Managing discipline in a post-corporal punishment era environment at secondary schools in the Sekhukhune school district, Limpopo

Abstract

Managing discipline in schools is one of the fundamentals of effective teaching and learning. It is evident that ineffective discipline management in schools would eventually jeopardize the efficacy of teaching and learning. So, it is crucial that legitimate, democratic disciplinary measures and procedures should be employed. The aim of this study was to investigate ways of managing discipline in selected secondary schools within Sekhukhune District, Limpopo. A qualitative research approach was chosen, employing research methods which included individual interviews, focus group interviews and non-participant observation. The investigation focused on four secondary schools which were purposefully sampled to participate in the study. The research concentrated only on the views of the educators and the principals. This investigation revealed that principals and educators still find themselves in a predicament in applying contemporary disciplinary measures due to a lack of training or minimal training regarding alternatives to corporal punishment.