Cheku Dorji1* and Chimi Dema2
1 Principal, Peljorling Higher Secondary School, Bhutan
2 Teacher, Peljorling Higher Secondary School, Bhutan
*Corresponding Author: Cheku Dorji, Principal, Peljorling Higher Secondary School, Bhutan.
Received: February 24, 2023; Published: March 08, 2023
Citation: Cheku Dorji and Chimi Dema. “Role of Discipline in the Academic Performance of the Students of Peljorling Higher Secondary School: Gender Based Study”. Acta Scientific Paediatrics 6.4 (2023): 04-15.
Disciplines and academic performance are the core of today’s education. Some scholars have found a relationship between poor performances of students in academic to indiscipline among students. Schools in Bhutan implement zero tolerance to indiscipline since the discipline of students are found to have a significant role in academic performance of students. This study was carried out to establish the relationships between school’s discipline and students’ academic performance. The study employed structured surveys, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. For the analysis of the data, descriptive and thematic analyses were used. The findings of the study clearly showed that the situation of discipline at Peljorling Higher Secondary School is moderate. Significantly, effective school discipline was found to be encouraged in controlling students’ behavior, affecting students’ academic performance. Further, disciplinary issues were seen more in male students than the female students and accordingly, academic performance of female students with and without disciplinary issues was found to be better than the male students.
Keywords: Discipline Policy; Zero-Tolerance, Academic; Performance
Discipline among the students is vital in Bhutanese schools since it is a socially approved standard of thoughts and actions which benefit not only the individuals but also the society. The origin of the word includes the Old French word descepline for “physical punishment, teaching” and from Latin disciplina for the instruction given, teaching, learning, knowledge” [1]. School discipline includes the rules and regulations for staff and students to have better teaching and learning processes. According to Nangraj [2], School Discipline is the system of rules, punishments, and behavioral strategies appropriate to the regulation of children and the maintenance of order in schools”. However, the school discipline in the Bhutanese education system prioritizes zero tolerance for indiscipline and punishment. The guidelines for Policy and Planning Division is the heart of School Disciplines in Bhutan. Considering the Guidelines of the Policy and Planning Division under the Ministry of Education [3], all schools must center their Discipline to zero tolerance for indiscipline without restoring corporal punishment. Similarly, the Discipline Policy of Ura Central School (2022) states that “Discipline is the mode of living under established rules and regulations and subjected to higher authority where it is the ‘Gateway’ to education. Thus, the purpose of practicing Discipline in schools is not only to develop standardize norms but also to help the individual acquire knowledge and ideals which conduce to the well-being of oneself, his or her fellow and society as a whole and the academic performance of the students is interlinked.
Discipline in schools is an eminent tool to ensure better academic performance. According to Dunham (1984), effective discipline helps in the achievement of goals, expectations, and responsibilities in students. Academic excellence is not an exception. As per the Policy and Planning Division (2012), “One of the most important factors for ensuring the quality of education and its supporting environment is the social order and harmony in our school” and this is possible with the discipline of the students. Further, the absence of it may result in lapses in social life, which affects academic performance. Thus, failing in academic knowledge and also in the ability to integrate into society as a responsible citizen. Significantly, the Policy and Planning division has found that the pack of discipline in schools must necessarily spill over into public spaces and social life. Thus, the need for School Discipline is evident.
Significantly, the school disciplines are framed and practiced with the aim of benefiting the students and the school. For instance, the School Policy of Tsenkherla Central School (2022) aims at having a safe and secure learning environment, avoiding disturbance to the teaching-learning process, developing, and maintaining strong relationships among the students, parents and teachers, bringing about the good academic performance of the students, inculcating good human values and principles and achieving Gross National happiness. Similarly, Nangraj [2] mentioned the two main goals of school discipline; ensuring the safety of staff and students and creating an environment conducive to learning. Significantly, the Education system of Bhutan expects the implementation of Zero tolerance for indiscipline in the schools with the following outcomes [3];
Thus, the interconnection between the School Discipline and Academic performance is vital in schools in all lances.
This study was carried out to establish the relationships between schools discipline and students’ academic performance.
