Educator perceptions of power relations and discipline in rural schools

Abstract

This study investigates educator perceptions of power relations and discipline in rural secondary schools. Discipline is a method of modelling character in preparation of attaining a desired goal. There is a decline of discipline in schools, which makes it difficult to attain the desired goal of education. This decline in discipline makes instruction and learning difficult in some schools and impossible in others. Some educators struggle to maintain discipline in the classroom, especially after the Government banned the use of corporal punishment in schools. Educators believe that their authority over learners has been compromised, while learners enjoy teachers’ powerlessness. This qualitative case study was guided by the following research question: “What are educator perceptions of power relationships and discipline in rural secondary schools?” Data was collected by using semi-structured interviews with five principals and ten educators from the five sampled secondary schools in Bahananwa Circuit in the rural areas of Limpopo Province.