Influence of Students' Indiscipline on Academic Performance of "O" Level Secondary students at Kairos High School in Makindye Division, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda

Abstract

The issue of indiscipline is a challenge to all stake holders and secondary schools in particular. This study sought to find out the influence of students’ indiscipline on academic performance of ‘O’ level secondary students at Kairos High School in Makindye Division in Kampala Capital City Authority in Uganda. The objectives were; to establish the influence of disrespect of school rules and regulations on academic performance at Kairos High School, to assess the influence of absenteeism on academic performance at Kairos High School, to establish the influence of poor time management on academic performance at Kairos High School. Using a cross sectional survey design, data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and documentary reviews, using a study sample of 36 respondents and data was analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and regressions with sampling techniques of simple random sampling and purposive sampling. The study findings revealed that: disrespect of school rules and regulations is at a positive value of .609** using the Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient. Also the findings confirmed that absenteeism is positively associated with academic performance at Kairos High School with a Pearson correlation coefficient of .652**. Findings further revealed that time management does significantly influence academic performance at Kairos High School with positive value of .682** using a Pearson correlation coefficient. The regression results revealed only 52.4% meaning that the explanatory power of the model study was moderately positive since a unit change in disrespect of school rules and regulations, absenteeism, and time management can only cause variability in academic performance by 52.4%. In a conclusion, indiscipline affects academic performance by only 52.4% and other factors affect academic performance by 47.6% and the researcher did not look at these factors. The recommendations therefore are that head teachers in particular and all stake holders need to create awareness about the importance of obeying school rules, sensitize students against absenteeism and encourage good time management, so as to improve academically