Abstract
Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, student behaviour has been perceived as a major challenge in most Namibian secondary schools and creates fear at school. Student behaviour is a concern in the culture of each school in general. For example, in South Africa, Bechuke and Debeila (2012) argue in their research that “until recently, science could tell us little about the causes of inappropriate behaviours” (p. 241), including the inappropriate behaviour of students in schools. Bechuke and Debeila’s argument that “there is a dire need to understand learners’ behaviour and [the] reasons behind varying learner acts of misconduct” (2012, p. 241) led me to explore the connection between school culture and student behaviour. This research was based on one main research question: “What connection do participants see between school culture and the behaviour of students in two selected Namibian secondary schools?” The objectives of this research are to describe the organisational culture of each of the participating schools and to explore participants’ understanding of the connection between school culture and student behaviour, as well as to explore what kind of school culture participants think will best support positive student behavior. Moreover, this research aims to explore strategies which participants think will foster positive student behaviour. ..
Ph.D. (Education Leadership and Management)