Leadership and mindset towards school discipline: perspectives of teachers in South African secondary schools

Leadership is central to school effectiveness; however, learner indiscipline continues to undermine teaching and learning in many South African secondary schools. This study examined how school leadership practices influence teachers’ disciplinary mindsets by examining the implicit messages that permeate everyday school life. Situated within an interpretive paradigm and informed by Mindset Theory and the concept of the Hidden Curriculum, the study adopted a qualitative, multiple-case study design. Two quintile 3 secondary schools in the Mangaung Metro District, South Africa, served as research sites. A purposive sample of seven teachers participated in a focus group discussion, and data was analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s approach. The findings reveal that compliance-driven and blame-oriented leadership practices foster fixed, punitive mindsets by individualising responsibility for discipline, marginalising teacher voice, and normalising emotional fatigue. Discipline systems were experienced as fragmented and inconsistently implemented, often eroding teacher authority. Participants also reported reactive disciplinary approaches and leadership avoidance of parental engagement. In contrast, emergent collaborative practices, including reflective staff briefings and shared, consistently enforced expectations, may promote growth-oriented disciplinary mindsets. The study concludes that the leadership mindset mediates between discipline policy and classroom practice, and recommends participatory, developmental, and whole-school approaches that support teachers and learners.