vol. 78 num. 3 lang. en
Preface to special edition on learner discipline problems in schools]]>
Enhancing discipline in the learning and teaching environment by means of geborgenheit]]>
Leerderwangedrag het 'n groot probleem in Suid-Afrikaanse skole geword en dit skyn die gesonde onderrig-leeromgewing te belemmer. Die metode wat in hierdie beredenerend-besinnende artikel gebruik word, is 'n dekonstruksie van konstrukte soos geborgenheid en burgskap met die oog daarop om aan te toon hoe die korrekte benadering daartoe en die uitvloeisels daarvan in die onderrig-leeromgewing geaktualiseer kan (en behoort te) word. Uit die ondersoek blyk dat geborgenheid, wat basies veiligheid en beskerming impliseer, sinvol in die onderrig-leeromgewing geaktualiseer behoort te word deur die aktivering van 'n toepaslike geborgenheidsburgskap. Ten einde sodanige aktivering op 'n verbeterde vorm van geordende onderrig en leer te rig, behoort daar op die ontwikkeling van toepaslike geborgenheidsruimtes vir die bevordering van dissipline en orde in die klaskamer gefokus te word.<hr/>Learner misconduct is a grave concern in South African education due to the negative effect it is having on teaching and learning. The approach in this argumentative and reflective article is one of deconstruction of constructs such as geborgenheit [secureness] and stronghold. The objective is to demonstrate how these concepts can be actualised to enhance a sound and orderly learning and teaching environment. An analysis shows that geborgenheit, which essentially entails protection and fostering, needs to be linked to, and actualised in the particular teaching and learning environment by activating an applicable geborgenheit-stronghold. For successful actualisation of the latter, it is crucial to unlock the applicable geborgenheit spaces for the enhancement of orderly teaching and learning in the classroom.
Contributory factors to learner discipline problems: A multivariate approach]]>
Tot op hede was navorsers geneig om elkeen van die oorsaaklike of bydraende faktore tot leerderdissiplineprobleme in skole afsonderlik van mekaar te benader. Hierdie artikel het oor navorsing rakende die teoreties-regverdigbare samevloeiing van hierdie faktore rakende dissiplineprobleme in klaskamers gerapporteer. Graad 9-leerders en hulle opvoeders (onderwysers) het vraelyste voltooi waarin hulle op 'n semantiese differensiaalskaal moes aantoon tot watter mate hulle meen elkeen van die 36 moontlike oorsake 'n rol speel in die voorkoms van dissiplineprobleme in hulle skool. Roetinefaktoranalise het aan die lig gebring dat veral sewe faktore 'n bydrae lewer tot wangedrag in hulle besondere skool, naamlik sosiale probleme in die gemeenskap, ouers se invloed op die leerders se gedrag, die gesag van die opvoeder, demokratiese deelname van die rolspelers aan die skoolbestuur, die skoolstrukture as 'n invloed op die voorkoms van leerderwangedrag, asook fisiese geremdhede en psigologiese gestremdhede.<hr/>Hitherto, researchers in the field of the various causal or contributory factors of learner discipline problems in schools tended to approach each of those factors in isolation. This article reported on research regarding the theoretically justifiable notion of the confluence of the various factors that culminate in learner discipline problems at school. Grade 9 learners as well as their educators completed questionnaires in which they had to indicate on a semantic differential scale the extent to which they thought each of the 36 possible causes played a role in the incidence of learner discipline problems in their school. Routine factor analysis revealed that seven factors contributed to learner misbehaviour in their particular school, namely social problems in society, the influence of parents on the behaviour of their children, the authority of the educator, democratic participation in school governance, the nature of school structures, and also physical and psychological disabilities.
