<p>South Africa has undergone major transformation after the election of the first democratic government in 1994. The acceptance of a humane constitution as well as equal rights for all its citizens necessitated the banning of corporal punishment in all schools under the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Accordingly, this change in the education policy as well as a change in society regarding equal rights for all citizens required teachers to adjust and improve their practices related to classroom management and discipline. The abolition of corporal punishment in 1996 (South African Schools Act 84 of 1996) can thus be regarded as such a changed aspect which required teachers to find alternative ways of keeping discipline in schools. It is expected from teachers to manage learning in classrooms, while at the same time practise and promote a critical, committed and ethical attitude towards the development of a sense of respect and responsibility amongst learners. It is with this in mind that one should remember that classroom locations and environments are complex as well as dynamic. Learners can now use their rights in a court of law while at the same time become more unruly, disruptive and at times even violent. Teachers on the other hand are left with limited alternative procedures or guidelines to manage unruly learners. As such, teachers now rely on their own informal learning in order to deal with such learners since alternatives to manage ill-disciplined learners are not included in formative teacher training courses. This study therefore concerns itself with the way teachers acquire classroom management skills in the absence of corporal punishment and learn how to deal with behavioural problems in order to carry on with day-to-day classroom activities. This is essentially viewed as informal learning. Because of the absence of much-needed training and support from educational authorities, teachers adjust and improve their practice, relying on hands-on experience in classrooms since they only incidentally receive opportunities to engage in ongoing formal professional development. This study explores the nature and content of informal/incidental as well as nonformal (courses not leading to formal accreditation) teachers&rsquo / learning related to managing classroom discipline in the absence of corporal punishment and investigates how skills, to manage classroom discipline, impact on the learning and teaching enterprise. A qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm was followed throughout this study. Unstructured interviews were used to gather data which resulted in the gaining of rich detailed descriptions of participants&rsquo / responses to acquiring classroom management skills. This qualitative investigation included a literature review that explored and analysed different perspectives on the learning process. This study confirms that teachers acquire classroom management and discipline skills through workplace learning, initiated by themselves as well as collaboratively through interaction with colleagues and learners. Learning within the workplace was possible due to the opportunities they were afforded within the working context they found themselves in.</p>

<p>South Africa has undergone major transformation after the election of the first democratic government in 1994. The acceptance of a humane constitution as well as equal rights for all its citizens necessitated the banning of corporal punishment in all schools under the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Accordingly, this change in the education policy as well as a change in society regarding equal rights for all citizens required teachers to adjust and improve their practices related to classroom management and discipline. The abolition of corporal punishment in 1996 (South African Schools Act 84 of 1996) can thus be regarded as such a changed aspect which required teachers to find alternative ways of keeping discipline in schools. It is expected from teachers to manage learning in classrooms, while at the same time practise and promote a critical, committed and ethical attitude towards the development of a sense of respect and responsibility amongst learners. It is with this in mind that one should remember that classroom locations and environments are complex as well as dynamic. Learners can now use their rights in a court of law while at the same time become more unruly, disruptive and at times even violent. Teachers on the other hand are left with limited alternative procedures or guidelines to manage unruly learners. As such, teachers now rely on their own informal learning in order to deal with such learners since alternatives to manage ill-disciplined learners are not included in formative teacher training courses. This study therefore concerns itself with the way teachers acquire classroom management skills in the absence of corporal punishment and learn how to deal with behavioural problems in order to carry on with day-to-day classroom activities. This is essentially viewed as informal learning. Because of the absence of much-needed training and support from educational authorities, teachers adjust and improve their practice, relying on hands-on experience in classrooms since they only incidentally receive opportunities to engage in ongoing formal professional development. This study explores the nature and content of informal/incidental as well as nonformal (courses not leading to formal accreditation) teachers&rsquo / learning related to managing classroom discipline in the absence of corporal punishment and investigates how skills, to manage classroom discipline, impact on the learning and teaching enterprise. A qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm was followed throughout this study. Unstructured interviews were used to gather data which resulted in the gaining of rich detailed descriptions of participants&rsquo / responses to acquiring classroom management skills. This qualitative investigation included a literature review that explored and analysed different perspectives on the learning process. This study confirms that teachers acquire classroom management and discipline skills through workplace learning, initiated by themselves as well as collaboratively through interaction with colleagues and learners. Learning within the workplace was possible due to the opportunities they were afforded within the working context they found themselves in.</p>

