Karakterbou en Christelike Waardes vir die Bevordering van Gedissiplineerde Klaskamergedrag: ’n Kritiese Beskouing

Abstract

This article is a reflection of research conducted at the request of the South African Teachers’ Union, which indicated its concern about the decline of discipline in schools. A literature study and questionnaire were used to find answers to the following questions: What are discipline and undisciplined behaviour? What is the occurrence of undisciplined behaviour in the classroom? The contribution of character building, values and Christian values to improve undisciplined behaviour is debated on the basis of the literature.
According to the literature, discipline can be regarded as the development of a moral character, control of learners, preventive and restorative actions, self-discipline and even punishment. Various forms of undisciplined behaviour were indicated in a pilot study and confirmed in a literature study. A questionnaire was used to obtain an overview of the occurrence of the identified undisciplined behaviour in the classroom.
The following forms of undisciplined behaviour were indicated by more than 15% of the participants: talking-in-between, rudeness, laziness, poor cooperation, disrespect, challenging behaviour, lies, moodiness, dishonesty, truancy, stealing, smoking and violence. This behaviour not only disturbs the order in the classroom, but also shows, according to the Christian perspective, a lack of caring and respect towards teachers and fellow learners. The authors of this article argue that character development and the instilment of Christian values may contribute to better self-discipline and improve discipline in the classroom.