The objectives of the research are to;
Discipline and academic performance are significant in education today. An effective school should be encouraged in controlling students’ behaviour to benefit general academic performance. As per Ehiane [4], the management of school discipline has been found vital for academic performance where 70% of the respondents under study were of the opinion that the management of school discipline has an impact on the student’s academic performance. Similarly, Simba, Agak and Kabuka [7] stated that discipline is conducive to sound academic performance since the increase in discipline has increased the academic performance among class eight students of public primary school in Muhoroni Sub-County, Kenya. Significantly, students with one or more discipline referrals were found to be 2.4 times more likely to score below proficiency in math than those with no discipline referrals. Further, an increase in referrals increases the odds of poor academic performance where students with a single discipline referral had a 25 percentage of proficiency gap, which increased by about 20 percentage points with the increase of each level [5]. Thus, school discipline is eminent for academic performance.
School Discipline has been crucial for not only the learners but also the society. Discipline creates a good image of the school and prepares learners for the future. Additionally, the implementation of effective discipline at school had been found to be a key for the student in the journey to adulthood [4]. Similarly, Mussa [6] has found that good discipline creates a good image of the schools and prepares learners for the future. On the other hand, Discipline has been found to be necessary for effective school management and in accomplishing its goals [7]. Contrary to all will cause ill in the society. Indiscipline had led to school strikes, the destruction of the teaching-learning environment, frequent riots and violence where police intervention the and construction of huge walls and expensive fences were required to protect students, teachers and property against undisciplined Students [6].
The pieces of literature also revealed the substantial causes of indiscipline in schools. As per the study conducted by Ehiane [4], “Disciplines have been underestimated by over-actualizing freedom and rights, an understatement of responsibilities and obligations, marginalization of the authority of the head teacher, poor role models by some teachers, lack of punctuality, abscondment from classes by both learners and teachers and the unionist attitude of some teachers”. On the other hand, Mussa [6] found the shortage of teachers and teaching learning materials, overcrowded classes, poor housing, delayed service, and bureaucratic leadership type to be the causes of indiscipline among students. Additionally, Martirano, Burch and White [5] presented the causes such as exposure to adversity, including violence and substance abuse in economically distressed neighborhoods, the need to ward off the threat of violence by developing a tough persona, being from a low-income family, the frustration, side-affection and lower selfconfidence and differential selection for discipline referrals based on color and caste.
However, all schools under study were found with measures to curve indiscipline resulting in low academic performance such as the role of a counsellor, a disciplinary committee and the involvement of parents. As per Ehiane [4], there should be a disciplinary committee that must be respected in terms of decisionmaking and be given powers to execute its duties. However, his study denied the role of punishment since indiscipline corrected with punishments was found to have no role in academic performance. The researcher also stated that school managers need to have an effective leadership style to manage the challenges of disciplining the learners since his study revealed the managers of bestperforming schools to be strict in ensuring that all agreed rules and regulations are followed. When it comes to Mussa [6], disciplinary committees and punishment were parts of the mechanism used by the management in best performing secondary schools’ students which proved to be significant.
Further, Ehiane [4] opines that counsellors are significant but must not be a part of the disciplinary committee since they focus on helping students without punishment whereas punishments are executed by the disciplinary committee to create a proper decorum for boosting the students’ performance. On the other hand, Martirano, Burch and White [5] found the need for fair and just punishments to solve disciplinary issues. Along with the aforementioned measures, Mussa [6] opined for Parent teacher association with parents elected as school representatives within the community since they are found to be the most powerful influence on the child’s life experience equal to teachers. Additionally, the roles of students and teachers have been found significant. In the selected secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, learners were undisciplined. Learners were habitual latecomers, they did not bring their books to school, refused to do their homework, rejected any kind of authority, and resisted any disciplinary measures taken against them. Further, teachers were always found absent from school, presented ill-prepared lessons; failed to exercise discipline in the classroom and lacking a professional work ethic [4].
