The Role of African Indigenous Education in Student Behaviour: A Perspective from Soweto Schools in Gauteng

Inappropriate student behaviour is an ongoing concern in South African schools and worldwide. Consequently, research studies have been carried out to gain insight into how to manage student behaviour. Despite several strategies and plans being devised, not much has changed thus far. The current paper takes an empirical approach to determine whether African Indigenous education may enhance student conduct in public schools. The study employed a phenomenology research design to trace the disciplinary issues that educators face at schools. The aim was to establish their origins and propose strategies that may address the phenomenon. The rights and responsibilities of educators in the handling of discipline were also determined. The study used a non-probability sampling technique where the respondents were purposefully selected to participate in the research. The target populations of this research were families and teachers living in Soweto township, South Africa. The findings show that teachers face physical attacks, threats, disrespectful language, and aggressive behaviour in the classroom. The study indicated that incorporating Indigenous knowledge education into Sepedi language teaching could help students improve their moral integrity, cultural understanding, and cognitive abilities. The study is significant as it encourages appropriate behaviour and has an impact on school governance, policies, and strategic directions.