Dealing with incidents of serious disciplinary problems amongst learners: A comparative study between South Africa and selected countries]]>
Teachers in South African schools battle with problems in learner discipline. Research indicates that teachers are at a loss as to handling these situations. The aim of this article is to survey incidents of serious learner misconduct in a representative selection of education systems abroad to extract any guidelines that might be applicable to South African schools. Eight education systems were surveyed: Brazil, England, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Australia and New Zealand. The international systems surveyed in this article developed promising models, namely the National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF) in Australia, the Response Early Intervention and Assessment Community Health (REACH) programme in Singapore, the National Education Plan in the state of Sáo Paolo, Brazil, and the two models in the category of positive disciplinary approaches in New Zealand, namely the Respectful Schools: Restorative Practices in Education and the New Zealand Minister of Education's Positive Behaviour for [a] Learning Action Plan. A study of these international practices and underlying principles for dealing with discipline in pedagogical situations (Christian or secular) could provide guidelines for South African teachers and education authorities.<hr/>Suid-Afrikaanse skole het met probleme met leerders se dissipline te kampe. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om gevalle van ernstige probleme met leerderdissipline in 'n verteenwoordigende steekproef van buitelandse onderwysstelsels te ondersoek om riglyne vir Suid-Afrikaanse skole te vind. Agt onderwysstelsels is ondersoek: Brasilië, Engeland, Turkye, Singapoer, Maleisië, China, Australië en Nieu-Seeland. In die internasionale stelsels wat ondersoek is, is belowende modelle aangetref, naamlik die National Safe Schools Framework (NSFF) in Australië, Response Early Intervention and Assessment Community Health-program (REACH) in Singapoer, die Nasionale Onderwysplan in die staat Sáo Paolo, Brasilië, asook twee modelle in die kategorie positiewe dissipline in Nieu-Seeland, te wete die Respectful Schools: Restorative Practices in Education en die Minister van Onderwys van Nieu-Seeland se Positive Behaviour for [a] Learning Action Plan. 'n Studie oor internasionale praktyke en die beginsels onderliggend aan die hantering van dissplineprobleme in (Christelike of sekulêre) opvoedingsituasies kan riglyne vir Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysers en onderwysowerhede verskaf.
Strategies to address learner aggression in rural South African secondary schools]]>
Managing learner aggression in the school system is central to learners' academic performance and holistic development. In order to manage learner aggression, it is important to understand the contributory factors and the forms of learner aggression. This article reports on an investigation of factors contributing to learner aggression in rural secondary schools in the Empangeni district of KwaZulu-Natal in order to identify the forms of learner aggression and to establish strategies to manage such aggression in these secondary schools. A qualitative research design was adopted to investigate the phenomenon through an interview process with participants from five rural secondary schools. The findings showed that the factors contributing to learner aggression include family factors, environmental factors and school-related factors whilst the most common forms of learner aggression in schools are verbal aggression, physical aggression and bullying. The article concludes with the role that the school, parents and the Department of Education can play in addressing learner aggression in schools.<hr/>Die hantering van leerderaggressie in die skoolstelsel is deurslaggewend vir leerders se akademiese prestasie en holistiese ontwikkeling. Om leerderaggressie te bestuur is dit belangrik om die bydraende faktore en die vorme van leerderaggressie te verstaan. Hierdie artikel rapporteer oor die bevindings van 'n ondersoek waar gefokus is op faktore wat tot leerderaggressie in landelike sekondêre skole in die Empangeni-distrik van KwaZulu-Natal bydra. Die doel daarvan was om vorme van leerderaggressie te identifiseer sodat geskikte strategieë ontwerp kan word om leerderaggressie die hoof te bied. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp het die onderhoudproses in vyf landelike sekondêre skole gelei. Daar is bevind dat gesins-, omgewings- en skoolfaktore die algemeenste oorsake vir leerderaggressie vorm. Voorts is verbale aggressie, fisiese aggressie en afknouery as die algemeenste vorme van leerderaggressie geïdentifiseer. Die artikel sluit af met die rol wat die skool, ouers en Departement van Onderwys kan speel om leerderaggressie te beperk.