For the findings above, the researchers had similar aims and tools though the setting and sample differ. Ehiane [4] used a structured questionnaire interview and document in ten secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria with 380 samples to study the relationships between schools’ discipline and students’ academic performance. Further, interviews and document review were conducted for the in-depth study. Similarly, Simba, Agak and Kabuka [7] studied 2450 class eight pupils of Muhorono Sub-County, Kenya which included 1233 boys and 1217 girls to determine the level of discipline and the extent of the impact of discipline on the academic performance of class eight pupils in public primary schools in Muhoroni Sub County, Kenya using Questionnaire. Whereas Mussa [6] included 100 students and 48 teachers where the former included 57 males and 43 females, where 40 students were from government schools and 60 from private. Among these 60 were boarding students and 40-day scholars. The latter included 27 males and 21 females where 5 were the head of schools, 5 Discipline Masters/mistresses and 38 teachers. Further, among 48 selected participants 6 were with Diploma, 39 with degrees and 3 with master’s qualifications. Furthermore, 7 had one to five years of work experience, 26 with six to ten and 15 with eleven to fifteen. These groupings were to study the suitability of set rules and regulations in the best and the least performing schools, the mechanism in place that ensured that students abide to prescribed rules and regulations and the role of students’ punishment management on academic performance. For Martirano, Burch and White [5], they included grade 3-11 students of public school districts in West Virginia during 2012 -2013 school year. Out of 225,320 discipline referrals recorded in the system, about 2% were omitted for the errors.
However, the present research examined the suitability of set rules and regulations in the school, studied the impact of sanctions for the offences on students and investigated on how the administration of school rules and regulations contribute to students’ performance where the extent of impact of discipline on academic performance among the students with discipline cases and non-discipline cases were studied. The study included the minor discipline records with class teachers, major discipline issues referred to the discipline committee and to strengthen the data collected, Annual 2021 and Midterm 2022’s consolidated sheets were analysed. The study sample comprised of 120 students and 30 staff of Peljorling Higher Secondary School, Samtse, Bhutan. Thus, the focus, setting and sample of this paper made the study evident.
Peljorling Higher Secondary School (PHSS), under Trashicholing gewog under Samtse Dzongkha was the setting under study. PHSS is with 69 teachers, 11 nonteaching staff and 1560 students (782 boys and 778 girls). Furthermore, the students of the school and the population in the community comprise of people from around the country for resettlement and government servants. However, some are locally rooted in the place.
The targeted population includes students from classes VII-XII and staff of PHSS. A total of 360 responded to the structured survey questionnaire. Further, 27 participants responded to the semistructured interview where 11 were students, two each from class 7-10 with no record of indiscipline, 6 were the Discipline committee members, 2 were non-teaching staff and 8 were teachers.
Sampling is vital for research since it determines the accuracy of the research. The researchers used both probability and nonprobability samples. For the survey questionnaire, simple random sampling which is a type of probability sample was used where the participants were randomly selected from the list with the class teachers considering the ownership of a smartphone. In this sampling, “each member of the population under study has an equal chance of being selected and the probability of a member of the population being selected is unaffected by the selection of other members of the population, i.e. each selection is entirely independent of the next” [8].
Further, stratified sampling was used for the interview. Participants were divided into group A with 2 to 3 students each from every level with no indiscipline issue, Group B with the members of the Discipline committee, Group C with a mixture of teachers and non-teaching staff. This sampling is significant since it is “a useful blend of randomization and categorization, thereby enabling both a quantitative and qualitative piece of research” [8].
Mixed method research was used to study the relationship between discipline and students’ academic performance. According to Creswell [9], “Mixed method research is an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both qualitative and quantitative forms”. This design was chosen since integrating both types are sufficient in itself to address the perceptions and details of the situations. Thus, mixture of approaches provides a more complete understanding of a research problem than either approach alone [9].
Sequential Explanatory strategy of a mixed method was used where the researches first conducted the quantitative followed by qualitative method of research. According to Creswell [9], “…it is characterized by the collection and analysis of quantitative data in a first phase of research followed by the collection and analysis of quantitative data in the second phase that build on the results of the initial quantitative results”. This popular strategy is straight forward and easy to describe and report.
In the quantitative phase, the survey questionnaire was used to collect data. A questionnaire helps the researchers to collect a large amount of information form many respondents. Further, the responses received are frank and are less time consuming [10]. Significantly, structure questionnaire was used with dichotomous questions and Likert Scale Questions. Structured questionnaires include closed questions where the answers are fixed and rigid and have no scope of confusion [11].
Dichotomous questions were used to trace the details of the respondents such as gender. Personal details of the respondents such as their age and location were also collected. Importantly, the Likert Scale was used to collect the respondents’ opinions on discipline and its role in the academic performance of the students. Participants were asked to show their level of agreement (from strongly disagree to strongly agree) with the given statement (items) on a metric scale.
