EAD5004

PENTADBIRAN INSTITUSI PENDIDIKAN

(ADMINISTRATION OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS)
Student Discipline
Management
- Acts, circulars and regulations
- Model of discipline management
- Prevention in disciplinary management
 Student Discipline
Management

Ask any teacher, whether newly employed or

experienced what his/her biggest problem with
student is and he/she will certainly answer
discipline and classroom control (Mbithi, 1974)
• What is discipline?
– the business of enforcing simple classroom rules that facilitate
learning and minimize disruption (Jones, 1979)
– a system of guiding the individuals to make reasonable decision
responsibly (Were, 2006)
– readiness or ability to respect authority and observe
conventional or established laws of the society or any other
organisation. It can also be defined as the means by which
children are trained in orderliness, good conduct and the habit of
getting the best of themselves (Adesina, 2009)
 Types of discipline

• External discipline
– An external imposition of restrictions and restraints on a person,
backed by some sanctions (Mensah, 2009)
– May often meet with opposition
– A means to achieve a higher level of discipline, namely, self-
discipline
– Promotes the development of the moral sense
• Self-discipline / internal discipline / free discipline
– It involves teaching someone that they are ultimately in charge of
their own actions and that they have a responsibility to
themselves and others / requires “inner” motivation
 What would you consider a
discipline problem?

1) Undermining teacher authority

2) Spacing-out or sleeping in class
3) Frequent absences/tardiness
4) Food and cell phone disruptions
5) Plagiarism or lying
6) Disrespectful behavior
7) Refusal to participate
8) Too much chit-chat

Gerald Amada, Coping With Misconduct in the College Classroom (1999)

 What would you consider a
discipline problem in Malaysia?

• The 2003 circular

• spelled out the kind of punishment that can be meted out in
accordance with the severity of the offence
• prohibits corporal punishment of female students. Corporal
punishment for boys is limited to blows with a light cane on the
palm of the hand or on the buttocks over the clothes, and can
be done only by the head teacher or any staff member
• The circular also categorises offences as "heavy", "medium" and
"light“
• For heavy or serious offences, offenders are given up to three
strokes of a light cane on their buttocks. The offences include
threatening teachers or students, taking or distributing drugs,
bullying, peeping (insulting the modesty of others) and distributing
pornography.
Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bil. 7/2003
 What would you consider a
discipline problem in Malaysia?

• Those who commit moderate or medium offences can be caned

up to three times on their palms. These offences comprise abuse of
school facilities, cheating at examinations or leaving school without
permission.
• Those who commit light offences Warnings will be issued for
misdemeanours like playing in the classroom, keeping beards or
goatees, failing to bring certain books to school or failing to be
present in class. The student should also undergo counselling.
• Corporal punishments should be kept in a confidential form
approved by the registrar, and that caning cannot be carried out in
public.

Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bil. 7/2003

 What Are the Causes of
Classroom Discipline Problems?

• Lack of parental involvement

• Lack of discipline management strategies among
educators
• Poor relationship between educators and learners
• Educators as poor role models
• Unjustified school rules
• An authoritarian leadership style
• Lack of motivation of learners

Jim Mtsweni (2008)

 Types of punishment

• Use verbal reprimands instead of threats -- a soft reprimand

should be one of the first types of punishment a teacher should
use to deal with any problem in the school or class.
• Give extra assignment -- make a student hate the subject and
spoil his/her progress??
• Detention -- should inform the parents of the child in advance
and this is not easy where communication is poor
• Corporal punishment (physical penalty) -- provides a model for
aggressive behaviour
• Suspension – discourage self-discipline and showed harsh
treatment of students who are suspended

Henry L. N. Onderi and Florence Y. Odera (2012)

 Organizing a School
Discipline Team
• to assist the school administration in developing and reviewing the school discipline policy;
• to advise on, plan, and review discipline measures
Administration

• to implement school discipline policy and measures;

• to handle discipline-related matters;
• to develop and manage the discipline team and related groups such as student prefects
Operation

• to support other teaching staff in the management of students’ behavior problems and
planning of preventive work;
• to co-ordinate the support services of school social workers, the police and other agencies;
Support • to offer consultation on parent training activities
 Effective discipline

Gaining the support

• Define the direction and goal of the school discipline work
of the school • Provide effective administrative support on discipline work
administration

Adopting a
democratic • Consideration of views collected from teachers, students and
parents on new initiatives before implementation
consultative
approach

Works in close • Every teacher is responsible for managing students with

behaviour problems and enforcing the school discipline policy
collaboration with • The discipline teachers serve as resource persons to support,
other functional monitor and co-ordinate the service system.
• Every teacher plays an important role in the system.
teams
 Effective discipline

• Develop a set of comprehensive and clear procedures for

Setting up clear enforcing discipline.
disciplinary • Specify how and what follow-up actions should be taken
so that all teachers would handle discipline
procedures • Discipline handbooks for teachers

• Students need to have their successes recognized and

awarded
Making good use • develop a system to recognize and encourage positive
and self-disciplined behaviour among students
of reward systems • activities like the merit point system and a model student
award
 A team-work approach