Teachers' perceptions of the influence of learners' undisciplined behaviour on their working life and of the support of role-players]]>
Unacceptable behaviour by learners in South African schools is a major concern for all stakeholders in the teaching profession. This explains the increased interest in the role and responsibility of teachers in managing problem behaviour and the effect of this behaviour on educators' quality of life in the workplace. This research posed the following questions: Does inappropriate student behaviour affect teachers' working life, and if so, to what extent? Is the prevalence of undisciplined behaviour higher amongst boys and in multicultural schools? What is the influence of learners' disruptive behaviour on teachers? How do teachers experience support from role-players? A questionnaire was used to obtain information for answering these questions. Although the findings of this research indicated that not all teachers experience excessive emotional reactions that may contribute to stress, it appeared that undisciplined behaviour was the source of irritation, made demands on teachers' temper and caused aggression. The majority of teachers reported that they enjoyed sufficient support from the school's governing body, but they were not satisfied with the support from parents and the department of education. In spite of the high percentage of teachers who indicated that undisciplined behaviour impacted on their job satisfaction, the majority do not consider leaving the teaching profession.<hr/>Onaanvaarbare leerdergedrag in Suid-Afrikaanse skole is 'n ernstige bron van kommer vir alle betrokkenes in die onderwys. Dit verklaar die toenemende belangstelling in die rol en verantwoordelikheid van onderwysers in die hantering van probleemgedrag en die uitwerking van sodanige gedrag op opvoeders se lewensgehalte in hulle werksituasie. Hierdie navorsing het die volgende vrae gestel: Beïnvloed ontwrigtende leerdergedrag onderwysers se werksituasie en indien wel, in watter mate? Is die voorkoms van ongedissiplineerde gedrag hoër onder seuns en in multikulturele skole? Wat is die invloed van onaanvaarbare leerdergedrag op onderwysers? Hoe ervaar onderwysers die ondersteuning van rolspelers? 'n Vraelys is gebruik om inligting in te samel om die bostaande vrae te beantwoord. Hierdie navorsing het getoon dat sommige onderwysers nie oormatige emosionele reaksies ervaar wat tot stres kan bydra nie, maar dat leerders se ongedissiplineerde gedrag irritasie veroorsaak, eise aan onderwysers se humeur stel en aggressie uitlok. Die meerderheid onderwysers het aangedui dat hulle voldoende ondersteuning van hulle skool se beheerliggaam ontvang, maar van die onderwysers was nie tevrede met die ondersteuning van ouers en die onderwysdepartement nie. Ten spyte van die hoë persentasie onderwysers wat aangedui het dat ongedissiplineerde gedrag 'n impak het op hulle werksbevrediging, oorweeg die meerderheid van hierdie onderwysers dit nie om die onderwysprofessie te verlaat nie.
The image of the teacher held by learners from 10 different countries: A new perspective on the causes of problems with learner discipline]]>
The article reports on research that investigated the image of teachers held by school learners. Based on a conceptual-theoretical distinction between the ideal teacher, the totally effective teacher and the typically excellent teacher, it was assumed that learners would focus on the first, which is a mental construct, and not on the third, which refers to a flesh-and-blood person actually found working in classrooms. They would not be aware of the discrepancy existing between the ideal teacher and the actual typically excellent teacher. A hundred learners in each of England, Latvia, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Pakistan, South Africa and Mexico were asked to write a one-page essay on the following topic: 'What does a typical teacher look like?' The investigation confirmed the correctness of the assumption. Despite clear instructions to describe a typical teacher, many respondents from all 10 countries described what they regarded as the ideal teacher. There seems to be a discrepancy between what learners want in a teacher (the ideal teacher) and what they actually have (the typical teacher). It is also possible that the lack of exposure to truly transformative teachers may in many instances lead to ineffective education. This may be one of the causes of problems with learner discipline in school that has thus far been overlooked in the scholarly pursuit to get to the root of problems with learner discipline, possibly because it does not fit neatly into the widely used model of categorising the causes of problems with learner discipline in schools.<hr/>Hierdie artikel berig oor navorsing waarin die beeld wat skoolleerders van onderwysers huldig, ondersoek is. Gebaseer op 'n konseptueel-teoretiese onderskeid tussen die ideale onderwyser, die volledig-effektiewe onderwyser en die tipiese onderwyser is daar van die veronderstelling uitgegaan dat leerders op die eerste, wat 'n teoretiese konstruk is, sou fokus en nie die een wat 'n werklike persoon van vlees-en-bloed voor in 'n klaskamer vol leerders voorstel nie. Hulle sou nie bewus wees van die gaping tussen die ideale onderwyser en die werklike tipiese, uitstekende onderwyser nie. 'n Groep van 100 leerders uit Engeland, Litoue, Griekeland, Serwië, Slowenië, Bulgarye, Turkye, Pakistan, Suid-Afrika en Mexiko is versoek om 'n enkelbladsy-opstel oor die tema: 'Hoe lyk die tipiese onderwyser?' te skryf. Die ondersoek het die veronderstelling bevestig. Ten spyte van duidelike aanwysings om die tipiese onderwyser te beskryf, het al die respondente die ideale onderwyser beskryf. Dit blyk dat 'n teenstrydigheid bestaan tussen die beeld van 'n ideale onderwyser en die werklikheid voor die leerders in die klaskamer. Die moontlikheid bestaan dat die gebrek aan blootstelling aan waarlik transformerende onderwysers tot oneffektiewe onderwys kan lei. Indien wel, kan dit een van die oorsake vir skole se leerderdissiplineprobleme wees - 'n faktor wat tot nou in wetenskaplike pogings om tot die wortel daarvan deur te dring, oor die hoof gesien is, waarskynlik omdat hierdie faktor nie gemaklik in die algemeen gebruikte model van leerderdissiplineprobleme op skool inpas nie.