After the analysis of the questionaries, semi-structured interview was conducted. As per Doyle [12], “A semi-structured interview is a meeting in which the interviewer does not strictly follow a formalized list of questions”. The researchers developed questions and depending on how the participant answered, the researchers asked follow-up questions to gain a more in-depth understanding. The face-to-face interview was used to explain the questions and provide instant feedback to the respondent since it provides accurate screening, captures verbal and non-verbal cues, keeps the interviewee focused and on track to completion and captures the emotions and behaviours of an interviewee [13].
To find the relationship between the discipline of the students and academic performance, the researcher used document analysis. According to Kenpro [14], “Document analysis is a method of data collection which involves analysis of content from written documents in order to make certain deductions based on the study parameters”.
Descriptive Analysis to analyse the data collected via a structured survey questionnaire. According to REC [15], “Descriptive analysis is used to describe and explain the quantitative data using frequencies, mean, percentage and standard deviation in a meaningful manner”. Thus, enabling the researchers to generate descriptive information from the raw data.
Later to analyse the data collected via semi-structured interview, thematic analysis was used since it is a qualitative data interpretation and analysis in accordance with the research topic and questions where coding and classification of data are followed by generations of themes [15].
Cronbach’s Alpha (α) was used to assess the internal consistency of a set of scale or the test items for both students and staff. As per the Institute for Digital Research and Education (2019), “Cronbach’s alpha is a measure of internal consistency, that is, how closely related a set of items are as a group. It is considered to be a measure of scale reliability”.
Figure 1
The reliability coefficient of the survey questionnaire for the staff and students are 0.8 and 0.82. As per the Institute for Digital Research and Education (2019), 0.8-0.89 is highly reliable.
In total 52 staff and 308 students of classes, VII to XII responded to the survey questionnaire. Staff Respondents include 51.9% female and 48.1% male. For the students, 49.7% were female and 50.3% were male students.
Figure 2
The survey questionaries were used to analyze the condition of discipline in the school, the role of students’ discipline in their academic performance and the difference between male and female students regarding their discipline and academic performance. Peljorling Higher Secondary School has a clear Discipline Policy which is integrated into the school Policy as is evident with 45 staff agreeing with it. However, the state of discipline in the school is a question since 49% of the student respondents said that the state is good, whereas 44.2% of the student respondents found it average and 3.2% found it bad.
The state of discipline in the school is not great though most of the students are wellaware of the school discipline policy. 59.6% of the teacher respondents said that the state of discipline in the school is average, and 2% said that it is bad. Only 36.5% said that it is good. Considering the respondents for ‘good’, it is evident that the discipline policy in the school is not good. However, the case was different among the students. Out of 308 student respondents, 290 agreed that the school discipline Policy is integrated with the school policy but 18 disagreed. Among these, 95 respondents strongly agreed and 169 agreed that the Discipline Policy is clear. The policy is said to be fair and consistent for 257 respondents. Like the staff respondents, 258 student respondents said that students are aware of rules and regulations of the school. Though less, 50 student respondents were unaware of it. This could be because some of the students are without a copy of the School Discipline Policy as per SR 112.
The level of discipline is due to certain reasons. 70.8% of the student respondents said that lack of manners in students is the major cause followed by bad teacher and student relationships, inactive teachers and poor leadership with 23.1%, 11.7% and 22.1% of the student respondents identifying those. Consumption of substances and alcohol, captains ruling the school, students not being serious with the school rules, Students in relationships, teachers being biased, school going after pride and recognition in media, poor leadership, bad example shown by the teachers, strict rules, Parenting problem, no counseling service, peer pressure, miss communication, regional and cultural believes, lack of follow-up by the concerned teachers executing policy, illiterate parents, rapport among school leaders, poor leadership support to teachers executing the policy, the rapport between the staff and the administration and lack of advice are some of the common causes mentioned by the student and teacher respondents. Significantly, students not knowing the discipline policy of the school is another one. Out of 308 student respondents, 262 were aware of the school discipline policy. However, 46 student respondents were not aware of the policy and this number included 10 respondents who strongly disagreed with the point “school has a clear Discipline policy”. Of all the ‘other’ causes, poor leadership, bad manners of students and rapport among the staff and between administration and staff are found to be dominant causes of disciplinary issues in the school.
