Bestaan daar 'n dissiplinekrisis binne Suid-Afrikaanse skole? Belewenis van opvoeders

 

Does a discipline crisis exist in South African schools? Experience of educators

 

 

C.C. Wolhuter^I; J.G van Staden^II

^IFakulteit Opvoedingswetenskappe, Noordwes-Universiteit Potchefstroomkampus, Privaatsak X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520. E-pos: Charl.Wolhuter@nwu.ac.za
^IISkool vir Opvoedkunde, Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Bloemfonteinkampus, Bloemfontein, 9300 E-pos: vstadjg.HUM@ufs.ac.za

 

 

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OPSOMMING

Navorsing oor die probleem van leerderdissipline aan Suid-Afrikaanse skole is al vanuit 'n verskeidenheid perspektiewe onderneem, maar 'n sterk opvoederperspektief ontbreek steeds. Die feit dat opvoeders dissiplineprobleme eerstehands ervaar en dit moet hanteer maak 'n opvoedersperspektief noodsaaklik. Die doel van dié navorsing is daarom die daarstelling van sodanige opvoedersperspektief op leerderdissipline in 'n spesifieke teikenarea. 'n Literatuurstudie en 'n empiriese ondersoek is onderneem ten einde te bepaal hoe opvoeders in Gauteng, die Vrystaat en Noordwesprovinsie leerderdissipline by hul skole beleef. Respondente het gerapporteer dat minder ernstige dissiplineprobleme by hul skole en binne hul klasse 'n weeklikse verskynsel is, en het aangedui dat ernstige vorme van wangedrag, soos vandalisme, diefstal en geweld, maandeliks voorkom. Die metodes wat opvoeders gebruik en die effek van leerderdissipline op opvoeders word geanaliseer in die artikel en ten slotte word aanbevelings vir praktykverbetering gemaak.

Trefwoorde: dissipline, dissiplinehandhawing, klaskamer dissipline, leerders, lyfstraf, onderwys, opvoeders, opvoeding, Opvoedkunde, positiewe dissipline, skooldissipline

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ABSTRACT

From recently published research it appears as if learner discipline at South African schools is a problem. While the issue of learner discipline at South African schools has been researched from a variety of perspectives (including the experiences of school principals, the experiences of learners), a clear, distilled educator perspective is lacking. Educators after all experience learner discipline problems firsthand, and are on the receiving end of learner discipline problems. The aim of this research is the construction of such an educator perspective, in order to determine whether or not a discipline crisis exist in South African schools and, if so, what are the extent and nature thereof.
A sample of educators at schools in the Vaal Triangle region, North-West Province and Free State Province completed a questionnaire, which surveyed the following aspects of learner discipline at their schools: state of learner discipline in their classes and in their schools, nature and frequency of discipline problems, methods used to maintain discipline and the effectiveness of those methods, and the effect of learner discipline problems on the lives of educators.
The biographic information of respondents indicated that the sample included the total spectrum of educators in South Africa, regarding age, experience, post-level, grades and learning areas which educators teach and school categories (historically black, historically coloured, historically Indian and historically white schools) in which educators are employed.
The majority of educators regarded the state of learner discipline at their schools and in their classes as either good or very good. 1.7% of respondents regarded the discipline situation in their classes as very poor, 13.6% as poor, 72.1% as good and 8.1% as very good. 5.2% of respondents regarded the discipline situation in their schools as very poor, 19.3% as poor, 67.4% as good, and 8.1% as very good.
The results indicated that it is the relatively minor forms of discipline problems which dominate. The following discipline problems are encountered by most teachers on a daily basis: disruptive behaviour, rudeness, dishonesty, obscene language, cheekiness, untidy/wrong clothing, neglect of duty, telling lies, and absenteeism. At the same time there exist reasons for concern about the wide spectrum of problems which educators encounter on a weekly basis (for example absenteeism, telling of lies, obscene language, moodiness, untidy/wrong clothing, neglect of duty, and bullying) and also about the serious forms of discipline problems (such as vandalism, theft and violence) which occur as regularly as monthly.
Turning to methods which educators use to maintain discipline, it appears as if preventive methods (which are educationally the preferred methods) are lacking. Reactive methods of maintaining discipline dominate. These methods include: reprimanding, isolation within the classroom, isolation outside the classroom, extra work, detention, referral to principal and referral to school governing body. The continual use of corporal punishment by 14% of educators - twelve years after it was officially abolished and at the risk of facing criminal charges - is cause for concern. Apparently educators do not have methods which in their experience are very effective. Many educators use methods which they themselves experience as ineffective. For example, 50% of educators who use isolation within the classroom as method, and 70% of educators who use isolation outside the classroom, regard these methods as ineffective.
The situation regarding learner discipline causes 85% of educators to be at times or regularly unhappy in their work, has caused sometimes or regularly tension in the family lives of 58% of educators, and has led to health problems in the case of 54% of educators. These figures are disturbing.
In order to address the problems outlined above, it is recommended that research be conducted on preventive and effective methods to maintain discipline and that educators are counselled accordingly.