An investigation into the disciplinary methods used by teachers in a secondary township school in South Africa]]>
The research that this article reports on investigated the incidence of learner discipline problems, the effect of them on teachers, the teachers' methods of maintaining discipline and the effectiveness of those methods in one township, namely Jouberton in Klerksdorp, South Africa. The experiences of both teachers and learners were surveyed. It was found that discipline at the school is far from satisfactory and problems with discipline are more serious than the international norm indicates. These problems have a serious effect on a large part of the teachers' family life, personal health, job satisfaction and morale. Whilst both teachers and learners commendably prefer the educationally sound preventive and positive methods of maintaining discipline, the application of these methods appears not to be effective: it seems as if teacher education falls short in the area of maintaining discipline, particularly regarding the successful application of proactive methods of maintaining discipline. Finally, the learners' views on the maintenance of discipline are an alarming indictment of the principles of democracy, human rights and human dignity, and of rationality as a tool for conflict resolution. Recommendations are made for follow-up research with the objective of amelioration.<hr/>Die navorsing waaroor hier gerapporteer word, het ondersoek ingestel na die voorkoms van leerderdissiplineprobleme, die effek daarvan op onderwysers, onderwysers se metodes om dissipline te handhaaf, en die doeltreffendheid van dié metodes, soos dit voorkom in 'n historiese Swart woonbuurt, naamlik Jouberton, Klerksdorp, Suid-Afrika. Die belewenis van onderwysers sowel as leerders was gepeil. Daar is bevind dat dissipline by die skool ver van bevredigend is en dat dissiplineprobleme ernstiger is as die internasinoale norm. Hierdie probleme het ernstige gevolge op 'n groot persentasie van onderwysers se persoonlikie lewe, werksbevrediging en moraal. Terwyl dit prysenswaardig is dat beide onderwysers en leerders die opvoedkundig meer aanvaarbare voorkomende en positiewe metodes van dissiplinehandhawing verkies, blyk dit dat dat onderwysers nie daarin slaag om dié pro-aktiewe metodes van dissiplinehandhawing suksesvol toe te pas nie. Laastens dui leerders se mening oor metodes van dissiplinehandhawing op 'n kommerwekkende minagting van die beginsels van demokrasie, menseregte en menswaardigheid, en van rasionaliteit as instrument in konflikresolusie. Aanbevelings vir opvolgnavorsing ter verbetering van die dissiplinesituasie aan skole word gemaak.
