiriese ondersoek in die geselekteerde skole, het dit vir die navorser moontlik gemaak om die huidige dissiplinêre strategieë wat deur onderwysers en departementshoofde in laerskole in Gauteng-Oos geïmplementeer word, krities te assesseer en om sinvolle aanbevelings vir die verbetering van dissipline en klaskamerbestuur te doen. Die vernaamste aanbevelings behels dat onderwysers en departementshoofde hul horisonne moet verbreed sodat hulle in staat sal wees om die drie modelle van beheer wat deur Wolfgang en Glickman voorgestel word, in hul klaskamers te gebruik. Die gebruik van die drie modelle sal hulle help om doeltreffende en sinvolle klaskamerdissipline te beoefen, en om die strategieë wat uit die navorsing oor doeltreffende klaskamerbestuur voortspruit, te gebruik. Hierdie hoofaanbevelings word verder uitgebrei in die bykomende aanbevelings wat gemaak is.

Kgalemo ka phaposing ya ho rutela ke e nngwe ya ditshiya tsa thuto e hantle lefatsheng ka bophara. Phuputso ena e ne e reretswe ho tseba boikarabello ba matitjhere le Dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba ho boloka kgalemo e sebetsang phaposing ya ho rutela hara baithuti dikolong tse kgethilweng tsa mathomo Gauteng Botjhabela. Potso ya patlisiso e entsweng ke mofuputsi ho bokella tlhahisoleseding e nepahetseng e ne e le hore na: Sehlopha se kgethilweng ka boomo sa dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) le matitjhere a Setereke sa Gauteng Botjhabela se bona boiphihlelo ba sona jwang, bokgoni le tsebo tsa kgalemelo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso nakong ya kamora nako ya ho tloswa ha ho shapuwa ha baithuti jwalo ka ha ho hlahlojwa ka phuputso ya boleng ho sebediswa mekgwa e mengata ya ho bokella datha? Mofuputsi o ile a batla ho tseba hore na kgalemo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso di etsahetse jwang le hore na ke mawa afe ao matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba ka a sebedisang bakeng sa kgalemo e sebetsang ya phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso. Mokgwa wa ho etsa dipatlisiso wa boleng o ile wa sebediswa bakeng sa patlisiso ya tlhahlobo e entsweng dibakeng tsa patlisiso tse kgethilweng. Tlhahisoleseding mabapi le kgalemo ya phaposing ya ho rutela le maano a tsamaiso e ile ya bokellwa ho tswa ho bankakarolo ba kgethilweng, ba entsweng ka matichere a 24 le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) tse tsheletseng dikolong tse tsheletseng tsa mathomo. Sena se fihletswe ka dipuisano tse batlang di hlophisitswe, dipuisano tsa sehlopha se kgethilweng, manollo ya ditokomane le disebediswa tsa temoho. Phuputso e senotse hore bankakarolo bohle ba kgethilweng ba ne ba sebedisa mokgwa wa kgalemo o sebetsang kapa o fanang ka kotlo ho fapana le mokgwa o sebetsang kapa o nepahetseng. Tlhahlobo ya dingodilweng ka disosa tsa boitshwaro bo bobe ba phaposing ya ho rutela le tsamaiso, hammoho le maano a boitshwaro a ipapisitseng le dipatlisiso tse matla dikolong tse kgethilweng, e dumelletse mofuputsi ho lekola ka botebo maano a kgalemo a tshebetsong a sebediswang ke matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) dikolong tsa mathomo tsa Gauteng Botjhabela le ho etsa ditlhahiso tse nang le moelelo bakeng sa ntlafatso ya boitshwaro le tsamaiso ya phaposi ya ho rutela. Ditlhahiso tsa mantlha di kenyeletsa hore matitjhere le dihlooho tsa mafapha (di-HOD) ba batle mekgwa e meng eo ba ka sebetsanang le sena ka yona e le hore ba kgone ho sebedisa dimmotlolo tse tharo tsa taolo tse hlahisitsweng ke Wolfgang le Glickman diphaposing tsa bona tsa ho rutela. Tshebediso ya dimmotlolo tse tharo e ka ba thusa ho sebedisa kgalemo e sebetsang le e nang le moelelo phaposing ya ho rutela le ho sebedisa maano a tswang dipatlisisong a mabapi le tsamaiso e sebetsang ya phaposi ya ho rutela. Ditlhahiso tsena tsa mantlha di boetse di atoloswa ho feta ditlhahisong tsa tlatsetso tse hlahisitsweng.