Magister Educationis - MEd / South Africa has undergone major transformation after the election of the first democratic government in 1994. The acceptance of a humane constitution as well as equal rights for all its citizens necessitated the banning of corporal punishment in all schools under the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Accordingly, this change in the education policy as well as a change in society regarding equal rights for all citizens required teachers to adjust and improve their practices related to classroom management and discipline. The abolition of corporal punishment in 1996 (South African Schools Act 84 of 1996) can thus be regarded as such a changed aspect which required teachers to find alternative ways of keeping discipline in schools. It is expected from teachers to manage learning in classrooms, while at the same time practise and promote a critical, committed and ethical attitude towards the development of a sense of respect and responsibility amongst learners. It is with this in mind that one should remember that classroom locations and environments are complex as well as dynamic. Learners can now use their rights in a court of law while at the same time become more unruly, disruptive and at times even violent. Teachers on the other hand are left with limited alternative procedures or guidelines to manage unruly learners. As such, teachers now rely on their own informal learning in order to deal with such learners since alternatives to manage ill-disciplined learners are not included in formative teacher training courses. This study therefore concerns itself with the way teachers acquire classroom management skills in the absence of corporal punishment and learn how to deal with behavioural problems in order to carry on with day-to-day classroom activities. This is essentially viewed as informal learning. Because of the absence of much-needed training and support from educational authorities, teachers adjust and improve their practice, relying on hands-on experience in classrooms since they only incidentally receive opportunities to engage in ongoing formal professional development. This study explores the nature and content of informal/incidental as well as nonformal (courses not leading to formal accreditation) teachers learning related to managing classroom discipline in the absence of corporal punishment and investigates how skills, to manage classroom discipline, impact on the learning and teaching enterprise. A qualitative approach within the interpretive paradigm was followed throughout this study. Unstructured interviews were used to gather data which resulted in the gaining of rich detailed descriptions of participants responses to acquiring classroom management skills. This qualitative investigation included a literature review that explored and analysed different perspectives on the learning process. This study confirms that teachers acquire classroom management and discipline skills through workplace learning, initiated by themselves as well as collaboratively through interaction with colleagues and learners. Learning within the workplace was possible due to the opportunities they were afforded within the working context they found themselves in. / South Africa

The problem in this study was to determine what relationships exist among teacher perceived frequency of discipline problems occurring in secondary industrial arts classrooms or laboratories, level of teacher dogmatism, and selected demographic variables. The research design was ex post facto. Both the dependent and independent variables were viewed retrospectively and neither were manipulated by the investigator. All information collected concerning each variable was achieved by means of a pencil and paper instrument. The population was 953 Virginia Industrial Arts Teachers. Of the 953 teachers, 211 were randomly selected for the sample. Three instruments were employed to collect data for this study. The first instrument administered was the Dogmatism Scale (DS). Its purpose was to measure differences in openness and closedness of one's mind, or the level of dogmatism. The Frequency Assessment of Discipline Problems Instrument (DPI) was the second administered. This instrument was used to assess the frequency of discipline problems in each of seven selected discipline problem areas. The final instrument administered was the Demographic Data Instrument (DD). The purpose of the DD was to collect data relative to the independent variables excluding level of teacher dogmatism. A complete packet containing the three instruments discussed above was mailed to the sample of 211 industrial arts teachers. Two weeks after the mailing of the packet, a post card was mailed to teachers who had not responded. The purpose of the post card was to remind them of the initial request. Of the 211 teachers included in the sample, 176 responded. Three instruments returned were unusable; therefore, the data analysis was based on 173 responses, an 82 percent return. Nine hypotheses were tested in this study. The first eight were tested to determine if relationships exist between the independent variables and seven discipline problem areas. Each hypothesis was designed to determine the relationship between one independent variable and each of the seven discipline problem areas. These first eight hypotheses were tested by computing the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r). The final hypothesis was designed to determine if multiple relationships exist among the independent variables and the seven discipline problem areas considered in this study. Multiple