Key concepts: classroom discipline, corporal punishment, discipline, discipline maintenance, discipline problems, education, educators, learners, positive discipline, school discipline

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Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

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Charl Wolhuter het studeer aan die Randse Afrikaanse Universiteit, die Universiteit van Pretoria en die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Hy het sy doktoraat aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch verwerf. Hy is 'n voormalige junior lektor in Historiese en Vergelykende Opvoedkunde aan die Universiteit van Pretoria en 'n voormalige senior lektor in Historiese en Vergelykende Opvoedkunde aan die Universiteit van Zoeloeland. Tans is hy professor in Vergelykende Opvoedkunde aan die Potchefstroomse kampus van die Noordwes-Universiteit. Hy is die skrywer van vele publikasies in Historiese en Vergelykende Opvoedkunde.

Charl Wolhuter was educated at the Rand Afrikaans University, the University of Pretoria and the University of Stellenbosch. He was awarded a doctorate in Comparative Education at the University of Stellenbosch. He is a former junior lecturer of History of Education and Comparative Education at the University of Pretoria and a former senior lecturer in History of Education and Comparaitve Education at the University of Zululand. At present he is Comparative Education professor at the Potchefstroom Campus of North-West University. He has published widely on the History of Education and Comparative Education.

Prof J G (Johann) van Staden is na 'n onderwysloopbaan van 16 jaar in 1986 as dosent aan die UV aangestel. Hy spesialiseer in die Onderwysreg en dien ook in verskeie vakverenigings en organisasies. Hy was onder meer vir 'n hele aantal jare uitvoerende bestuurslid van die Opvoedkunde Vereniging van Suid-Afrika (OVSA) en in 2003 is hy verkies as Voorsitter van dié Vereniging. Hy is tans ook 'n lid van die Uitvoerende Bestuur van die Sentrum vir Onderwysreg en -Beleid (SORB).

Hy was studieleier vir verskeie Meesters- en Doktorsgraadstudente. Prof Van Staden het artikels in vaktydskrifte en populêre tydskrifte oor 'n groot aantal onderwerpe gepubliseer en ook verskeie referate by nasionale en internasionale kongresse oor onderwysregaangeleenthede gelewer. Tans beklee hy die posisie van Programdirekteur vir Nagraadse programme in die Opvoedkunde Wetenskappe aan die Vrystaatse Universiteit.

Prof J G (Johann) van Staden was appointed as a lecturer at the University of the Free State in 1986, following a teaching career spanning 16 years. He specialises in Education Law and is a member of a variety of professional organizations. After having served on the Executive Committee of the Education Association of South Africa (EASA) for several years, Professor van Staden was elected Chairperson of the Association in 2003. Currently he is also a member of the Council of Education Law and Policy (CELP).

He was the study leader of several Masters and Doctoral students. Prof Van Staden has published articles on a variety of subjects in accredited and popular journals and he presented several papers at national and international conferences on different topics in the field of education and education law. At present he holds the position of Programme Director for Post Graduate Studies in the School of Education at the University of the Free State.