Keywords: learner behaviour, educator-learner relationships, participating action learning and action research, future-creating workshop, moral values, religion.<\/span><\/p>\nAfrikaanse titel: Die waarde van ‘n toekomswerkswinkel om onderwyser-leerderverhoudings te bou wat op morele waardes gegrond is.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/span>Opsomming:<\/span><\/h3>\nOnaanvaarbare gedrag in Suid-Afrikaanse skole is besig om handuit te ruk. Die Nasionale Onderwysbeleidswetgewing van 1996 beklemtoon dat geen leerder aan lyfstraf blootgestel mag word nie terwyl die Suid-Afrikaanse Konstitusie bepaal dat elkeen die reg het om met respek behandel te word. Dit verklaar hoekom lyfstraf in skole afgeskaf is. Onderwysers moes noodgedwonge alternatiewe metodes ontwikkel om met dissiplineverwante probleme te handel. Ongelukkig blyk dit dat alternatiewe metodes nie die gewenste uitwerking het nie.<\/p>\n
Die Nasionale beleid vir Godsdiensonderrig van 2003, het die weg gebaan vir die sekularisasie van die onderwyssisteem. Sekularisasie, geweld in skole en ander swak invloede uit die omgewing vererger die swak dissipline in skole.<\/p>\n
Hierdie artikel maak gebruik van bevindings uit \u2018n Deelnemende Aksieleer en Aksienavorsingsprojek verkry deur navorsing wat gedoen is deur onderwysers in die uMzinyathi-distrik in KwaZulu-Natal. Die fokus van die navorsingsprojek was om onderwysers te help om swak gedrag in die klaskamer te hanteer. Die deelnemers het die prim\u00eare navorsingsvraag, hoe kan \u2018n Deelnemende Aksieleer en Aksienavorsingsbenadering die onderwysers bystaan om leerdergedrag in die klas te begryp en om strategie\u00eb te ontwikkel vir eie en leerderondersteuning in die hantering van dissipline in die klaskamer in plattelandse sekond\u00eare skole, vanuit Mezirow se kritiese transformerendeleerbenadering. Die bevindings het aangedui dat opvoeders voorbeeldige rolmodelle moet wees en positiewe morele waardes in hul lewens moet toon as ‘n grondslag om positiewe opvoeder-leerderverhoudings te bou.<\/p>\n
“As ‘n land korrupsievry wil wees en ‘n nasie met \u2018n pragtige geestesingesteldheid wil word, voel ek sterk dat daar drie belangrike samelewingsfaktore is wat ‘n verskil kan maak. Hulle is die vader, moeder en die onderwyser.” \u2014 Abdul Kalam, vorige president van Indi\u00eb.<\/p>\n
Kernbegrippe: leerdergedrag, onderwyser-leerder verhoudings, Deelnemende Aksieleer en Aksienavorsing, Toekomswerkswinkel, morele waardes, godsdiens<\/p>\n
<\/span>1. Introduction<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\nCorporal punishment was banned in South Africa in 1996 (Shaikhnag & Assan, 2014) because it was viewed as a form of child abuse (Mayisela, 2017). Mthanti and Mncube (2014) stated that fear, bunking classes, absenteeism, anti-social behaviour, low self-esteem, negative attitudes, and feelings of revenge are among the many negative consequences of corporal punishment. Afifi et al. (2012) mentioned that several studies have shown a notable link between personality disorders, substance abuse and physical punishment.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter corporal punishment was banned, learner discipline deteriorated drastically (Olivier, 2013) implying that educators are unable to perform effective behaviour management in class. Even though the Department of Basic Education published a document called Alternatives to Corporal Punishment in 2000 (DBE, 2000), no effective disciplinary measures replaced corporal punishment (Kelly & Mottee, 2018; Shaikhnag & Assan, 2014). More than a decade later, Singh (2014) indicated that indiscipline was continuing to deteriorate rapidly and educators were losing hope.<\/span><\/p>\nThis research focussed on learner indiscipline in schools and alternative ways of dealing with indiscipline in the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2. Literature review<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\nEscalating violence and lack of learner discipline are huge concerns for educators not only in South Africa (De Witt & Lessing, 2013; Mohapi, 2013) but also internationally (Greene et al., 2013; Spaull, 2013). A number of aggravating factors has been identified.