Action towards hope: Addressing learner behaviour in a classroom]]>
Unruly learners and disciplinary problems are an intractable part of every teacher's teaching experience. It appears that, even though most schools have enacted a code of conduct to regulate learner behaviour, this does not always have the desired effect. Disciplinary problems in schools impact negatively on the teaching and learning environment as well as on teachers' personal and professional well-being and morale. Framed within the context of a biblical worldview, this article narrates the experiences of one teacher who decided to take action towards hope. The situation in her classroom was quite desperate with learners coming to school unprepared and behaving very badly and parents being uninterested in the performance of their children at school. She realised that she could not change the learners or their parents unless she started with herself. In this context, she, as a postgraduate student under the supervision of the co-authors, embarked on an action-research project to promote positive learner behaviour. By collaborating with the learners on a set of classroom rules, engaging in reflective teaching and changing her own behaviour towards the learners, the situation in her classroom improved. Based on her experiences, this article argues that teachers should empower themselves with knowledge and a better understanding of the concept of discipline rather than viewing the classroom as a battlefield. It is important to acknowledge and show respect and appreciation for each learner in his or her own context.<hr/>Onordelike leerders en dissiplinêre probleme is onlosmaaklik deel van elke opvoeder se onderrigervaring. Hoewel die meeste skole 'n gedragskode tot hulle beskikking het om leerdergedrag te reguleer, wil dit voorkom asof dit nie altyd die verlangde uitwerking het nie. Dissiplinêre probleme in skole het 'n negatiewe invloed op die onderrig- en leeromgewing asook op opvoeders se persoonlike en professionele welstand en moraal. Hierdie artikel, wat deur 'n Bybelse wêreldbeskouing gerig word, beskryf die ervaringe van 'n opvoeder wat besluit het om 'n reis na hoop te volg. Die situasie in haar klaskamer was hopeloos, leerders het onvoorbereid skool toe gekom en hulle aan wangedrag skuldig gemaak en ouers het belangstelling in die onderwys van hulle kinders verloor. Sy het besef dat sy met haarself moet begin indien sy die situasie wil verander. Teen dié agtergrond het sy onder leiding van die mede-outeurs 'n aksienavorsingsprojek geloods. Die doel van die projek was om positiewe leerdergedrag te bevorder. Deur in samewerking met haar leerders klaskamerreëls op te stel, haar tot reflektiewe onderrig te verbind en haar gedrag teenoor die leerders te verander, het die situasie in haar klaskamer verbeter. Op grond van haar ervaringe word daar in hierdie artikel aangevoer dat opvoeders hulle deur die verkryging van kennis en insig oor dissipline moet bemagtig eerder as om die klaskamer as 'n slagveld te beskou. Dit is belangrik om elke leerder se individualiteit te erken en respek en waardering vir sy of haar unieke omstandighede te toon.
Educators' perspectives on risk factors for learner-on-learner bullying]]>
Educators are the key role-players in the successful development and implementation of most anti-bullying programmes and/or intervention strategies. This article sets out to report on findings from a qualitative study on educators' perspectives of the risk factors for learner-on-learner bullying. Educators who were furthering their studies at the University of the Free State, South Africa, were invited to take part in the study on different types of bullying. This article focuses on the narratives of 91 participants who described the incidence of learner-on-learner bullying. The study uses a four-level, social-ecological model as the theoretical framework. Individual, family, institutional and societal risk factors for bullying were identified by means of a qualitative content analysis. It is suggested in the article that although risk-focused prevention strategies may lead to a reduction in bullying, prevention strategies should not target only these (negative) factors, but try to promote protective factors on all four social-ecological levels.<hr/>Opvoeders vervul 'n sleutelrol in die suksesvolle ontwikkeling en implementering van die meeste anti-afknoueryprogramme en/of intervensiestrategieë. Die artikel het ten doel om verslag te lewer oor bevindinge van 'n kwalitatiewe studie oor opvoeders se sieninge oor risikofaktore vir leerder-op-leerder afknouery. Opvoeders wat besig was met verdere studie aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat, Suid-Afrika, is genooi om aan die studie oor verskillende tipes afknouery deel te neem. Hierdie artikel fokus op die narratiewe van 91 deelnemers wat insidente van leerder-op-leerder afknouery beskryf het. Die studie gebruik 'n viervlak, sosiaal-ekologiese model as teoretiese raamwerk. Individuele, familie, institusionele en gemeenskapsrisikofaktore is met behulp van kwalitatiewe inhoudanalise geïdentifiseer. In die artikel word gesuggereer dat ofskoon voorkomingstrategieë wat op risiko's fokus, tot die vermindering van afknouery kan lei, voorkomingstrategieë nie net hierdie (negatiewe) faktore moet teiken nie, maar ook moet poog om beskermende faktore op al vier sosiaal-ekologiese vlakke te bevorder.
