Teacher Behaviour and Student Indiscipline at Teteku Senior High School in Ghana

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of teacher behaviour on student indiscipline in Teteku Senior High School in the Volta Region of Ghana. This was a mixed method research which employed the sequential explanatory mixed model. A sample of 120 participants, comprising the headmaster, three assistant headmasters/ mistresses, seven (7) senior housemasters/mistresses, fourteen (14) teachers and ninety-five students were selected through a combination of techniques for the study.  Purposive sampling was used to select the headmaster, assistant heads, and housemasters/mistresses while stratified and random sampling techniques were used to select teachers and students. Data was gathered through the use of structured questionnaire and interview guide to obtain quantitative and qualitative data respectively. The research questions were analyzed using Means and Standard Deviations, while the hypothesis was tested using spearman's rho correlation analysis. The qualitative data gathered was used to clarify the quantitative data where necessary. Findings indicated that students in Teteku Senior High School exhibit a myriad of indiscipline behaviours of which lateness, absenteeism, truancy, alcohol and drug intake and wearing of unprescribed school uniforms stood out as the prominent forms. Students’ indiscipline was found to be heavily dependent on teachers’ negative behaviour. Among others, the study concluded that teacher behaviour has a great role to play in school discipline. It was recommended that the institution should strictly enforce the teachers’ code of ethics to regulate teacher behaviour and apply appropriate sanctions to recalcitrant teachers; while the school counselling unit leads individual and group counselling that encourages students to make positive behaviour choices and accept responsibility for their actions.

Keywords: Teacher behaviour, Student indiscipline; Behaviour management; Intervention