To be specific, “There is a lot of ego in the students especially class 7-11”(SR200), captains rule the school with poor understanding and harsh warnings which force students to go against them (SR156), anger and frustration are shown by some staff, leaders and students (SR 6,23), “poor leadership of the principal and inactive teachers” (SR8,215, 285), lack of encouragement (SR179), “misunderstanding by the teachers” (SR2017), students do not take school rules seriously (SR120,250), students are with bad attitudes (SR534, 9, 92, 93, 114, 124, 128, 142, 143, 152, 155, 289, 293), lack of motivation (Sr65, 219, 246), staff fails to understand students and their problems (SR17), students use of substances (Sr24, 101, 179), lack of counseling from the school counsellor (SR185), judging students based on looks and only focusing on the toppers (SR155) and wrong selection of school leaders. SR216 said that “language policy and while selecting the captain, other than school captain I think school should take into consideration their past record or history”. Further as per SR44, teachers are not showing a good example but are consuming alcohol and loitering on the road. Further as per SR168, “school is only looking for performance, pride and recognition in media and appreciation for their own benefit not for the students”.
To delve with the disciplinary issues certain policy, action or practice is practised. The practices includes punishing students right away, sharing the policy online for all the pupil to read and follow, pasting discipline policy of the notice boards, warning students sternly, calling parents or guardians for the intervention, taking students to the temples, orderly warning the students, rusticating the students and providing punishment which are support by 35%, 30.8%, 28.8%. 15%. 1.9%. 30.8%. 65.4%. 1.9%, 65.4% and 1.9% of the teacher respondents. Among all calling parents or guardians and providing orderly warning were seen prominent with 65.4% of the teacher respondents supporting it. Contrary, rusticating students, taking students to the temples and giving corporal punishments is rare with one respondent each clicking on the points. For the student respondents, at Peljorling Higher Secondary School, punishment includes canning, cleaning the school area (3 respondents), cleaning the school area as responded 45 respondents. Further, SR 10 and SR48 said that students are warned whereas SR10 and SR14 said that the students are given ‘just waring and statement to write”. Significantly, as per SR34, “Detention works for a specified hour as per the discipline policy’ are given to the students.
Figure 3
Other punishments listed by the students respondents are writing an statement as stated by Student respondent 1,14, 51, 9, 36, 4, 40, 41 and 50, giving warnings as said by respondents 2,8 and 30, and giving works (SR 25, SR34, cleaning (SR11, SR17, SR18, SR20, SR42, SR49, SR32, SR24, SR24, SR27), grass cutting (SR29, SR37, SR52, SR5, SR41), counselling (SR23, SR45, SR7), informing parents (SR13, SR30), writing imposition (SR21, SR47, SR31), Postration and frog jump (SR31), However, SR13 had no idea and SR33 said “I don’t see much”. Similarly, as per the students the school make the students with the disciplinary issue clean school area which was supported by 86% of the student respondents. However 5.2% experienced caning.
These punishments are given by various personalities. 61.5 % of the student respondents said that the teachers are allowed to punish the students, where as 30.8% said the only the head of the school can punish the students. However, 15.5% of the respondents said that students’ leaders punish the students. However, 26.9% of the respondents still believes that there is no practices of giving punishments in the school. However, as per 73.1% of the respondents, students with disciplinary issues are punished though their punishment and the punisher varies. However, 26.9% of the teacher respondents said that there is no punishment in the school, though 61.5% of the teacher respondents selected teachers, 30.8 selected ‘head of the school only’ and 13.5% selected ‘student leaders’.
Figure 4
Students’ discipline and academic performance are found to be related with 218 student respondents supporting the statement which includes 41 strongly agreeing and 177 agreeing and 69 disagreeing and 21 strongly disagreeing with the mentioned statement. Students listed in the records of the discipline committee of PHSS are found to be either good or not good at academic. 37 student respondents strongly agreed and 129 agreed that indiscipline students do not perform well in their academics whereas 111 disagreed and 31 strongly disagreed the point. Though the respondents disagreeing is less the variation is less with 166 agreeing and 142 disagreeing. Among these, females with disciplinary issues are found to be better with academics that the males. 42 strongly agreed and 120 agreed the statement and 115 disagreed and 31 strongly disagreed the point.
