CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY

          As discipline is a habit of good
behavior generally acceptable or accepted by the standard of norms and values
of the society, this should be a behavior portrayed by a normal human being. On
the other hand, indiscipline is the lack of good behaviour that is not generally
accepted in a particular society. Edem (1982) states that indiscipline is the
violation of school rules and regulations which is capable of obstructing the
smooth and orderly functioning of the school system

          Indiscipline is the inability of student’s
to give respect to authorities, observe and obey school rules and regulations.

          There are various attitudes of
indiscipline portrayed by student’s in schools, such behaviours include:
disobedience to school authorities, vandalizing school properties, lateness to
school, rudeness to the teachers and bullying of teachers and fellow student’s.

          Indiscipline has been seen as the
direct opposite of discipline which is the cultivation of bad habit or immoral
behaviour that reflects and becomes a threat or harm to the peers, parents,
teachers and other educational administrators which can lead to unrest or
chaos.

          These deviant and unaccepted attitudes
have no doubt turned cankerworm that has eaten deep into the generation that
ought to be protected and preserved for better and greater future.

          On a general note, indiscipline has
been attributed majorly to the nature of a particular student and how he/she
relates with others either in the school or in the society at large. This act
of indiscipline has been a delinquent character whereby when a student
misbehaves, it means that such student is not maintaining the rules and
regulations of his/her school.

          Many factors are responsible for the
act of indiscipline. Examples are: peer group influence, heredity, broken homes
or divorced parents, school life, environmental factor, parents’ non-challant
attitudes towards their children among others and so on. This unwanted and
unaccepted behaviour can be limited, avoided or eradicated if parent teacher
association (P.T.A) meeting holds regularly during which parents will be
enlightened on how well to handle their wards and not leave all the training to
teachers alone.

          There should be laws to guide the student’s
as well. Parents should not relent on their effort until any bad or unaccepted
behaviour sighted or found in their children is corrected. “Train up your child
in the way he should go” as was quoted in the bible in the book of Proverbs 22
: 6, Every couple should teach and lead their children in the way of the lord
and feed them with His Words on a daily basis.

          Pearse, in her novel for kiddies
stated that “A disciplined child is the pride of his parents”. Our children
should be disciplined to make us proud.

          The effects of indiscipline on a child
cannot be controversial because it tells on the child himself, such a child
becomes weird and notorious in nature. He will bully his peers in school and
subject the whole class to chaos if not curbed or controlled by the
class-teacher, school authority and parent. The society at large also
experiences unrest as a result of these nasty behaviours.

          Indiscipline has to be curbed while at
a tender level before it becomes uncontrollable and difficult to handle.
Teachers should gear up their task in handling their student’s, most especially
the ones with traits of waywardness and inform the parents about them, the
society as a whole must continue to mould and correct all sort of nasty and
defiant character so they won’t turn menace to the society.

          To put in a nutshell, indiscipline is
regarded and seen as lack of indiscipline which is characterized by indecorous
behaviours such as truancy, bullying, lying, stealing, slandering rumours,
rudeness and many other defiant behaviours which are part of social vices in
the society today.

          It has become glaring that
indiscipline is rampant among student’s today especially in secondary schools
even up to secondary schools. Proprietors, Proprietresses, and many other
stakeholders in the educational sector are worried about the rate at which students
are getting out of school and are not disciplined. In view of the above, the
researcher was moved to carry out this research.

1.2     STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

          As
discipline portrays a good behaviour that a normal human being should exhibit,
indiscipline on the other hand is a thing of shame and embarrassment.

          The following are various attitudes of
indiscipline in secondary schools: lateness to the school, being rude to
teachers, roaming about the school premises while lesson is going on in the
classroom, making a noise, disturbing others who are ready to learn and lack of
concentration during lesson periods and so on. This has been of major concern
in the educational sector.

          The researcher therefore seeks to find
the causes of these notorious and nasty behaviours called indiscipline which
metamorphoses into many deadly social vices, the effects on students academic
performance and the ways to curb it on time so that schools, homes and
societies will experience peace.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

          In order to justify the need for
curbing the act of indiscipline in students generally, the followings are the
objectives of the study.

i.            
To state what indiscipline is

ii.           
To identify the various acts of
indiscipline

iii.          
To identify the effects of indiscipline

iv.         
To suggest ways by which indiscipline
can be controlled

1.4     SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY          

          This research work will be significant
to teachers, parents and head of schools. It will also be useful to
proprietors, proprietresses, school supervisors, headmasters, headmistresses
and other school administrators as well as other researchers who are interested
in working on this relevant issue. Other stakeholders in education will also
benefit from the research outcome.

1.5     SCOPE OF THE STUDY

          This study focuses on Indiscipline and
its effects on Student’s Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Abeokuta
North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

1.6     RESEARCH QUESTIONS

          In order to justify this research work
the researcher uses the following research questions:

i.                  
What is indiscipline?

ii.                
What are the causes of indiscipline?

iii.             
What are the effects of indiscipline on students
academic performance?

iv.             
What are the ways to curb these acts?

1.7     DEFINITION OF TERMS

          In order to have thorough
understanding of this research work, here are the relevant terms defined as
used in the project.

NORMS:
Situations or patterns of behaviour that is usual or expected.

VALUE:
Beliefs about what is right and wrong and what is important in life.

VIOLATION:
To go against or refuse to obey laws.

INDECOROUS:
Embarrassing or not socially acceptable.

EDUCATION:
A process of teaching, training and learning to improve knowledge and develop
skills.

CHARACTER:
All the qualities and features that makes a person, group of people and places
different from others.

DISCIPLINE:
To portray a good behaviour generally accepted by the standard of norms and
values in the society.

ATTITUDE:
Someone’s opinion or feelings about something especially as shown by their
behaviour.

BEHAVIOUR:
The way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.

DEFIANT:
Resistance or disobedience.

PERSONALITY:
The various aspects of a person’s character that combines to make them
different from other people.

INDISCIPLINE:
Lack of discipline, being disobedient.

DEVIANT:
Deviating from accepted standards.