THE EFFECTS OF INDISCIPLINE ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Discipline, according to Jemibewon (1976) is a highly desirable quality of human being or social group.  Discipline behavior is accepted as essential characteristics of any educated or cultured person.  Discipline, therefore, is a subject of great concern to parents, teachers, and administrators who are interested in the moulding of the character of young people.

In Nigeria, there appears to be a great concern about the lack of indiscipline in schools, in offices and among people in public sectors.  However, the problem of widespread indiscipline among primary school pupils and post primary schools is very clearly noticed.  Every year serious cases of rioting, arsons, damages to school property occur in several post-primary schools and universities.  In spite of the extreme cases of indiscipline that attract newspapers headlines, there are routine cases of truancy, disobedience, absenteeism, drug-abuse, fighting and other example of indiscipline in the classroom which do not appear or are reported in the Newspapers.  From indiscipline among the students, it has attracted much more attention than indiscipline among members of staff.  Parents blame teachers for the indiscipline among school children and teachers blame parents, government and school administrators for the indiscipline in the society.  Nigeria like any other nation wants to live in peace and harmony with their fellow country people regardless of their various ethnic groups and religious affiliation.  Today, education has contributed and attracted increased government’s attention among other priorities.  However, if these objectives are to be achieved, discipline must be maintained in our school system since learning and teaching cannot effectively take place under a threatened atmosphere.  But today, acts of indiscipline: riot, vandalism, lawlessness and the break down of law and order has become a way of life of our present school system.  What then could be responsible for these acts of indiscipline in our school system?  Identification of these factors is urgent if Nigeria is to achieve her goals in the committee of nations.

1.2. Statements of Problem

          A research conducted by Oloruntimehire (1974) on the causes of indiscipline, in post primary schools revealed that indiscipline in Nigerian schools had been a running sore in the educational system of this country.  Indiscipline in our system had continued to persist in spite of the series of warnings from the Heads of State and concerned Nigerian that discipline should be maintained in the school system.  Thus a number of measures that were adopted, such as closing down riot schools, suspension or dismissal of ring-leaders and the mass transfer of teacher in such school have not yielded any good results.

          The question therefore is; who is to blame, the teachers or the peer-group or the home or the students?

          Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the causes of indiscipline among Primary School pupils or students.  The following questions have been addressed; whether:

1. Socio-economic background had any significant influence on students’ indiscipline.
2. School administration had any significant influence on students’ indiscipline.
3. Societal morals have any influence on school discipline.
4. The pressure on paper qualification has influenced school discipline.
5. The peer-group has influence school discipline.

1.3. Objectives of the Study

          The main objective of this research therefore is as follows:  To know

1. The extent to which home background/socio-economic status influence discipline in schools.
2. The influence of peer-groups on discipline of primary school pupils.
3. The extent to which the pressure on paper qualification influences school discipline.
4. Whether societal morals have significant influence on school discipline.
5. School administration has great influence on school discipline.

This research is based on the following assumptions:

1. That is the nation that will lose if indiscipline in schools is allowed to continue unabated.
2. Indiscipline is a feature of our school system.
3. That no learning takes place under anarchic condition.
4. That the Phenomena is generally hated by well meaning Nigerians.
5. That the solution of these problems will enhance and increased educational achievement and output.

1.4. Research Hypotheses

          The research hypotheses for the study are as follows:

1. There is a significant difference between student from higher socio-economic groups and those from lower groups in terms of academic achievement.
2. There is a significant relationship between students discipline and their peer-group.
3. The students discipline is significantly related to the school administration.
4. There is relationship between the students discipline and societal morals.
5. There is significant relationship between influence of paper qualifications and students discipline.

1.5. Significance of the Study

          As a developing nation, if Nigeria is to achieve fame and progress in all field of human endeavour, proper attention should be given to the instilling of the act of discipline in our present school system.  Any nation invariably depends on the type of youths she is able to produce.  Thus, if the causal factors are identified, we would be able to know what measure that could be applied in order to solve the problem; or reduce it to a minimum.  Since indiscipline has similar causes it is certain that other institutions of learning will adopt some of the proposal embodied in this study.

          Thus the outcome of this research may equally be of benefit to both the parents, teachers and government.  Consequently, if the standard of education of our youth were improved as a result of the eradication of indiscipline in our primary and post primary schools, the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians in socio-political as well as scientific and technological field may be realized.

1.6. Delimitation and Limitation of the Study

          Based on the anticipated significance of this research topic, the area of study ought to have covered the entire Local Government Area.  However, because of some limitations, the project is limited to random sampled area in Igueben Local Government Area in Edo State.  The administrative capital of this council is at Igueben and other important towns in the area are Ebelle, Amahor, Egbeki, Ekpon and Igueben.  Thus, the scope of this study is limited to the causes of indiscipline in primary schools.

Definition of Terms

          For the purpose of this study, the terms given below have the meaning attached to them:

Discipline:         Educating learners to behaved normally and in accordance with the accepted rules and regulation of a society.

Indiscipline:      Indiscipline is a deviance from the normal rules and regulations and norms of the society or schools.

Education system:     Agencies and individuals who contribute in one-way or the other to the process of learning in the society.