The Role of Management and Leadership in addressing Learner Discipline

446 Pages·2016·3.63 MB·English

The Role of Management and Leadership in addressing Learner
Discipline: a case of Three Secondary Schools in
the Pinetown Education District

By

Anil Pravesh Narain

Submitted to the School of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal in fulfilment of the
academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL

Durban, South Africa

October 2015

Supervisor: Dr T.T. Bhengu

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ABSTRACT
The preponderance of articles, debates and academic discourses highlighting the increase in
frequency and severity of learner indiscipline in South African schools and internationally
has prompted the study. The international conventions on the child, insurgence of various
organisations on school discipline and violence, and National Education Ministers’ concerns
raised, is indicative of the seriousness of ‘school discipline’. Since school leaders are
responsible for all things ‘school’, the debates around the role school leaders play on learner
discipline is valid and relevant. There is a dearth of literature linking the role of school
leaders with learner discipline and this is my focus. This dictated my core research question
which was: What role does the school’s management team (SMT) and other educator leaders
play in learner discipline at schools in different contexts? The sub-questions centred on their
experiences, perceptions, understandings and manner in handling learner-related discipline
problems. Challenges of schools in the three contexts made the last sub-question.
The adoption of the interpretivist philosophical stand determined the qualitative research
design with its incumbent methods of research. This research involved a multiple case study
documenting discipline challenges in three South African school contexts namely a township,
sub-urban, and rural school. The case studies were purposively chosen from one town in
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, to closely typify the classifications above. The
participants focused on were the principals, deputies and HODs. To add validity and
trustworthiness, other stakeholders, teachers, RCL and other learners were also made relevant
participants. The literature review was guided by the two fold nature of the study that is,
school discipline and educational management and leadership and hence delved into these
fields. The study was based on the twofold theoretical frameworks of positive discipline and
whole school discipline on one hand and transformational and distributed leadership on the
other.
The postulation that school leaders are largely involved in the focus on academic challenges
and in the daily ‘nuts and bolts’ of the school day and that they fail to lead and manage
learner discipline was founded. Their difficulty to adjust to state changes in education with
the numerous academic path changes was founded. The changes post-1996 to leadership
bringing decentralised governance (SGB), management (SMT), collegiality in managing and
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the democratisation of the discipline process did affect discipline at the schools – often to its
determent. The banning of corporal punishment and the adjustment to alternatives to corporal
punishment (ATCP) was a challenge to both teachers and the SMT.
While the leaders lead in different contexts their own visions, beliefs, psycho-socio makeup
and knowledge affected, to a large extent, their capacity to lead in a transformational stance.
While the school contexts brought its challenges the above factors affecting leaders play a
vital influence in the levels of successful outcome on discipline. The above also influences
the pulse of the school as it was found that principals were still the lead persons in all school
contexts. The professionalism of teachers influences greatly the level of classroom discipline.
The strategies, interventions, structures and tweaking of DoE discipline policy for better
discipline was largely the influence of the upper SMT led by the principal. The HODs fell
short in leading and developing strategies for better discipline. Teacher leadership was found
to be restricted due to either ‘closed distributed leadership’ or ‘subtle distributed leadership’.
The knowledge of discipline theories and model were lacking among teachers and SMT to
the determent of discipline. The serious offender left the SMT baffled resulting in the ‘chuck
them out syndrome’ with such learners being subversively removed from school so as not to
contaminate ‘my school’. The township and rural school SES context contributed to the
development of the ‘absentee parent syndrome’ where parents simply were lost to their
children’s schooling. It also exhibited deviance bordering on criminality with violence and
cannabis usage. The sub-urban school SMT had to manage a questioning middle-class parent
community. In sum, contexts affect discipline but the SMT and teacher knowledge and
professionalism, use of WSD (Whole School Discipline) and PDP (Positive Discipline
Practices) with transformational and distributed leadership and making functional the RCL is
vital for better school discipline. An astute adaption of DoE discipline policy by the SMT is
recommended with solid functional structures of discipline. This coupled with PDP and WSD
is recommended for boosting teacher morale and improving discipline.
The thesis in summary finds that the principals’ leadership of school discipline, influenced by
their vision, drives, psycho-socio make-up, histories and knowledge, is constantly in fluid
juxta-positioning and synergy-making with the parent community, bouncing in and out of
policy as the practicality of the situation arose.

