Education within South Africa has undergone significant change within a short period of time. This change has primarily been written in terms of human rights and the equitable distribution of educational resources. This has necessitated a paradigm shift for many teachers and the study explores some of the factors that have prevented teachers from experiencing a paradigm shift. The introduction of the South African Schools Act of 1996 heralded the start of the complete abolition of corporal punishment within all South African schools. The object of this investigation was to explore teachers' attitudes towards the abolition of corporal punishment and the factors that would contribute towards their attitude. The research explored whether the attitude of teachers, in relation to corporal punishment, had been influenced by the disruptive behaviour of pupils and their perceptions of the efficacy of alternate methods of behaviour management.

The issue of bullying in schools is an age old problem and it does not only occur in schools but even in the workplace. This study aims to explore the experiences of learners who witness bullying in schools and how this issue affects them psychologically, emotionally and academically. This was a qualitative study and data was collected through open-ended interviews and focus group discussions. Data for this study was collected from learners from grades eight to twelve, who had witnessed bullying. Interviews were audio taped, transcribed and analysed, and data was categorised into themes. The results of this study revealed that there were some psychological, emotional and academic problems that emanated from witnessing bullying. The trauma of watching bullying endangered the lives of the witnesses, psychologically and emotionally, meaning that it affected the way they reasoned out things. Some witnesses even pointed out that bullying compelled them to think with their hearts rather than with their minds. Ultimately, they made decisions that they regretted because they had taken those decisions when they were furious. The results also revealed that bullying negatively impacted on some learners’ academic performance. Their studies deteriorated and some ended up repeating a grade. The results of this study also revealed a lack of intervention by educators, parents and the Department of Education and more especially a lack of programmes that aimed at helping the witnesses. Witnesses of bullying in this study revealed that they were not given a voice about the issue of bullying, but seemed to be neglected despite the negative impact on them. When witnesses in this study watched bullying, their rights and freedom to think, behave acceptably and learn without disturbance were infringed upon. Witnesses in this study also proposed a number of effective and varied intervention methods. It is recommended that educators should be equipped with skills of dealing with witnesses in bullying. Witnesses should be exposed to strategies that would help in instilling assertiveness to them, so that they would have a hand in the struggle of eradicating bullying altogether in schools. Policies implemented by both the Department of Education and the school should be reinforced. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

This study examined the current status of schoolwide positive behavior support efforts in Texas. The study specifically (a) examined the impact of statewide positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) training on the rates of discipline records, in-school ¬suspensions, out-¬of¬-school suspensions, disciplinary alternative education placements, and expulsions of public schools in Texas; (b) investigated the overall effectiveness of schoolwide positive behavior support; and (c) determined the differences between rates of discipline records, in-school ¬suspensions, out-¬of¬-school suspensions, disciplinary alternative education placements, and expulsions in schools participating in the Texas Behavior Support Initiative (TBSI): Schoolwide PBS Project when compared with matching schools who did not participate in the project. This study demonstrated that schools can significantly reduce problem behavior in their schools when implementing PBIS with fidelity. Creating effective systems of PBIS required training, coaching, and on¬site technical assistance by trained and experienced PBIS facilitators.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of alternative school intervention on subsequent student performance. The literature review examined the history and development of alternative schools, the legislation pertaining to alternative schools, and related studies. The population consisted of students placed in the discipline alternative education program (DAEP) of an alternative school located in a large suburban school district in north Texas. Students placed in DAEP in the spring semester of 2001 in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10 were included in the sample. Data on student success was gathered for the one semester prior to placement (pre-intervention) and for the two semesters after placement (post-intervention). Student success was measured in terms of course grade averages and attendance. The student sample was divided into the following subgroups: grade level, sex, ethnicity, and qualification for the school meal program. The students' grade averages were compared within the subgroups utilizing a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Tukey's post hoc comparison was utilized on the groups when ANOVA was found to be significant. The students' attendance was analyzed by comparing the proportion of days attended in each of the three semesters included in the study. A normal test of two independent means was conducted on the attendance proportions. The results of the study indicated the following significant findings (p <. 05): the eighth-grade students' grade averages were significantly lower in the second post-treatment semester, the 7th-grade students had lower attendance in the first post-treatment semester, the 8th-grade students had lower attendance in the second post-treatment semester, and the 10th-grade students had higher attendance in the first post-intervention semester. The female students' attendance was higher in both post-intervention semesters and significantly higher in the second. A discussion of the dropout rate for this group and recidivism to DAEP was included.