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.1 Factors causing indiscipline<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/span>2.1.1 The influence of the media and society<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nThe influence of the media on the escalation of violence is of great concern because it desensitises children. Tamborini et al. (2017) reasoned that the media encourages anti-social behaviour rather than pro-social behaviour. The influence of the media is especially visible in the consumption of sexual attitudes, pornography viewing, substance abuse and aggressive behaviour. Bandura (2009) explained that a person develops social norms by being subjected to influences from the environment. Children learn through experiences and by observing other people as well as characters in the media. This exposure results in children \u201ccued into social norms through media exposure\u201d as an attractive model (Tamborini et al., 2017, p. 2). Exposure to media violence results in children experiencing real-world violence as less disturbing and acceptable. Walton et al. (2016) and Zolkoski (2019) advocated that educators as <\/span>in loco parentis<\/i><\/span> must be positive role models to combat the influence of the media and society on the behaviour of learners. Learners do not always have positive role models at home (Zolkoski, 2019) and come to school ill-mannered (Sax, 2015).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.1.2 Violence on school premises<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nViolence on South African school premises is a common sight, not only between educators and learners but also among learners themselves and between rival schools (Ncontsa & Shumba, 2013). The situation is aggravated by gangs and gangsterism (De Wet, 2016; Nkosi-Malobane, 2019) as well as drug and substance abuse (Ncontsa & Shumba, 2013). <\/span>The Mail and Guardian<\/em> (Macupe, 2019) reported that long-standing arguments between rival adults are fought out on school premises, closing schools for long periods. Research done by Tugli (2015) revealed that large numbers of rural schools experience regular faction wars while Wolhuter and Magubane (2016) reported that faction fights disrupt matric examinations in the Masinga area in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Sithole (2021) described an incident between two groups from the Nkawini and Dakeni villages at the Gcotoi high school near Kranskop in rural KwaZulu-Natal which left the learners in fear of going to school. These tendencies result in unsafe classrooms (Gubbels et al., 2019). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.3 No effective measures to deal with indiscipline are in place<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nThe South African Constitution requires educators to respect learners\u2019 rights and to identify new ways to deal with classroom indiscipline (Marais & Meier, 2010). Alternatives to corporal punishment, such as detention and suspension, do not always produce satisfactory results. Some educators revert to sarcasm and humiliation as ways of punishment, but this tends to aggravate the situation in the long term as it facilitates disrespect for educators and causes learners not to want to attend school (Eriyanti, 2018). As a result, many educators still see corporal punishment as the only effective way to instil discipline in the classroom and deter the upswing of indiscipline (Lapperts, 2012).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.4 The secularization of the education system<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nDuring the previous decades in South Africa, the Christian religion was the dominant religion in schools and all learners had to attend Christian assemblies. This unfair discrimination against religions facilitated the release of the National Policy on Religion Education in 2003 to provide for the equal treatment of all religions and to promote religious freedom (Nthontho, 2017). This policy paved the way for the secularisation of the education system because moral order \u201cis secularised when religion is not the only source of the sacred, and religion becomes one of many possible sources of sacred order\u201d (p. 236) and regulates people\u2019s thinking (Cawood, 2018). Van Schalkwyk (2016) drew a parallel between religious freedom and freedom of expression. Freedom of expression gives non-religious adherents the right to promote their own secular views and criticise religious content which lay the foundation for a secular state even though the constitution does not propagate a distinct separation between church and state (Damons, 2016). <\/span><\/p>\nSecular values address human affairs from a secular, naturalistic point of view (Galen, 2016) that supports non-religionism, atheism and naturalism (Roznai, 2017) and interpret life completely from a material point of view based on ideas, sentiments and reasoning (Durkheim as cited in Qoyyimah, 2014).