THE EFFECT OF INDISCIPLINE IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

ABSTRACT

This research project aimed at investigating, the Effect of Indiscipline in Primary Schools (A Case Study of Selected Primary Schools in Ibadan South Local Government Area of Oyo State). This research project define indiscipline as lack of training which produce no self control and disorderliness which resulted in unruly behaviours.

The target population of this study comprises of all the teachers in the Primary Schools in Ibadan South Local Government of Oyo State.

However, only five primary schools were selected for the study.  The sample consists of One hundred (100) teachers in Ibadan South Local Government Area of Oyo State, twenty teachers were selected from each schools and this gives a total of One hundred (100) teachers. There are primary schools in Ibadan South    Local Government Area of Oyo State, but in view of time and rigour involved in touring, few schools are selected and they were selected through the random sampling techniques.  The study found that some of the factors affecting indiscipline include Parents, Teachers attitude to work and teachers relationship with students.

Teachers inadequate preparation for lessons, pupils attitude to learning, lateness of pupils or students to schools, peer group. Influence, broken homes, lack of parental care, low standard of education in the  society, unfavourable government policies, poor condition of services for teachers.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Indiscipline is a behavioural disorder that is classified as an act of delinquency. Just like, lying, stealing and playing truant or running away from home. It is often the cause of a lot of mental, emotional and also physical damage. Such as damage to property in homes as well as in schools. A child that is not disciplined can never be controlled and can do just about any damage when he or she does not get whatever he or she wants.

Pupils are priceless assets and most essential elements in education. It is absolutely necessary to direct pupils to exhibit acceptable attitude and behaviour within and outside the school. In an attempt to achieve an organized and peaceful school environment and maintain law and order, school management must have specifics rules and regulation to guide the activities of members of the educational organization. In actual sense, acts of indiscipline seem to have become a normal phenomenon in our everyday lives. For some example, the act of indiscipline is a sign of modernity, fashion and mascunity. Indiscipline in our world today does not reflect only in our way of dressing but also, our attitude towards life and our general ways of doing things.

Pupils’ discipline is a pre-requisite to almost everything a school has to offer pupils, Seifert and Vornberg (2002). Siefert and Vornberg further link, discipline to both the culture and climate of the school and they argued that “In order for a satisfactory climate to exist within a school a certain level of discipline must exist”. In schools where indiscipline is a serious problem, for example, where pupils bully others, parents can transfer their children to ‘better’ schools,  and because the well behaved usually perform well (Rigby, 2000) their transfer can affect the over all performance of that school.    

Pupils indiscipline seems to be ubiquitous in the 21st century in Nigerian Primary Schools. Child’s discipline is a part of socialization; with recent increase in school enrolment, pupils discipline problems are bound to accentuate and cause more burdens on teachers and school administrators and this had led to failure in primary schools. Inability of pupils to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behaviours makes pupils have problems and integrating within more disciplined environment resulting in resentment and further acceleration of the problem. Ultimately, it may become impossible to achieve adequate education, leading to difficulties in finding or maintaining a work placement or even fitting into society.

The issue of indiscipline has been a major concern to parents and those in the school community who suggest that disciplinary strategies be applied by teachers and that rapport must be created between pupils and teachers as a systematic way to solving the problems. Troubled pupils can sometimes make teachers react emotionally to the extent of using punishment. But punishment, instead of curbing behaviour, can aggravate it (Dreikurs et al 1998). In the work of McManus (1995): Punishment does not discourage misbehaviour but rather reinforces the pupils view of adults as treacherous.  

1.2              STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The rate of failure in primary schools in Ibadan South Local Government Area of Oyo State is alarming. This manifestation arises as a result of all forms of negative behaviour that fill the atmosphere of the community. Standard of discipline has gradually gone down and the society or community can be partially blamed for this decline, while the citizens care to be blamed for not fighting against it. Moral and spiritual values  have been shunned by the society all in the name of modernity and technology and as such our societies seem to have lost track of the essence of a disciplined life. As regard this, the research work seeks to find the effects of indiscipline in some primary schools in Ibadan South Local Government Area of Oyo State.

1.3              SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant, in a number of ways, firstly, the study is invaluable and would serve as eye opener for parents, who have the primary responsibilities of turning their children and wards into useful citizen of the society. Also, the study would spell out the causes and effects of indiscipline to guardians, teachers  and the general public who hold the responsibility of moulding the characters of children that will eventually take the society to a greater height.

Cooperate bodies like Non-Governmental Organizations, welfare homes and lost other will also benefit from the findings of this research work since it will serve as a reference material which can be easily referred to as at when needed.

1.4              PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to establish the effects of indiscipline in Ibadan Local Government Area of Oyo State.

1.5              RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions are possed for the study:

What are the causes of indiscipline in Primary School in Ibadan South Local Government? What are the effects of indiscipline in Primary School in Ibadan South Local Government? What are the duties of the agents of change? How can the problem of indiscipline be eradicated?

1.6              LIMITATION TO THE STUDY

This research work is supposed to cover all Primary Schools in Ibadan South Local Government Area of Oyo State. This cannot be accomplished due to the inaccessibility of some schools, caused by their geographical location. Some other problems encountered are: non challant attitude of most of the respondents and lack of adequate fund to carry out the research work.

1.7              OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

INDISCIPLINE: As it was used in the study, it simply means lack of control in the behaviour of a child or  group of pupils.

PRIMARY SCHOOL: Primary school is the fundamental formal training given to children of a prescribed age group in an institution.

EFFECT: Effect is the physical and behavioural state of a system that results, from an action. It is also a change to a conditioned behaviour.