Students and teachers inclusive of the discipline committee members had different say over the level of discipline in the school. Teachers inclusive of the Discipline Committee members were satisfied with the condition of the discipline where as some students were against it. According to S1 and S3, they are not happy with the level of discipline of the school since students are rebellious and trouble maker and some teachers are lenient and corrupt. S1 said, “I’m not happy with the level of discipline that is in the school. we have many students that are very naughty and that misbehave in school … Even people who are supposed to be on the administrative side or supposed to help with the discipline some of them also I find corrupt…”. S1 who was not happy rated 2.5 out of 5 and S2 who was happy rated 3. Further, the teachers who were satisfied said, “I think I am well satisfied with the teachers but at the same time I also see there are certain room for improvement for our students”(DT1). Further DT2 said “…, I would rather say that I am towards highly satisfied because till now there is no such record of students committing serious crime…”. As per the words of two participants, though there aren’t serious issues or crimes, there are disciplinary issues in the school. Thus, the condition of the discipline in the school is not good.
The common disciplinary issues are common for the three groups. All the student and teacher respondents mentioned bunking and missing classes to be the major ones. Other issues include abusing substances (S1, S4), improper uniform (S6), teasing, absenteeism and punctuality (DT1, DT3). To add on S1 said that students chew tobacco and fight during the class hours “when the teachers are teaching”. Significantly the cause of disciplinary issues in the school are students getting bored in the school and lack of interest in studies (S5), poor rapport among students and between students and teachers, teachers and administration being bias (S1) and lenient (S3). S7 explained on the rapport where he/ she said.
These kind of disciplinary issues are mostly created when students and teachers don’t have a good relationship among themselves. The teachers do not try to understand the students property sometimes some of the students, they’re going through a lot of family problems and to get away from those they try those unhealthy activities. So teachers should try to understand the students properly sometimes.
When it comes to the indiscipline in uniform, it is either for fashion or due to their financial background. On it, S6 said, “…I am one of those because last time I couldn’t afford to buy shoes and my family was going through a financial problem, so I had to buy on credit…” Significantly, the inactiveness of teachers is another cause. All students agreed that the substitute teachers sit in the class but do not monitor the classes, which encourages some of the students to use substances inside the class. Thus, the indiscipline in the school is because of the staff and students.
Students with disciplinary issues are given punishments for improvement. The list of punishments mentioned by the teacher and student respondents differed. The punishments mentioned by the student participants are Planks ‘yangbub’, brute-force, cleaning and grass cutting, whereas the discipline committee members mentioned the positive disciplining such as giving warnings and advices, writing statements and apology letters, parents’ intervention, cancelling the boarding seats and forwarding to the counsellor. These punishments are found to be beneficial for the students. For instance, T1 and T2 said that these punishments limits students problematic behaviours by not allowing them to repeat. This is further seen helping students stay focused on their goals and also in creating a safe environment for the students.
Further, Discipline Committee in the school plays a vital role in craving disciple in the school. AS per DT4, issues are solved and sanctions are provided as per the discipline policy by the committee but before that captains, class teachers, matron and warden take the responsibility in managing the disciplinary issues where as Discipline committee act as “the final judger type or we give judgement at the final only” (DT2). Student participants had the concept of the Discipline committee. For instance, S8 said, …”the main purpose if it is to maintain the manners and discipline of our school so that we can create a friendly environment for everyone including teachers In our school to learn and teach and develop better” However, all student respondents agreed that the discipline committee has to be more vigilant and has to explore more around the school to find and correct students misbehaving.
School’s location is found to be a cause of deviant behaviour in the school. S1 said, “.. it is very accessible for the students but I feel like it has also let many cases of bunking from class. Students find it very easy to just go out of the school and just go home because the school is very close to their homes”. Similarly, the Discipline committee and the teachers had similar say over the location of the school. For instance, DT2 said, “Even the school location of the school determines the students’ discipline…just like because of the temperature and because of the neighbouring states, students… are rough and tough by their nature”. DT1 pointed out having ‘free excess to the boarding towns’ to be a cause since it allows students to ‘get excess to the wanted as well as the unwanted things, the banned drugs which are illegal in our country are easily and cheapy available …in the bordering towns”. Further, the respondents pointed out the mix of multiple culture to be another cause. Among all, there are a few emerging issues that need to be addressed currently in the school. Among all the issues and the students in the school, senior students are found vulnerable to the law. According to DT1, some students get into physical relationships conflicting with the law of the country.