<\/span><\/p>\nTayob (2018) stated that secular influences reduce the religious influence on the state, empty churches, bring about a change in religious consciousness and morality and as such make belief in a supreme being a mere option or choice. Secularization changes the authority of religion in the lives of people. <\/span><\/p>\nBeyers (2015) summarised the consequences of secularism on society as a decline of religious institutions and a disregard for religion. Conservatives claim that secularism is partly to be blamed for the decline in moral standards (also visible in schools) as well as organised religion (Cordero, 2013; Zuckerman, 2020). Early writers like Dostoevsky (1990) posited that there could be no morality without God. Religion increases moral behaviour (Norenzayan et al., 2014; Shariff, 2015). Agha (as cited in Dick et al., 2020) argued that morality and religion were closely connected and inseparable.<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, Iwuagwu (2018) stressed another very important viewpoint. Presently there is a painful lack of synergy between morality and religion causing the impact of religion on societies to be diluted. Religious institutions must reinstate sound moral values and insist that their adherents keep these principles. These actions will make the world a better place for everybody. <\/span><\/p>\nOkere (as cited in Muhammad & Abubakar, 2018) defined morality as \u201cthat quality of human life by which it can be described as good or bad, good in the sense that it must be done, or bad or evil in the sense that it must be avoided\u201d (p. 50). Morality involves the idea of good or right behaviour and is utterly hostile to bad or wrong conduct (Dick et al., 2020). Odey (2013) described decadence as the collapse of upholding these values and morality.<\/span><\/p>\nThere is an obvious decline in moral values among teenagers. South Africa has for example experienced a huge increase in teenage pregnancies for girls between 15 and 18 years old in secondary schools (Sibeko, 2012). A child psychiatrist at Akeso Clinic in Kenilworth, Cape Town indicated that there has been a sharp rise in suicides among young people for the age group from 15 to 18 years (Gittens, 2021).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.2 Results of indiscipline<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\nThe results of indiscipline in schools have devastating results on the teaching profession and the education system.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.2.1 Educator resignations<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nSouth African schools experience widespread indiscipline, causing the teaching profession to be very stressful (Amstad & M\u00fcller, 2020). Educators feel powerless with no working alternatives to deal with discipline-related issues in schools (Mampane, 2012). Indiscipline has been identified as an aggravating factor causing educator stress and thus affecting educator well-being (Herman & Reinke, 2015; Prilleltensky et al., 2016). Many of them leave the profession because they are not able to deal with the indiscipline of learners (Masweneng, 2018). Statistics show that 30% to 50% of educators in South Africa exit the education profession within their first five years due to stress caused by indiscipline (Nkosi, 2020). <\/span><\/p>\nThe National Policy on the Organisation, Roles and Responsibilities of Education Districts (NEEDU, 2013:15) specifies that the education circuit and district offices must oversee \u201cschool visits, classroom observation, consultation, cluster meetings, suitable feedback reports and other means; providing an enabling environment and organising provision and support for the professional development of managers, educators and administrative staff members,\u201d but this oversight frequently does not happen (Van der Berg et al., 2016). This unsupportive environment contributes to educator stress, impacts educators\u2019 well-being and job satisfaction (Evans et al., 2019) and weakens the education system (Child, 2017).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nResearchers describe educator stressors as the management of classroom indiscipline, educator-parent communication, negative relationships with learners and colleagues, and a lack of professional development (Nkambule & Amsterdam, 2018; Nkosi, 2020). Educator well-being can be strengthened by minimising these risk factors and improving protective factors, for example, by establishing meaningful relationships in the school community including educator-learner relationships (Seligman, 2011). Southwick and Charney (2012) include a moral compass in the lives of educators to foster educator well-being and to build positive educator-learner relationships.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.2.2 Learners drop out of school<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nViolence, indiscipline and unsafe classrooms amongst others (Gubbels et al., 2019) cause learners to lose interest in academic aims and drop out of school (DuPont et al., 2013). Learner dropout in South Africa has reached crisis proportions. Nearly 60% of all public-school learners drop out of school before completing grade 12 (Makou & Wilkinson, 2018; Smillie & Mabotja, 2019). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nLearner dropout and educator resignations reduce the success of funds spent on education in South Africa. Weak educational outcomes and insufficient educational skills hamper the learners\u2019 future and the country\u2019s economic growth (Greenberg et al., 2016; Mlachila & Moeletsi, 2019).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.3 Possible solutions to deal with indiscipline<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/span>2.3.1 Positive educator-learner relationships<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nEvans et al. (2019) proposed that positive educator-learner relationships can counteract the negative effects of indiscipline on educators\u2019 well-being (Konishi & Wong, 2018). The emotional, academic, and social-emotional growth of learners and educators can be enhanced by effective educator-learner relationships (Mihalas as cited in Zolkoski, 2019) to build positive moral values (<\/span><\/span>Ergen<\/span>, 2019; <\/span><\/span>Pantic, 2012). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>2.3.2 Value and religion education<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\nThe value of religion is emphasised by <\/span><\/span>Graafland (2017) stating that religiosity discourages anti-social behaviour and attitudes. Other research revealed that all major religions uphold universal values and morals (Ives & Kidwell, 2019) and have a deep-rooted knowledge of morally acceptable and justifiable behaviour (Van der Walt, 2019; Wolhuter & Van Der Walt, 2020) which impact the behaviour and decision-making process of their followers (Ives & Kidwell, 2019; Shariff, 2015). Koehrsen (2015, 2018) emphasised that the good influence of religion acts as a change agent in the individual, the family and the community. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nGrim and Grim (2019) pointed out that religious involvement is a strong deterrent to drug use among adolescents. Less religious instruction was associated with more drug use. Gorsuch (2010) explained that research found less substance abuse among religious people because they are more receptive to anti-abuse norms and values and have other ways of satisfying social needs and finding meaning in life. The Christian religion teaches reliance on God for help to overcome substance abuse (Grim & Grim, 2019). Muhammad et al. (2019) stated that Islamic guidance and treatment that focus on prayer and Islamic studies can assist drug addicts to overcome their addiction. Hinduism claims to address substance abuse successfully through a personalised approach by treating all the needs of the person and considering the person’s spiritual beliefs (American Addiction Centres, 2018). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\nValue and moral education are therefore an important component influencing the ethical, moral, cultural and spiritual growth necessary for the holistic development of the child and need to be uplifted (Amollo & Lilian, 2017). Weak and distorted moral values disrupt the smooth operation of communities (Klug, 2014). Turker et al. (2016) indicated that human values are deteriorating in schools and are visible in the deteriorating learner behaviour, burning of schools, school dropout, and drug and sexual abuse, all of which threaten the future development of the country as a whole (Segalo & Rambuda, 2018).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>3. Problem statement<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\nGiven the previous explanations, learner indiscipline and a lack of respect (Ramadwa, 2018) as a result of the moral decay (Maphalala, & Mpofu, 2018) in secondary schools in South Africa has been identified as a major problem with many negative consequences (Amstad & M\u00fcller, 2020). Alternative ways of dealing with indiscipline have not produced satisfactory results (Eriyanti, 2018). Educators have expressed a dire need (Chonco, 2019) for guidance and skills to deal with indiscipline in the classroom, a challenge for which many educators are not sufficiently trained (Ntuli, 2012; Reyneke, 2013). <\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>4. Research methodology<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/span>4.1 Primary research vision<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\nThis research endeavoured to assist educators with strategies to build positive educator-learner relationships in secondary schools.<\/span><\/p>\n