School The subject The form The guidance

The parents
administration teachers teachers team
• Communication • The front-line • Maintain a close • Helping • Help the
between the workers in the and frequent students learn students,
leader of the delivery of good contact with and develop through
discipline team quality discipline their students appropriate guidance
and school service and their values and activities, to
administrator. • Have a good parents behavior maximize their
• Understand knowledge of • Look after not • Are consulted potential to
clearly the their students’ only the school discipline improve and
objectives and character, academic needs policy through accept the
operation of the strengths and of the students consultation and consequence of
discipline team - weaknesses but also their communication their behavior
- can give good personal growth • Students are
advice and such as social helped to learn
make skills, self- a new or better
appropriate discipline, skill or attitude
decisions personality through logical
regarding development reasoning and
school discipline and so forth problem solving
• Regularly report
and review the
work progress
 Acts, circulars and
regulations

In the context of Malaysia, the laws and rules of discipline practiced in

Malaysian schools are based on three main references:
1) Malaysian Education (School Discipline) Regulations 1959, which
is a rule made under the powers given by section 116 of the
Education Ordinance 1957 (Peraturan Pelajaran (Disiplin Sekolah)
1959)
2) Discipline management handbook published by the Ministry of
Education
3) Circular issued by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (Surat
Pekeliling Ikhtisas)
 Acts, circulars and
regulations

Malaysian Education (School Discipline) Regulations 1959, which

is a rule made under the powers given by section 116 of the
Education Ordinance 1957
1) The principal is the person responsible for school discipline (Rule
4)
2) The delegation of authority by the headmaster to another teacher
in disciplinary action (Rule 6)
3) The procedure for caning (Rule 5)
4) The power of the principal to suspend the school or to dismiss the
school for student misconduct (Rule 8, 11, and 12)
 Acts, circulars and
regulations

Discipline management handbook published by the Ministry of

Education - guidelines to manage discipline in school, as described in
the 1959 Rules in the form of operations

• Panduan Am Disiplin Sekolah-sekolah (1981)

• Panduan Bagi Ibu Bapa Mengenai Disiplin Murid-Murid Sekolah
(1982)
• Panduan Tatacara Disiplin Sekolah untuk Guru Besar dan Guru
(1983)
• Panduan Disiplin untuk Pelajar-pelajar (1988)
• Panduan Bagi Mengatasi Masalah Ponteng (1994)
• Panduan Pengurusan Menangani Buli di Sekolah (2005)
 Acts, circulars and
regulations

Circular issued by the Ministry of Education Malaysia

 Four Discipline Models

1) The Assertive Discipline Model by Lee & Marlene

Canter (1976)
2) A Traditional Model by John Goodlad (1984)
3) The Effective Momentum Management Model by
Jacob Kounin (1970)
4) The Reality Therapy Model by William Glasser
Refer to hand out by Eleanor B. Baron (1992)
 Strategies for addressing
discipline issues
Define your expectations and the policies of your institution on the first day
of the term, and respond in a consistent, decisive manner.

Be careful not to embarrass a student in front of his peers unnecessarily.

Before you respond to what looks like a conduct issue, consider possible
causes. Could there be a reasonable explanation?

Create a class culture that encourages appropriate behavior and

discourages disruption.

Remember that most problems are, after all, what you make them out to
be. Stay cool, don't take everything personally, diffuse tensions, exhibit a
good sense of humor and much flexibility, but make sure to draw lines.

Document disruptive behaviors. Create a paper (or electronic) trail; share

your concerns with your supervisor or department chair.
 Strategies for addressing
discipline issues
• Two primary aims of classroom management and school
discipline (Bear, 2015):
(1) To manage student behavior and maintain student
engagement and cooperation
(2) to develop social and emotional competencies that
characterize self-discipline (also often referred to as self-
regulation, self-management, self-control, and responsible
behavior).

• Improving school climate is often a goal of school-based

programs designed to promote children's social, emotional, and
academic development and prevent behavior problems Adelman
& Taylor, 2010).
Bear, G. G., Yang, C., Mantz, L. S., & Harris, A. B. (2017).
 Strategies for addressing
discipline issues
• Use of praise and rewards for managing student behavior – effective?
• Use of punitive consequences for managing student behavior –
effective?
• Teaching social and emotional competencies to manage student
behavior (and develop self-discipline) – effective??

Findings:
1. A positive relationship between students‘ perceptions of the frequency
of use of praise and rewards for good behavior and their perceptions of
school climate.
2. Students' perceptions of use of punitive consequences were negatively
associated with their perceptions of school climate
3. Students‘ perceptions of their teachers' and school's teaching of social
and emotional competencies were associated positively with their
perceptions of school climate.
Bear, G. G., Yang, C., Mantz, L. S., & Harris, A. B. (2017).
Discipline Strategies
Behavioural challenges can
usually be addressed by home
and/or school management and
discipline practices. Many of
these difficulties can be
addressed by having well-
developed school-wide
procedures in place.
Interventions at this level
usually involve the core team
and the in-school team
 Menangani disiplin di sekolah
By Mohd. Ismail Othman

Pengurusan Disiplin Murid: Edisi Kedua

By James Ang Jit Eng

Undang-undang untuk Pengetua dan Guru Besar

By Mohd Ismail Othman

Law Regulating Student. Discipline in Malaysia.

By Fatt Hee
 Research on Discipline

• Discipline problems among secondary school students in Johor Bahru,

Malaysia
• Students’ perception on disciplinary measures in public secondary schools
in Kedah, Malaysia: A case study
• Disciplinary problems among high achiever students: The types and the
causes
• Teachers’ Perspective on Secondary Level Students’ Disruptive Behavior