discuse the ways and means to maintain discipline in educational institution.
Answers
Discipline is the deliberate, or lack of, action to regulate behaviour. It is the practice of frank and strict adherence to legislation and guidelines, and cultural standards and values; the ability to control oneself or other people, even in challenging circumstances. Discipline means teaching acceptable behaviours and unlearning maladaptive behaviours with support, guidance and direction in managing behaviour. It is about setting limits, clarifying roles, responsibilities, and mutual expectations and creating a predictable, orderly and stable life.
In line with the famous quote, “choices have consequences”, not observing or practicing discipline should result in some form of corrective measures. Situations abound where, unfortunately, such a ‘correction’ results from a serious trigger with devastating consequences. An example is the global Coronavirus – technically referred to as COVID-19 – that has evolved into a pandemic in less than four months, causing untold suffering, and death, worldwide. Lack of individual discipline, including observing simple instructions like washing hands thoroughly with soap, keeping a one-to-two-meter social distance, and going into self-quarantine for 14 days, is exacerbating the exponential spread of the pandemic.
In the learning environment, indiscipline can manifest itself in disobeying set rules, bullying, truancy, lateness to school, cultism, alcohol and drug abuse, insulting/assaulting, sexual harassment, stealing, rioting, striking, setting school fires, ‘gassing of learners, and many other anti-social vices. If allowed to continue, such indiscipline manifests itself later in life. In contrast, inculcating discipline at an early age helps to bring order in the different facets of a person’s life – you just need to look at our security or military forces’.
Significance of discipline in homes and learning institutions
Discipline impacts the learning process by creating a stress-free environment for apportioning time to various activities, improves planning through observing and maintaining a set daily routine, moulds learner character and enhances their motivation, enables the setting of good examples and positively contributes to better grades. Elements such as test anxiety, environment, motivation, and emotions require consideration when developing models of academic performance. Various studies have shown a positive link between discipline in learners and their school performance, with the latter increasing with the increase in discipline levels.
Although learning institutions have a duty to enforce the rules or code of conduct guiding learner behaviour, parents also have a role to play to ensure consistency. Aspects such as dress code, hairdos, and basic manners start from home. Parents and educators, especially heads of institutions, are two pillars with a significant influence on grooming learners. Unless discipline is tackled from an early age, achieving quality education with full learner impact will remain a challenge. Thus, if learners at all levels are disciplined, they are most likely to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills with ease because they are focused and self-driven.
There is a considerable dependence of learner performance on personality and social environment. Learners possess various motivational traits in their quest to acquire education. Those with a good level of such traits use numerous learning strategies depending on the beliefs they hold: those with extrinsic motivation are more likely to use strategies that include good planning and better organization. In view of this and based on the significant role of motivation on learners, teachers must focus attention on inculcating motivation in learners to promote their self-efficacies, and strongly believe in the learners’ abilities to do well. Teachers also need to be well-prepared to effectively integrate the value system in the learner, while practising the same, and the use of diverse strategies in issuing instructions to the learners. In the final analysis, we are like a well-prepared meal with different ingredients blending well, together…we must play our part without exaggerating our individual parts or downplaying those of others.