Students’ Discipline Challenges Faced by Secondary Schools in Uganda after Covid-19 School Closures: A Qualitative Analysis of the Contemporary Perspectives in Lwengo District

Following the unprecedented prevalence of indefinite discipline dynamics in schools, especially after COVID-19 school closures, this study explored the students’ discipline challenges faced by secondary schools in Uganda, focusing on participants’ contemporary perspectives. The study conceptualized students’ discipline challenges in terms of Responsibility, Honesty, Determination, and Compliance with regulations. Damrongpant (2019)’s self-discipline model guided this kind of conceptualization. The study involved 9 students, 6 administrators, 9 teachers, 2 district officers, and 3 board of governors’ members. A total of 29 participants were selected purposively for the study. The research instruments were an interview guide, a focus group discussion guide, and a documentary analysis checklist. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that discipline challenges faced in secondary schools after COVID-19 school closures are conceptualized along personal, institutional, and community-based disruptions that came with the COVID-19 occurrence. It was therefore concluded that discipline challenges faced in secondary schools after COVID-19 school closures are conceptualized along personal, institutional, and community-based disruptions that came with the COVID-19 occurrence. The study recommends that school managers, such as headteachers, should regularly follow up closely on students’ discipline, provision of urgent training to teachers and student leaders to enable them to acquire professionalism in students’ discipline management, understand trauma-informed practices and foster a positive school environment. The study finally recommends the promotion of student empowerment programs, mediations, as well as positive behavioural interventions and support.