It is ensured that the students and teachers are made clear and agreeable to the rules and regulations of the school. As per DT6, the school refers to the policy of other schools and it is finalised with the staff. Later the points are shared in the assembly and a printed copy is pasted in the class and school’s notice board. Further, class teachers are given the duty to explain every point in the class making the students understand every sanction and points (DT5).
These school rules and regulations contribute to disciplining the students in the school. According to T7 and T8, school rules and regulations help both teachers and students to be punctual and organised which further helps set academic goals. Further, she pointed out that it helps students refrain from disruption and be obedient and responsible towards their life and develop a healthy teaching and learning environment and rapport between the students and the teachers.
School rules and regulations not only contribute to disciplining students and teachers but also influence academic performance. Students be they big or small, poor or rich, it gets convenient for the teachers to teach and students to experience harmony among themselves because of the discipline in the school (DT3). However, students with disciplinary issues are found with variances in their academic performance. According to DT1, “…not all the children who have disciplinary issues are poor in academics”. Further, the respondents added, “… discipline can be a greater factor in making children achieve better in the academics although like we see a mix of students coming up in our policy like whenever we are providing some sanctions, we deal with students who are good performers as well as weak performers”. Student respondents had similar say. The disciplinary issues in students are found to be affecting their academic performance of the students. According to S4, students with issues are demotivated and are not reinforced by the teachers. Further, they are pressured leading to a fall in their academic performance.
Further according to T5 and T6, lack of discipline interferes with the teaching and learning process and it helps students to stay focused on their goals. Further, when they work hard for their goals they do not get involved in ill activities. Thus, the discipline of the students and the academic process and performance are interconnected.
For T8, school discipline is seen to be a tool that develops the rapport between the teacher and students, thereby developing a safe learning environment that further helps both teachers and students to set their goals, inclusive to academic goals. T11 said, Yes, it also affects the academic performance of the students. As a fact mannered and disciplined children are good performers and achievers whereas children with discipline problems are low achievers. So, shortage of teachers affects both the discipline as well as academic performance of the students.
For T9 there is a correlation between the shortage of teachers and academic performance and not with the shortage of teachers and discipline.
School management ensures that school orders are implemented. To ensure the implementation of the orders, the school management monitors the School Discipline committee. According to DT2 the school management “decentralised all the roles and responsibilities need to be carried out in the school”. Further, School Performance rating, Monitoring of students on rent and management supporting the initiative of teachers and counsellor are what ensure order in the school.
School leadership also influences school discipline. According to DT4, “if the leader is good… the followers will be well disciplined”. Similarly, the leaders of Peljorling Higher Secondary ensures the fairness of the policy and the punishments given to the students with issues (DT3). Significantly, DT1 said that at PHSS, “…in the same school we have seen the shift in the discipline like when the certain principal came in and simply announced that there should be no discipline committee and there was a huge shift in students’ discipline”. This was agreed by all the Discipline committee members. S1 said that class teachers influence the discipline of the students and to pillar it he shared his personal experiences with his previous and the present class teachers, we had a class teacher was not that very strict and most of the students, my classmates would argue with her, not listening to her and shout and they tend to fight and sleep and bunk but currently tour class teacher is little strict and most of the students listen to him and they always respect him. We have class teacher not that very strict, not that very lenient. If A teacher that is perfect, might help students’ little bit.
For S1 teachers with specific roles are doing ‘very well’ and ‘teachers are more mature’ since they understand the necessities for students’ development and growth but students leaders need be looked upon. Similarly, S2 mentioned the conflict between the real and the vice captains is at rise. Further, S2 mentioned that Captains are found punishing their fellow mates. All student respondents agreed that the work and the punishments given by the captains must be known by the teachers and the school administration. However, S1 said that the power of punishing students must be given to the non-teaching staff since ‘students feel comfortable misbehaving around’ them. T9 and T11 had a different say over it. T9 said that ‘student leaders are taking the lead role in controlling the disciplinary issues of their mates…there is no harm in punishing students with disciplinary issues and T11 said that “student leaders are briefed by administration and SSS regarding how they should carry on their responsibilities. And I believe that they are doing their duty well without forcing others to create disciplinary issues in the process of doing their duty.