D.Ed. / Chapter one provided a general introduction and motivation for the study, and the challenges of discipline, safety and security (DSS) were also introduced. A general background to discipline, safety and security challenges was provided. The research problem and research aims were formulated and the research methodology was discussed. The focus of the research was clearly demarcated. The chapter was concluded by clarifying the concepts related to the research topic and outlining the division of chapters. In Chapter two a literature review was undertaken in order to determine the essence of DSS challenges and the extent of the challenges. In an analysis of the global perspectives in South America, Australia, and Botswana it became clear that DSS was a world wide phenomenon. Specific DSS challenges such as bullying, violence, substance abuse, guns and weapons, gangsterism, child abuse, HIV/AIDS and child-headed families were discussed. In Chapter three a discussion of possible intervention strategies which could be of assistance to the school management and the SGB in maintaining DSS in schools in schools was done. General characteristics of well-disciplined and safe schools were discussed as functional Codes of Conduct for learners, effective leadership, a positive school culture and climate, strong parental and community partnerships and effective communication. The following were identified and discussed as strategies for managing DSS challenges in schools: co-operative discipline, behaviour management, developing resilience in learners, developing self-esteem in learners, establishing a process for conflict resolution, co-operative learning use of physical environment, time management and learner motivation. The Boys and Girls Town educational model was discussed and important discipline, safety and security lessons for all stakeholders were clearly identified.

BACKGROUND: School discipline—how schools manage and respond to student misbehavior—is a central component of how schools seek to create safe and productive learning environments. School suspensions have been a popular discipline strategy in recent decades. Yet, recent studies have demonstrated the association between punitive discipline strategies and poor outcomes in youth, including increased high school dropout rates, decreased odds of enrolling in postsecondary school, and increased mental health concerns. There is an urgent need to examine alternate mechanisms for addressing school discipline other than punitive exclusionary or reward-based systems. This dissertation seeks to develop an integrated model of promising approaches and define how such a system could work. OBJECTIVES: This dissertation is made up of three studies addressing three aims: (1) to synthesize the existing literature on how school discipline has been constructed and its impact on student well being; (2) to develop a novel conceptual model for an alternate discipline approach, "kind discipline," and; (3) to develop and validate a measure for assessing the practice of kind discipline in elementary and middle schools. METHODS: Study one is a theoretical review utilizing a social ecological model to frame how school discipline models address an individual, relational, or structural level. Study two is a formative evaluation that develops a novel conceptual model for an alternative discipline approach. This study utilized concept mapping to elicit and integrate perspectives on school discipline from teachers, administrators, school staff, and other stakeholders involved in school programming. The concept mapping included a brainstorming phase, a statement analysis phase, a sorting and rating phase, and multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis of the collected data. It culminated in a map that visually represent the group's ideas and how they are interrelated. Study three validated a newly developed measure of kind discipline through an assessment of the measure’s internal consistency, an exploration of convergent and discriminant validity, and a descriptive analysis of the strength of relationships between kind discipline and school-level discipline frequency. RESULTS: The theoretical review illustrated how different school discipline approaches address disparate explanations of what may lead to student misbehavior. The formative evaluation developed a conceptual model for kind discipline in which three core themes emerged from 11 identified clusters in the conceptual model: (1) proactively developing a positive school climate, (2) responding to conflict with empathy, accountability, and skill, and (3) supporting staff skills in understanding and sharing expectations. When mapped onto a social ecological model, the identified components of kind discipline encompassed all levels of that model including the individual, relational, environmental/structural, and even community levels. In the study validating a measure of kind discipline, teacher and student assessments of kind discipline were strongly correlated (Pearson’s Correlation -.772, p=0.005). Convergent validity of the measure was supported by our finding that the more positively students assessed kind discipline in their schools, the lower the school disciplinary action rate (β=-0.759, p=0.05). Mixed linear models showed teachers' perceived kind discipline at the school level predicted individual students' perception of kind discipline. Girls reported higher levels of kind discipline than boys; and students in higher grades reported lower levels of kind discipline than students in lower grades. CONCLUSIONS: Effective school discipline programs may need to operate on multiple levels. There is increasing support for the importance of a relationship-level component to disciplinary approaches. This contrasts with the dominant individual-behavioral discipline approaches that focus on fewer levels and may not lead to sustained student and staff motivation. The findings from the concept mapping illustrate the importance of setting and communicating clear expectations and the need for them to be collaboratively developed. The student and teacher measures for assessing the level of kind discipline in a school show promise as tools for evaluating schools working to improve approaches to discipline and for guiding interventions that aim to promote positive and relational motivation strategies.