regression analysis was selected to test the final hypothesis in that it is capable of determining the multiple effects of more than one independent variable. The level of teacher dogmatism was found to be independently related to three of the discipline problem areas: improper appearance, cheating, and violent criminal and quasi-criminal misbehavior. It was also determined that the level of teacher dogmatism has multiple relationships with class size, type of laboratory, grade level taught, and type of school. It was concluded that urban schools appear to have more violent and non-violent discipline problems than rural schools. Younger teachers appear to perceive more violent criminal and quasi-criminal and verbal and symbolic discipline problems than older teachers. Grade level taught was found to be one of the strongest, independent variables associated with the frequency of discipline problems occurring in the classroom or laboratory. It appeared that more discipline problems are perceived at the 9-10 grade level and they seem to be of a subtle nature, the same type perceived by the dogmatic teacher. The author recommended that the study be replicated in other areas such as math or English. Furthermore, the concept should be researched focusing especially on urban schools and the 9-10 grade level, the type of school and grade level where more discipline problems seem to exist. More research should also be done concerning the four discipline problem areas found to be related to the level of teacher dogmatism: non-violent criminal and quasi-criminal misbehavior, improper appearance, cheating, and violent criminal and quasi-criminal misbehavior. It was also recommended that further research be conducted on discipline problems including the level of student dogmatism as a variable. Finally, it was recommended that two other areas be researched: teacher placement and inservice education. This study indicated that more discipline problems are associated with the ninth and tenth grade level. Therefore, since dogmatism is also associated with discipline problems, it might be well to place a dogmatic teacher above or below the ninth and tenth grade. A simulated method of inservice education was recommended to present techniques for teachers to employ when confronted with discipline problems. The teachers might play simulated roles and practice incorporating open minded techniques, in turn lowering their levels of dogmatism, and be confronted with fewer discipline problems as a result. / Ph. D.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate how the life experiences of educators impact upon classroom discipline. The study considered the present situation regarding classroom discipline practice. As circuit manager directly involved with schools I was concerned to see that there were dysfunctional schools in my area because of the failure to manage classroom discipline effectively. <p.>The findings of the study indicate that classroom discipline practices can be improved if we understand the life experiences of educators. A qualitative narrative approach was applied and narrative interviews, observation and lived stories of educators were used to gather data from nine participants. All these educators were drawn from one circuit in the Nkangala Department of Education, a region in Mpumalanga Province, and are teaching in secondary schools. Purposive sampling was used to select the nine participants; all were prepared to share their lived experiences and ultimately, data analysis provided cogent answers to the research hypothesis. The research focused on issues such as recent South African studies conducted on discipline and corporal punishment, theories of discipline, how lived experiences impact on current behaviour. From what I have observed and heard, it has become clear, as is set out in this thesis, that the classroom discipline practices implemented by educators are indeed influenced by their own classroom experiences when they themselves were learners. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management, Law and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The study described in this report attempted to investigate the area of classroom discipline in the primary school. In particular the objectives were to ascertain the factors which influences teachers' knowledge of discipline procedures and the factors which influence teachers' implementation of discipline procedures. The study first examined discipline policies and practices in Australian schools generally and in Australian Capital Territory government schools in particular. A review of the literature indicated that the area of discipline in the classroom is one which seems to be increasingly important in the range of presage variables under investigation by researchers. Information was obtained from sixty completed questionnaires from primary teachers in eight primary schools. Respondents indicated that they taught over the full range of primary school years/grades. Results suggested that senior management in the schools appeared to have a relatively unimportant role in influencing classroom teachers' discipline programmes. The results indicated that the in-school influences which were perceived as the most influential on both teachers' knowledge of discipline procedures and on teachers' current discipline procedures were a) those connected with pupils and b) factors about the personal preference of teachers. The out-of-school influences which were perceived as the most influential on both teachers' knowledge of discipline and on teachers' current discipline procedures were a) those connected with professional development and b) factors about the intuitions and reactions of teachers. Results in general suggested that some primary teachers may be depending or) outdated information regarding school and classroom discipline programmes. These findings could have important ramifications for teacher training agencies regarding the allocation of resources to the area of school discipline programmes.

