Participation in performing arts and student discipline management: an investigative study in selected secondary schools of Kampala district

Abstract

This work is an investigative study that was carried out in selected secondary schools in Kampala district to find out whether participation in PA could be used to manage student discipline. The objectives of the study were: to establish what school managers perceive to be the roles of PA in student discipline management, to find out students' thoughts about influence of PA activities on their discipline and to establish ways through which PA could be utilized to address student indiscipline. This was necessitated by the escalating student indiscipline in schools yet there is limited literature to guide management of student discipline. Head teachers, teachers, parents and society in general were cited to contribute towards causing the growing student indiscipline yet current measures are failing to address it. The phenomenological study design was used and data was collected using interviews, focus group discussion, observation, photography and documentary analyses. The study involved dual sampling of the schools and then respondents. Three schools were purposively selected. Other potential schools were identified using snowball and three of them selected through stratified random sampling. Respondents included head teachers, teachers, and students in six secondary schools of Kampala. The qualitative data was analyzed following Colaizzi's seven step phenomenological procedures. Findings are presented analyzed, discussed and recommendations given in line with the study objectives. It was revealed that, PA could be a motivation for students to understand the need for their being disciplined. Furthermore PA were found to affect students' academic achievement, growth and development yet they are the weakest subjects on the secondary school curriculum. The study further revealed that music can be used to address students' stress and pressure and that PA could be used to affect students' interpersonal skills. Therefore it is recommended that the secondary school PA curriculum could include issues dealing with discipline, teacher trainees be offered orientation in discipline management and all secondary schools need to include PA in their programs among other measures recommended.