Inactive staff and poor leadership are said to be eminent causes of disciplinary issues in the school. One reason is seen to be staff’s welfare since 59.6% of respondents said that they are free, 23.1% said that they’re very free but 17.3% said that they’re not free to express issues related to staff welfare. Further, T7 and T8 said that inactive staff and poor leadership are said to be “an eminent causes of disciplinary issues in the school. This is because it leads to poor communication, delaying issues, maintaining a safe school environment, providing adequate student supervision and working effectively with the parents (T7).
The records maintained by the Discipline committee members were used. For the year 2022, the committee had dealt with six students. One each from class VIII, IX and X and three from class XII. Out of three class XII students, one dropped before the trail examination. For the analysis, the trail result was analysed since majority of the offenders appeared for their trail examination, except for one class IX students. Out of four students, two students passed and 2 failed. Further, their mean marks was 66.3, min 52.8 and max 77.9. Though, the standard deviation was 12.6, the number of students performing well was in line with the number of students who did not perform well. Significantly, all the six offenders were males.
Thus, the records maintained by the Discipline committee for the year 2021 was used. Palpably, at Peljorling Higher Secondary school the relationship between indiscipline and low academic performance was found in the year 2021. As per the records of the Discipline Committee (2021), there were 78 students with the disciplinary issue which included 50 boys and 28 girls from classes seven till twelve. Considering the result analysis of the Annual Examination by the Academic department (2021), out of 78 students with the record of disciplinary issues, 41 students failed. Significantly, the number of boys with disciplinary issues were more than the girls with 64.1% boys and 35.9% girls.
Among the students with disciplinary issues, 12 were girls and 29 boys (58% boys and 42.8% girls). Further the mean mark and standard deviation for girls were better with 66.67 mean mark and 8.1 standard deviation. Whereas for boys, mean mark was 58.5 and standard deviation was 9.5. Thus, the analysis of 2021’s discipline and academic record proved that the students with indiscipline records performed lower than the students without any. Among those, the boys were found to have performed lower than the girls.
Then, considering the records maintained by the Discipline Committee for the year 2021 and 2022, it is evident that the disciplinary issues are found more in boys. Thus, the rapport between the discipline and the academic performance of students is distinguished.
The discipline of students of classes VII-XII are influenced by certain factors. The factors include the role and responsibilities of the school administration, staff, and the students themselves. According to the research conducted the discipline of the school is not good due to the attitude of the students which is affected by the geographical location of the school, the inactiveness of the students and school leaders, the lack of guidance by parents and guardians, inactiveness of the discipline committee, partiality among students by few teachers, students staying in rent without parents or guardians, inactive e-log system, lack of rapport between students and teachers, among teachers and students.
Indiscipline among students is seen more in male than female students. According to the records of the discipline Committee (2022), students on their list included boys. Further, for the year 2021, the Discipline Committee recorded 64.1% boys and 35.9% girls.
Discipline has a moderate positive relationship with, and accounts for variance in academic performance of classes VIII-XII students of Peljorling Higher Secondary School in Samtse, Bhutan. Some students with disciplinary issues have achieved better academic results compared to students without any. For instance, one student with frequent disciplinary issues is the level topper. Further, the mean mark for the year 2021 was 61.5 out of 100 but the standard deviation was 9.8. Though the mean mark was above 60 the deviation was high. Further, 18.75% of the students with disciplinary scored above 70%, 46.25 % of students scored above 60% and 92.5 % of the students scored above 45%. However, the fail percentage for those students was 51.25. Thus, the discipline has a moderate relationship with academic performance.
Significantly, indiscipline is more in male students than in females. For the year 2022, the Discipline Committee of Peljorling Higher Secondary School had only male students in their records but for the year 2021, 35.9% were girls, which is 28.2% lesser than the boys. Additionally, the academic performance of female students with disciplinary issues was found to be better than male students. Thus, it is evident that female students are having lesser disciplinary issues than boys and their academic performance is better as well.
Copyright: © 2023 Cheku Dorji and Chimi Dema. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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