The purpose of this dissertation study was to consider the ways in which middle school students made meaning of their experience with exclusionary discipline, specifically in-school suspension (ISS). While ISS has historically been positioned as an alternative to exclusionary discipline, ISS programs are often designed in ways that are exclusionary. Current research on exclusionary discipline points to the ways in which suspensions and expulsions impact students academically, socially, and emotionally. Very little of that research, however, considers the perspectives of the students who have been the recipients of exclusionary discipline. Thus, seeking to more fully understand the lived experiences of students who have been in ISS, I chose to apply a phenomenological methodology to the study. The research took place in a large school system in the Southeast, specifically with 13 middle school students in grades six through eight. The participants had been suspended between four and 14 times, for between eight and 37 days. Situating the study within a social constructionist framework, I viewed student behavior as socially constructed within interactions with school personnel. Drawing on an interpretive approach to phenomenological inquiry, I developed verbal portraits of each student in the form of first person accounts of their experiences with ISS. I also conducted a thematic analysis of the 13 interviews, developing five themes that illustrated how they made meaning of their experience. The themes, expressed in the words of the participants, are: (1) Gettin’ Written Up, (2) There are Some Teachers, (3) Sometimes it’s Boring. Sometimes it’s Fun. Sometimes it’s Torture. (4) The ISS Teacher’s a Nice Lady with a Snoozy Attitude, and (5) Our Learning Time. Based on these findings, implications are presented for both educators and educational researchers. Implications include (1) the need for students’ input into educational decisions and educational research, (2) the need to research and design ISS programs that benefit students rather than simply punish them, (3) the need for discussions around teachers who bully students and the ways in which students resist such treatment (or don’t), and (4) the need to further investigate the role of the ISS teacher in student discipline.

The aim of this study is to investigate discipline in German and Swedishclassrooms and describe its cultural contexts. In countries with compulsory educa-tion, it must be assumed that not all students voluntarily attend classes. The man-datory presence of students combined with the ban on corporal punishment inschools means that classroom interaction has to be organized according to certainmanners and rules (Luhmann, 2002a:108a). These rules are understood here as dis-cipline meaning the organization and control of individuals and their actions overspace and time (Foucault, 1987/1975). This study assumes similarities in the funda-mental disciplinary mechanisms, although different contexts (here Germany andSweden) will create different concrete manifestations of the phenomenon. Since theobservation of cultural contexts is not as self-evident and direct as the observationof classroom interactions of teachers and students, the theoretical considerationshere include a detailed discussion of methodology for observing culture. Startingwith Alfred Schütz’ concept of ideal types and Niklas Luhmann’s theory on massmedia, it is argued that culture can be observed through the products of mass me-dia. The empirical data for this study consists of field studies in the form of obser -vations in German and Swedish classrooms as well as the examination of Germanand Swedish films and television series about teachers and students. The classroomobservations were used to create ideal typical descriptions of different implementa-tions of disciplinary procedure. Based on the analysis of teacher figures in variousGerman and Swedish films and television series, several “good” and “bad” teachertypes were initially identified. Combining the two results allowed conclusions tobe made about correlations between disciplinary order and whether a teacher isconsidered “good” or “bad”. This review of the various types of order is the basisfor the description of cultural contexts. The results of classroom observations andfilm studies and their discussion in relation to prior Swedish research, gives thepicture of a cultural context in which various forms of classroom order are avail-able, in which they are critically discussed and also can exist in parallel to each oth-er. On the other hand, the German context seems to allow only one form ofclassroom order, both in actual school operations as well as in the mass media rep -resentation and scientific reflection.

