Discipline in Secondary Schools

Section 1: Introduction 1. 1 Background of the Study The schools and other educational institutions today are facing large problems regarding the issue on the students’ lack of self discipline resulting to under-achievements of the students in the school as well as violence within the school premises. How close are these two issues related to each other? Mostly, the age-stage of which the student enters when he attends secondary school is ranged as the puberty stage of an individual’s growth.According to psychologists, this particular stage of growth introduces an individual to several major decisions that he has to face along the way towards his maturity. Hence, confusion of priorities and aggravation of depression through the environment occurs (Coon, 1999, 88). As reports could attest to this fact, it is not that hard to understand that there is an essential need of restructuring the procedures of the school when it comes to disciplining students who are attending se condary education. This is the reason why the researcher of this paper opted to discuss the issue mentioned.The timeliness of the research would indeed help in solving the problems at present especially with regards the issues of education, discipline and student achievements. 1. 2 Significance of the Problem The problem as mentioned earlier directly affects the achievements of the students in their schools. This means that because of the lack of discipline, the students of the secondary school level face the challenges of being misaligned when it comes to their focus and at some point become highly attracted to drugs and violence.This is the fact when it comes to school procedures. The actual reports that pertain to the said issue are indeed much disturbing and further more alarming to the institutional boards. As most of the schools affected by this dilemma are public educational institutions at [79%] whilst Private schools are affected by at least [45%], it is indeed necessary to identify the reasons behind the incidents that lead to students’ lesser interest in school and a higher rate of attraction towards drugs and violence.Through the proceedings of this particular research, it is expected that the reasons behind the ongoing issue in schools would be further regulated and controlled by institutional administrations through the use of psychological and psychosocial motivation. 1. 3 Research Questions To be bale to attend to the most important issues related to this particular problem, the researcher decided to use the following questions as guidelines for the completion of this particular study: †¢ What are the primary sources of the discipline of the students?Do those sources pertain to the personal or the social connection of the students to the society? †¢ How are students reacting to the discipline that they learn from their homes and from their environment? What are the elements that are so far affecting the vision of the students t owards their achievements in school as well as towards their future? †¢ How are drugs and violence related to the effects of lack of discipline among students? These particular questions shall serve as the primary foundation of the study.These questions shall be the settling ground of the researcher in finding the right sources for the completion of this paper as well as deciding on the right method to be used to collect actual data for the validation of this study. 1. 4 Purpose of the Study To add up to the stress that this study places on the topic to be discussed in this paper, the following presentation of the purposes would primarily support the existing statements of the problem to assist in the validation of the facts that are to be presented.The purposes of this study are: †¢ TO assist the ongoing researches on school students’ discipline issues and help the institutions solve the impending results of the said problems. †¢ To make assessments on how the issues could be investigated through the use of psychological assessments and actual-report-based evaluations of the situation. †¢ To strengthen the procedures of student motivation that is already currently used in schools in the society today.The utilization of these purposes within the completion of this study certainly helps in aligning the focus of the researcher. Hence, by doing so, the researcher expects that the focus would be on the cycle of events that involve The source of discipline, the results of the influential elements of the environment to the discipline of the students and the future of the students afterwards. Section 2: Literature Review 2. 1 What Psychology Says and how Anthropology Relates Both psychology and anthropology concentrate on the behavioral study of humans.Through the use of the said studies, the reasons behind the occurring behaviors of students in secondary school could be well identified. With regards the issue on discipline and how it affec ts the students, Psychologists claim that the situation is much controlled by the upbringing of the students. The original discipline that they receive from their homes are supposed to be the basis of why they act the way they do when they are already mingling with their peers or with the society as it is. (Coon, 1999, 89)Moreover, girls of the same age are differently reacting to the discipline that they receive from their homes compared to that of the boys. Anthropological studies attest to the claims of psychology as the said field of human understanding particularly points out the instance by which the discipline received by students from their homes are directly affected by the elements of the environment when they already begin to mingle with their peers or the society. As mentioned earlier, the effects vary.To young girls, the discipline that they receive from their homes are more likely more evident in their system of dealing with others as young girls are expected to be mor e emotionally and personally attached to the their families compare to that of the boys who are at some point more affected by the elements of change that they encounter in dealing with other people especially with their peers (Coon, 1999, 90). Knowing the sources of the discipline, it is essential to evaluate the claims of both psychology and anthropology through the use of the actual reports that are further presented for better understanding of the readers. .2 What Actual Reports Say Discipline is one primary element that is highly needed in schools, however, the irony pertains to the fact that it is also the primary element that is lacking in the said system of social connection at present. According to William, of Kenya, things have changed in this regard in Africa too. He said: â€Å"Discipline among the children is on the decline. When I was growing up [he is now in his 40’s], teachers ranked among the most respected people in African society. The teacher was always s een by young and old as a role model. This respect is on the decline.Western culture is slowly influencing young ones, even in rural Africa. Movies, videos, and literature depict lack of respect for authority as something heroic. † (Awake! 