Mutual respect as a tool to curb indiscipline in secondary schools in bali nyonga, north west region of cameroon: implications for guidance counselling
Authors:   Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon, Maire Njinuwo Rose , Sarah Professor Nsagha ,   Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon, Boris Dr. Nguéhan ,   Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon
Published: January 2025

The purpose of this study is to examine mutual respect as a tool to curb indiscipline in secondary schools in Bali Nyonga, North West Region of Cameroon: implications for guidance counselling. The study employed the full-block experimental approach. The population of this study constituted four groups of respondents: 339 students, and 20 school staff. The sample was obtained through purposive sampling technique. The instruments for data collection were a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview schedule. Data from the close ended questions was analysed using SPSS 23.0, with the aid of descriptive and inferential statistical tools while the interview was analysed thematically. The hypotheses of the study were tested using a non-parametric test (Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient) presented at 95% level of confidence interval with alpha set at 0.05 levels accepting 5% margin of error. Findings showed that in the school referred to adequately practice positive discipline, more of students 77.0% reported mutual respect confirmed by a high mean of 3.06 on 4 which is more than three times higher when compared to the school referred not to practice positive discipline with only 25.3% of students reported mutual respect, further confirmed by a low mean of 2.37. Furthermore, when mutual respect was compared in relation to students’ discipline, findings showed a significant difference in students’ discipline between the school that adequately reinforce mutual respect and the school that does not (t=13.019, p-value < 0.001). The school that adequately reinforce mutual respect has a high mean value of 19.35 plus or minus 0.20583 which implies high discipline and low indiscipline than the school that does not adequately reinforced mutual respect with a lesser mean of 15.44 plus or minus 0.21899 indicating more students’ indiscipline than students’ discipline. And hypothetically, mutual respect significantly and positively correlates with students’ discipline (R-value 0.400**, p-value < 0.001). The positivity of the coefficient value implies that students’ indiscipline is more likely to be curb / reduce when mutual respect is well promoted in the school and this prediction is high as supported with a high explanatory power of 80.6% (Cox and Snell statistics). In the school that adequately practice mutual respect, some teachers said they instill mutual respect by counselling students, promoting friendship, exercising patience, promoting self-control, follow-up students, instill consciousness in actions, teach morality, and act as a role model for the students to emulate. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected and alternative hypothesis that states mutual respect as a positive discipline approach significantly help to curb indiscipline in secondary schools was accepted. Therefore, it is recommended that the state through the Ministries of Education should include positive discipline in the curriculum of teacher training institutions. This will enhance their commitment in the teaching learning process. The Regional Delegations of secondary education should include positive disciple as a requirement for professional development programs, seminal and workshops to equipe teachers with the tools and knowledge of positive discipline in the classroom. The knowledge of Positive discipline will enhance teacher ‘s and guidance counselors the abilities to identify students with needs.