The problem of the present study was to determine the relationship between role-preferences of experienced elementary school teachers and their attitudes toward certain behavior problems of children.

The problem of this study was to develop and prepare a data processing system that would report, catalog, and file information pertaining to discipline of students referred to the principal. The purposes of the study were to develop a systematic approach to the reporting of disciplinary incidents, to develop a system of reports that could show what actions were being taken in specified areas and that could provide a cross reference of this information with other data, and to provide a system whereby information concerning disciplinary problems and actions taken could be compiled for a future longitudinal study.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / The primary purpose of this research was to investigate teachers’ experiences and perceptions of school violence directed towards them by pupils in selected South African schools. Qualitative data was collected using the interpretive approach in a case study, which was applicable because it allowed the participants to reflect on their experience in their natural setting. I used semi-structured interviews and document analysis, comprising school reports, personal journals, and newspaper articles. The sample of the study consisted of two groups of educators from each of three selected schools in Gauteng. The findings show that the participant educators experience school violence as a multifaceted phenomenon and feel that the poor management and discipline in these schools has lead to low educator morale and deterioration in the school environment, which in turn prevents effective teaching and learning. The findings also suggested that school violence takes on many forms, ranging from physical to verbal to psychological abuse. They feel they are being forced to teach in an environment polluted with threats and fear, with a resultant rippling effect of feeling unsafe and unprotected. This culminates in many educators leaving the profession either to teach abroad or leaving the government sector to work in a private teaching sector where they hope for zero tolerance of school violence. Recommendations were made for an increased level of communication between the principal and School management team (SMT) on one hand, and the educators on the other, concerning how violent attacks against educators have been addressed. Educators feel that this means of communication does not have to be labour-intensive and can be done simply by email, text message or a note during a staff or morning meeting. The presence of a counsellor or psychologist on the school premises is recommended as it will assist learners in dealing with challenges such as family factors that encompass parental separation, unstable family background, social adversities and peer pressure. The scenario that arose from this study is that a school psychologist may also be of assistance to educators, able to impart skills on anger management and offer an avenue for educators to offload their experiences of learners’ deviant behaviour. Tightening of security is also emphasised. Since the school needs good leadership, principals have to be retrained in leading the school in the new South African education dispensation. The findings revealed that this may be one of the key factors in curbing or preventing school violence. The study therefore recommends that education policymakers, school leaders and managers, parents, educators, the community and the Department of education (DoE) all work in unison to improve the school climate in those schools that are prone to school violence. Teamwork is paramount, and seminars and workshops with all stakeholders was suggested to encourage this.

This study investigates the effect of the student teaching experience on attitudes toward the use of punishment in the classroom. Student teachers in large innercity and suburban secondary schools furnished data, which were analyzed with a semantic differential technique and the Purdue Attitude Scale Toward Any Practice. The study seeks to determine the effect of student teaching on attitudes of prospective teachers toward punishment in the classroom for discipline purposes, as measured by a semantic differential; to determine differences in attitude changes when student teachers were grouped according to sex in pretests and posttests; to determine differences in attitude changes between those in inner-city schools and suburban schools; to determine the effect of student teaching on the attitudes of prospective teachers toward corporal punishment in the classroom as measured by the Purdue Attitude Scale Toward Any Practice. This study concludes that a beginning student teacher's attitudes toward punishment in the classroom changes significantly with experience. Attitudes of student teachers in inner-city schools do not change significantly more than those in suburban schools. Attitudes of female student teachers toward corporal punishment change more than those of males. The rules of the particular school in which the student teacher does his teaching influence the student teacher appreciably.