THE IMPACT OF INDISCIPLINE ON SECONDARY STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Our society is made up of several organizations, each with its own set of objectives. None of these, however, would be accomplished without sufficient discipline. They all have a set of rules and regulations that all members of the organization are supposed to follow, and if they do not, punishments are enforced on the workers to discipline them appropriately. The same may be said about educational institutions. In order for genuine learning to take place, schools must maintain discipline. Mbiti (2007:83) defines discipline as a moral aptitude or inclination that, when imprinted in the human potential, develops into a powerful habit of self-control. As a result, discipline entails the formation of an informed conscience as an integral element of a person's identity. According to Jeng (2011), it comprises a person's mind and character training that leads to self-control and a habit of compliance. Students go to school primarily for the purpose of receiving a decent education. Only when schools are disciplined can students receive a good education. In education, discipline is the most important issue. Teachers, parents, students, and the general public all place discipline at the top of their concerns, according to Soet (2005), citing Charles (1981). Teachers rank discipline at the top because it affects learning, their emotional lives, and it outweighs all other factors combined in determining a teacher's success. Jeng (2011) instructs students to recognize that one of the most basic features of a human being in school, at home, and across the globe is discipline. Stakeholders agree that maintaining school discipline is a high priority since knowledge cannot be acquired without character. "Perception of the reasons of indiscipline among students in secondary schools," Soet (2005) said in his study. It is the one aspect of learning that everyone anticipates and desires. Most educators feel that discipline is the one factor that may make or destroy a school, since without it, even the best efforts of a teacher could be wasted. Discipline is viewed in a variety of ways by various people. For some people, discipline is synonymous with taking precautions. This style, according to Okumbe (1998), tries to take preventative steps and might take the form of advice or explaining values and regulations to students. Padilla (2012), a seasoned speaker who leads parent seminars for California school systems, agrees that it is a positive method that promotes and rewards good conduct rather than penalizing negative behavior. Others saw discipline as a kind of punishment, as Mbiti (2007) points out, with proponents of the old system believing that physical punishment was a vital deterrent to a child's wrongdoing inclinations. Wilson (2000) shares this viewpoint. He points out that, despite the fact that it is an unpleasant line to walk, any parent who wants to prevent their son from bullying their younger sister, or any honest teacher who wants to ensure that the weaker students in school are not bullied, knows that such a line must be crossed from time to time. Education and Manpower, Session Paper No. 6 of 1988 All schools are classified as either public or private by training. The government provides financial assistance to public schools. In this framework, all public schools are expected to be built with the necessary facilities and personnel to meet the rising demand for high-quality education. Aside from this sessional document, the administration has suggested various plans to boost education levels in the country. Despite the regulations and numerous sessional papers put in place by the government to provide high-quality education, Nigerian educational institutions have been plagued by incidences of student discontent and indiscipline. Indiscipline is the deliberate failure to obey a society's laws and regulations. It is strongly ingrained not only in Kenyan schools, but also regionally and worldwide. The task force on student discipline and unrest in secondary schools (Wangai report, 2001) found that educational institutions have seen an increase in occurrences of student discontent. Learner indiscipline has been a hot topic worldwide and locally for a long time. Khanbab (2010), for example, argues that India's schools and colleges have devolved into a haven for indiscipline to the point that tests must be administered with the assistance of the police. He attributes it all to students' bad study habits, inept professors, and political leaders who push students to rebel against the government. Bullying is a prevalent and potentially harmful type of violence among children, according to recent study in the United States, which not only damages the intended victims and offenders, but also chills the school atmosphere, harming all kids' capacity to learn to the best of their abilities (Limber and Nation, 1997). West African countries have not been spared either. According to Kwajo (2011), two students from Shama senior high school in Ghana were suspended for watching pornography on campus on March 13th, 2011. The students had downloaded the pornographic files into their mobile phones, and as a result, were given an internal suspension with hard labor. On the 18th of June 2011, outraged students at Wesley girls' senior high school protested fiercely over sexual approaches made to the females by certain male instructors at the school. They were sent back to their homes (Kwajo, 2011). This research, on the other hand, aims to reveal the rate of indiscipline in Nigerian secondary schools, as well as the impact it has on students' performance.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Indiscipline is the act of breaking established norms and acting immorally, whereas discipline is the act of being morally upright, adhering to all regulations meticulously, and respecting a higher authority. Secondary schools in Nigeria are rife with indiscipline students, who now perceive civilization as a justification to act immorally. Young men now sag their trouser legs and paint their hair, while young women droop and wear scant clothing that shows sensitive body parts (Okumbe, 1998). School, as defined, is a formal setting in which knowledge is acquired, but this is not the case in most Nigerian schools. Formal means properly arranged, rightly structured, which means that for something to be formal, there must be a rule that guides the people involved, a dress code, and a time to resume and close for the day. All of these qualities are now missing in schools nowadays, especially in Nigerian public schools, where students threaten to beat up their teachers after school.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary goal of this study is to determine the impact of indiscipline on secondary school students' performance in Nigeria. The following are the exact goals that this study is pursuing:

i. To determine the primary reasons of student indiscipline.

ii. To see if any constructive measures have been put in place to combat indiscipline.

iii. To determine the role of parents in assisting their children in being disciplined.

iv. To determine the rate at which indiscipline affects Nigerian secondary school students.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What are  the primary reasons of student indiscipline?

ii. What are the  constructive measures been put in place to combat indiscipline?

iii. What are  the roles of parents in assisting their children in being disciplined?

iv. What is  the rate at which indiscipline affects Nigerian secondary school students?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study added to the body of information about the particular reasons of indiscipline among secondary school students. It also revealed the type of the indiscipline that was going to emerge as a result of these causes. The research was crucial in terms of identifying constructive approaches to improve discipline. Teachers frequently punished students without taking into account what caused them to transgress; they seldom attempted to comprehend the underlying reason. By focusing on these aspects, they will be able to better understand and interact with their students. It may also help parents keep track on their children's movements and associations in order to guide them toward becoming responsible adults. They are in a better position to ensure their children's decent upbringing.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study focuses on a few secondary schools in Nigeria's federal republic.

1.7   DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study will focus on a few states in Nigeria, however the researcher will face challenges due to the restricted time allotted for the research as well as a lack of funding to support the effort.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

INDISCIPLINE: the act of disregarding established rules and acting immorally.

DISCIPLINE: to be morally upright, to carefully observe all regulations, and to respect a higher authority.

ACADEMIC: anything related to education .

PERFORMANCE: a student's achievement of his or her academic objective.

STUDENTS: someone who is learning or studying in a formal context with the intention of achieving a certain objective.

SECONDARY SCHOOL: a school that is between elementary school and college.