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DECLARATION
I, Anil Pravesh Narain declare that
i. The research reported in this thesis, except where otherwise indicated, is my original
work.
ii. This thesis has not been submitted for any degree or examination at any other
university.
iii. This thesis does not contain other persons’ data, pictures, graphs or other information,
unless specifically acknowledged as being sourced from other persons.
iv. This thesis does not contain other persons’ writing, unless specifically acknowledged
as being sourced from other researchers. Where other written sources have been
quoted, then:
a) their words have been re-written but the general information attributed to them has
been referenced;
b) where their exact words have been used, their writing has been placed inside
quotation marks, and referenced.
v. Where I have reproduced a publication of which I am an author, co-author or editor, I
have indicated in detail which part of the publication was actually written by myself
alone and have fully referenced such publications.
vi. This thesis does not contain text, graphics or tables copied and pasted from the
internet, unless specifically acknowledged, and the source being detailed in the thesis
and in the References section.
Signed: ………………………………….. Date: …………………….
Statement by Supervisor
This thesis is submitted with/without my approval.
Signed: …………………………………… Date: ……………………...
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Ethical clearance approval from University of KwaZulu-Natal

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this thesis
to
my loving mother,
Dayawanthee Keerath-Narain
and
loving dad,
Ramsuruj (George) Narain

whose love and encouragement was overwhelming and to whom I owe my being and
academic spirit, and to:
- To my paternal grandparents Sawadin, Narain and Sanjharia Narain, maternal
grandparents Harripersadh and Sookdai Keerath whose pioneering spirit of perseverance
through troubled times rubbed off onto me and to whom I owe my being.
- To my wife, Renuka Devi who has been my pillar of strength and whose coaxing and
coaching, saw me through this project.
- To my children Dheeraj, Yejna and Akhil; son-in-law, Strinivasen Gounden;
grandchildren Maheera and Kaveera; and to Siobahn Singh - may this inspire the future
generations.
- To my other mother Aunt Lilly Keerath and uncle, Mannie Harripersadh Keerath who
always spoke ‘education’ to me and would have been so happy to see this piece of work.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Of all the people who contributed, formally or informally, to making this study a reality, my
profound indebtedness goes:
• To God, the Almighty, my Swami Sri Sathya Sai Baba, Devatars Sri Krishna,
ShivaShankar Baba and Mother Saraswathie for Their guidance, strength and support
in the years of my study.
• To my supervisor, Dr T.T. Bhengu. Your pleasant disposition, patience, guidance and
continued support have contributed immensely towards the success of this study.
• To Prof. Naydene De Lange for her initial opening of the threshold of this academic
path for me.
• To Prof Chikoko for his professional assistance.
• To the Department of Education for allowing me to conduct research in the schools I
selected for my study.
• My sincere thanks to all the principals, educators, and learners of the participating
schools for offering me their time, friendship and for sharing information to make this
study possible.
• Special thanks to my UKZN, PhD cohort colleagues and all tutors and assistants over
the various years for critical reviews, challenging debates and subtle advice.
• I extend my sincere gratitude to my loving wife, Renuka for supporting me through
the long and strenuous journey of study. This academic piece would not have been
possible without your support. Thank you for being there and for holding our family
on high levels of academic excellence.

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ABBREVIATIONS
ACE- Advanced Certificate in Education: E.g. School Leadership (ACE)
ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder
ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ATCP- alternatives to corporal punishment
BDE- Department of Basic Education
CAPS- Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements
CEO- Chief Executive Officer
CES-- Chief Education Specialist
CHH-Child Headed Households
COLTS- Culture of Learning and Teaching Service
COSVP- Canadian Observatory on School Violence Prevention
CP – Corporal Punishment
CPTD- Continuous Professional Teacher Development
CSTL- The Care and Support to Teaching and Learning
DC- Discipline Committee
DoE- Department of Education
DP- Deputy Principal (of a school)
DSSC- Discipline Safety and Security Committee
EBD- Emotional and Behavioural Disorders
FASD - Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
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GYRBS-Global Youth Risk Behaviour Survey
GSHS- Global School-based Student Health Survey
HAS- Historically Advantaged Schools (usually the ex-White raced group schools)
HDS- Historically Disadvantaged School (usually the rural or ex-African Black schools)
HOD- Head of Department (Not the executive Provincial Head of Education)
HIV/AIDS- Human Immuno Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
ILST- (School) Institution Level Support Team
INSET- In Service Education and Training
IQMS- Integrated Quality Management System
MEC –Member of the Executive Council i.e. Executive Council of a Province
MoI- Medium of Instruction
NCOP- National Council of Provinces
OBE- Outcomes Based Education
OECD- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Ofsted- Office for Standards in Education (United Kingdom educational body)
PAM - Personnel Administrative Measures
PMDP- Principals’ Management Development Programme
PMS- Principal Management Service
QLTC- Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign
RCL- Representative Council of Learners
SAMF- South African Mathematics Foundation
SASAS - South African Social Attitudes Survey SES- Socio-Economic Status
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SASSL- South African Standard for School Leadership (SASSL)
SEM- Superintendent Education Management
SGB- School Governing Body
SIP- School Improvement Plan
SSC – School’s Safety and Security Committee
SWPBDS- School Wide Positive Behaviour Discipline Supports
SWPBS - School Wide Positive Behaviour Support
TLO- Teacher Liaison Officer (teacher official to manage the RCL)
UNCRC- United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
UNICEF- United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund
WIP- Ward Improvement Plan
WSD- Whole School Discipline (policy)
ZT- Zero Tolerance (in administering discipline)

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