Current Disciplinary Practices by Primary School Teachers in Eswatini: Implications for School Counselling

Abstract

This study explored current disciplinary practices by primary school teachers in Eswatini. A missed method design was employed using 48 primary teachers in the Hhohho region in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Instruments used were questionnaires and interviews. Data was collected and analyzed both quantitative and qualitatively. For analyzing data for questionnaires and observation, descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used and for analyzing data for interviews, thematic analysis was used. The findings of this study indicated that the participants are using guidance and counselling to discipline student as disciplinary measure. The study established that some disciplinary practises are not effective to curb students’ misbehaviour in schools such as corporal punishment and suspension. Conclusions arrived at indicate that public primary schools have adopted the use of guidance and counselling services. Few disciplinary practices were also found to be detrimental to academic performance. Therefore, this study suggested that guidance and counselling training should be given to all teachers. This therefore necessitates further investigation on the use of disciplinary practises and their impact towards the learner behaviour in all the four regions of Eswatini, since this study focuses in one region.