Schools are facing challenges in their efforts to educate children appropriately and safely. Students who demonstrate inappropriate, anti-social, and/or disruptive behaviors are becoming more prevalent. School personnel are dealing with disruptive behaviors that occur more frequently and that affect staff and student safety. Additionally, the lack of discipline or management of disruptive behaviors has been identified by the public as the most persistent and possibly the most troublesome issue facing schools ( Cotton, 2001; Elam, Rose, & Gallop, 1998; Fitzsimmons, 1998; Killion, 1998). An assumption in managing problem behaviors in many urban schools is that punishment will change behavior. According to Skiba and Peterson (2000), severe and penalizing disciplinary policies frequently produce a negative school environment rather than improving student behavior. In general, urban schools across the nation rely on suspensions, loss of privileges, reprimands, and or expulsion as means of discipline. Unfortunately, these reactive consequences only help a small number of children learn to "comply with general expectations" and are insufficient for many students who exhibit more challenging behavior problems. This study examines the disciplinary practices being used in two urban middle schools to control disruptive behavior of students. It will reveal what aspects of certain disciplinary practices are viewed as helpful as well as areas needing improvement. It will also give insight into whether selected urban school principals and other stakeholders are using proactive strategies and techniques demonstrated in the research literature as being the most effective in terms of changing inappropriate behavior. Undertaking this study through the application of qualitative research methods of inquiry as a study using interviews, examining relevant documents, and observations will allow me an opportunity to explore my personal reactions to the defined disciplinary practices in the identified schools. / Ed. D.

The aim of this study was to investigate current classroom management practices, disciplinary strategies and educator duties and demands, in the Sedibeng West District (D8) of the Gauteng Province, with the aim of recommending guidelines to assist educators to cope better with classroom management duties as well as maintaining discipline at the same time. The overall aims of the study were achieved through the following objectives: Reviewing existing literature to establish the nature of current classroom management duties. Investigating the influence of increased classroom duties on classroom management. Reviewing existing literature to establish the nature of current disciplinary measures. Investigating the influence of increased classroom duties on discipline. Making recommendations to assist educators to cope better with classroom management duties as well as maintaining discipline at the same time. The abovementioned aims were reached by completing a literature study and an empirical investigation. The study further investigated the perceptions of educators in the foundation phase (grade 2 educators and the respective Heads of Department) as well as principals regarding certain aspects of classroom management and discipline. This was investigated by means of structured questionnaires. Findings from the research indicated that refusal to obey requests and commands, noisiness, showing off, teasing, irritating or disturbing other learners, leaving their seats without permission, talking out of turn, calling out when the educator is speaking, making improper noises, not paying attention, storming out of the classroom, and knife attacks, are current types of behaviour that disturb lessons of educators (Landsberg et al., 2005:455). This makes it impossible for educators to teach properly. Learners who engage in such behaviour get no benefit from the teaching and learning situation. The attention of all the other learners is distracted and the atmosphere in the class is negatively affected. According to Landsberg et al., (2005:456) discipline is a huge part of classroom management and it is reactive in nature. Educators react to learner behaviour, which disrupts the good order of the classroom. Classroom management is proactive, it is preventative and self-control on the part of the learners is its goal. Further findings from the research indicated that educators struggle from teacher-burnout. It has also become apparent that educators are unsure of corrective disciplinary measures. Current disciplinary measures do not yield successful results. In fact, educators feel stressed and de-motivated. As a result of so many reasons for misbehaviour in classrooms, educators feel that they do not have the ability to manage the classroom. This study therefore provided recommendations to assist educators to cope better with classroom management duties in such a way that it will contribute to effective discipline in the foundation phase. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011