School management team's management and leadership of learner discipline : the case of two secondary schools in the North West province

Abstract

Learner discipline management continues to be a common problem for educators, parents, and learners in most South African schools. The purpose of this study was to investigate the School management team’s management of learner discipline in two secondary schools in the North West province. The key theory that underpinned this dissertation is the transformational leadership theory. The transformational leadership theory signifies a leader who envisages change, creates a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and executes the change with the commitment of the members of the group. The study adopted a qualitative research approach through an interpretative paradigm. The use of the interpretive paradigm enabled me to acquire more knowledge by an in-depth investigation of School management team’s management and leadership of learner discipline in two secondary schools in the North West province, as well as to provide an interpretative view on the participant’s responses. The site selection was based on the 18 secondary schools in the Ratlou sub-district, North West Province and two secondary schools were purposefully selected based on the level of learner discipline and misconduct in the school. In each secondary school, the principal, deputy principal and two departmental heads were selected for the study. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse and present data in themes and sub- themes. The major findings of this study revealed that both schools do not have adequate methods of dealing with learner discipline in schools. The study concluded that a review of the current policies must be conducted and a proper implementation strategy adopted for discipline and management strategies of learner misconduct. The study recommends that the Department of Basic Education must organise various summits, workshops, and conferences focusing on learner discipline in schools. Parents and guardians of learners in the North West Province should always endeavour to play parental roles in the lives of their children to instil discipline. In addition, School Management Teams should endeavour to organise training and workshops for teachers that focus on learner discipline.