1999, 25) Giuliano, who teaches in Italy, laments: â€Å"Children are affected by the spirit of rebellion, insubordination, and disobedience that permeates the whole of society. † (Awake! 1999, 29) Sad to say, drugs have also become a problem in schools—so much so that U. S. teacher and author LouAnne Johnson writes: â€Å"Drug-abuse prevention is part of nearly every school curriculum, starting in kindergarten. Italics ours. ]Children know much more about drugs . . . than most adults do. † She adds: â€Å"Students who feel lost, unloved, lonely, bored, or insecure are most likely to experiment with drugs. †(2002, 51) Amira teaches in Guanajuato State, Mexico. She admits: â€Å"We face problems of violence and dr ug addiction in the family that directly affect the children. They are immersed in an environment in which they learn foul language and other vices. Another big problem is poverty. Although schooling here is free, the parents have to buy the notebooks, pens, and other materials.But food must come first. † (Johnson, 2002, 59) In the United States, recent shooting incidents at schools have highlighted that gun-related violence is not a minor problem in that land. One report states: â€Å"It is estimated that 135,000 guns are brought to the nation’s 87,125 public schools each day. To reduce the number of guns in schools, officials are using metal detectors, surveillance cameras, specially trained dogs to sniff out guns, locker sweeps, identification tags, and a prohibition against bringing book bags to school. (Teaching in America)Such security measures make one ask, Are we talking of schools or prisons? The report adds that more than 6,000 students have been expelled for taking guns to school. (Johnson, 2002, 29) 2. 3 Impact of the Reports and the Experts’ Claims As it could be noted above, the claims of the experts with regards the behavioral disposition of students in secondary schools are directly connected with the actual results of the reports that have been presented herein.The usage of this researches and reports within this study shall indeed help the researcher find the link between the experts’ analysis of the issue and further more relating it to how and why the actual reports on lack of discipline and violence in secondary schools occur. Section 3: Methodology The researches, reports and literatures that have been pre-reviewed in section two are among the primary sources of the informations that are to be found in this paper.Aside form this; the said researches would also be the primary basis of the methodology that shall be utilized by the researcher to validate the facts that have been presented earlier. As for this matt er, the researcher opts to choose survey analysis as an effective source of information on actual evaluation of students that could support both the psychological and anthropological studies that pertain to problem being tackled. 3. 1 Instrumentation and design The questionnaire prepared by the researcher is composed of 50 items that are subdivided into three subsections.The first section which would be 15 items, pertain to the family background of the students. This section shall help the researcher measure the discipline that the students receive from their parents and how that particular discipline impacted their lives in school as they grew older until reaching secondary school level. The second section is composed of 30 questions that are focused upon the social connection of the students with their peers, their teachers and other elemental factors in the society that may affect their behaviors towards their studies and their dealings in school.The third part is composed of fiv e personal questions that asks the students how they view discipline and how they would react to certain situations in school. This section would require the students to answer in paragraphs; while the other sections are multiple choices between (first section) frequently, seldom, never and the choices yes and no for the second part. 3. 2 Respondents The questionnaires are to ask for the gender of the respondents to be able to separate the results. The respondents are expected to be in their secondary school levels and the choosing of the said respondents is random.Whereas, the result would be a collection of opinions from students who are studying in different schools, making the study more factual and general in terms of population sampling. 2. 3 Gathering and Presenting Results To present the data collected through the survey, the results of are to be divided according to the gender of the respondents. The results are then to be calculated and evaluated through averaging method a nd shall be presented in tables and charts as well as diagrams followed by the explanations and analysis of the figures presented.Through this presentation, the researcher would be able to validate the results in a more effective manner for the completion of this proposed study. 2. 4 Expected Results It is expected that through the implementation and commencement of this study, a deeper understanding of the situation within secondary school level learning, would be derived. By being able to do so, it is also expected that the implementation of the suggested solution to the problems discussed through the context of this study be further applied in educational institutions.Section 4: Conclusion To be able to end the presentation of the problem being discussed in this paper, the researcher plans to present a five-point based summary that would help the readers understand the study deeply after reading the whole context of the research. From the said summarization of the whole idea that the paper deals with, the researcher further plans to give suggestions by which the school administrators could help motivate their students into becoming better individuals who are disciplined to reach their dreams towards the future.Through this study, the researcher further aims to establish a strong conclusion that validates the claim of psychological and anthropological studies that pertain to the reason behind the behavioral disorientation among students at their secondary level of learning. By doing so, the researcher plans to make the readers realize that the importance of discipline in keeping up with the changes of the society is indeed essentially factual for the students who are still attending secondary school as this will set the grounds for them, enabling them of reaching their dreams towards a brighter future for the said young learners.