Parents' disciplining of five to six-year-old children]]>
Die ouerhuis is die basis van ontwikkeling in die voorskoolse jare en ouerskapsvaardighede is daarom van kardinale belang vir die voorkoming van gedragsprobleme wat die kind se toekoms negatief kan beïnvloed. Hierdie artikel rapporteer oor navorsing wat gedoen is om 'n groep Suid-Afrikaanse ouers se menings te ontleed rakende die gedrag van vyf- tot sesjariges wat hulle as problematies ervaar, asook die effek van sodanige gedrag op die ouers, die strategieë wat die ouers toepas, sowel as die aard van die ondersteuning wat hulle verlang. Die konseptueel-teoretiese raamwerk waarin die ondersoek ingebed is, omlyn die konstruk van sosio-emosionele vaardigheidsontwikkeling, die ouer se rol daarin en 'n beskouing van die dissiplinering van die vyf- tot sesjarige kind vanuit 'n bio-ekologiese perspektief (soos gepostuleer deur Bronfenbrenner) met 'n gepaardgaande kritiese inspeling vanuit die Christelike lewensbeskouing.<hr/>The home is the basis of development in the preschool years and parenting skills are therefore crucial for the prevention of behaviour that can negatively affect the child's future. This article reports on research conducted through the analysis of the opinions of a group of South African parents regarding the behaviour of their five to six-year-old children that they experienced as being problematic, as well as the effect of the behaviour on the parents, the strategies that they applied, and the nature of the support that they chose. The conceptual-theoretical framework in which the research was embedded explains the construct of socio-emotional development, the parent's role therein and understanding the disciplining of the five to six-year-old child from a bio-ecological perspective (as postulated by Bronfenbrenner) with an accompanying critical perspective from the Christian worldview.
Handling learner discipline problems: A psycho-social whole school approach]]>
Learner discipline is a problem in South African schools. The most serious aspect is addressing learner-discipline problems. Research has shown that teachers are at a loss for effective methods for maintaining discipline. The literature that does exist pertaining to methods of maintaining discipline, invariably enumerates a host of techniques in a 'bag of tricks' fashion: behaviouristic, like treating symptoms, that is, the behavioural manifestation rather than addressing the causes of that behaviour, paying no attention to the psychic dynamics and social context behind poor discipline. This is at variance with the fact that learner-discipline problems have a causal base which reaches far beyond the individual teacher-individual learner interaction. At the levels of the school, family and society, as well as at the level of the spiritual and social functioning of the child and how that might result in discipline problems, and how that should be taken into account when addressing learner discipline problems, a host of literature has been published in recent years. This article surveys this literature, synthesising it in a systematic way that shows a broader and more extensive way of approaching the issue of the problems of addressing learner discipline in South African schools. Although the problem of ill discipline in schools is not limited to or absent from schools that educate on biblical principles, the discussion in the literature occasionally ventures into a brief mention of how the problem could be approached from a holistic and integrated Christian perspective.<hr/>Leerderdissipline in Suid-Afrikaanse skole is 'n probleem. Die mees problematiese aspek is die hantering van dié probleme. Navorsing het aangetoon dat onderwysers nie oor doeltreffende metodes om leerderdissipline te handhaaf beskik nie. Literatuur oor dissiplinehandhawingsmetodes wat wel bestaan lys 'n reeks tegnieke, in 'n behaviouristiese paradigma, wat die simptome eerder as die oorsake van die probleem aanspreek, en wat nie die psigiese dinamika en sosiale konteks van leerderdissiplineprobleme erken nie. Dit rym nie met die feit dat leerderdissipline 'n oorsaaklike basis het wat veel verder as die individuele onderwyser-individuele leerder interaksie strek nie. Op die vlakke van die skool, die gesin en die samelewing, sowel as die spirituele en sosiale funksionering van die kind en hoe al hierdie faktore in dissiplineprobleme kan uitloop en in berekening gebring behoort te word wanneer dit by die aanspreek van leerderdissiplineprobleme kom, is 'n magdom literatuur die afgelope aantal jare gepubliseer. Hierdie artikel bied 'n oorsig van dié literatuur en dui so 'n meer omvattende benadering aan om leerderdissiplineprobleme in Suid-Afrikaanse skole te hanteer. Ofskoon die probleem van leerderdissiplineprobleme nie beperk is of afwesig is van skole wat onderwys op 'n Bybelse grondslag verskaf nie, word die bespreking van die literatuuroorsig voorsien van 'n Christelike lewensopvatlike bobou.