Management of student discipline and academic performance in selected secondary schools in Arua district,Uganda

Abstract

This study is aimed at investigating "Student Discipline and Academic Performance in Selected Secondary Schools in Arua District". The objectives were to: examine the management indicators of student discipline in schools in Arua district, examine the impact of the discipline management on students' academic performance and find strategies of improving discipline among students in selected secondary schools in Arua district. A total of 12 schools (seven Government aided and five privately owned schools) in Arua district were selected and data collected on these schools. A cross sectional research design tool was preferably used in which representative samples of 100 participants across the population of teachers, students, administrators and parents were involved. The study established that student discipline is regulated through roll calls, close monitoring of school attendance by teachers and parents to a greater extent. This must be supported by the administrators for the students to perform well. In addition, extra-curricular activities tended to have control over the student behavior. It is noted that schools which support extra-curricular activities tended to do well in National examinations. Finally, the study recommended the following in order for school administration to improve discipline: recognize acceptable classroon1 norms with rewards and punish unacceptable norms, keep manageable enrolment for easy class control and discipline management, pay attention to control environmental factors such as carefully rewarding negative learner behavior by teachers minimizes case of indiscipline in the school and substituting corporal punishment with other strategies that can make the learner discover himself or herself to change positively.