Title: Discipline Rooted in School Culture: An Indispensable Prerequisite for Academic Excellence in Ugandan Secondary Schools
Authors: Nabaasa Desire, Musiimenta Nancy
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
Pages: 91-99
Publication Date: 2025/09/28
Abstract:
The persistent challenges in Uganda's secondary education system, characterized by learning poverty rates of 83% and widespread disciplinary issues, necessitated an investigation into the cultural foundations of effective discipline management in educational institutions. While discipline had been recognized as crucial for academic success, the cultural embedment of disciplinary practices within school systems remained underexplored in the Ugandan context. The main objective of this study was to examine how discipline rooted in school culture serves as an indispensable prerequisite for academic excellence in Ugandan secondary schools. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative surveys of 420 students and qualitative document analysis of institutional policies from 15 secondary schools across five districts in Uganda. Data collection utilized validated instruments measuring school cultural dimensions, disciplinary practices, and academic performance indicators, with statistical analysis conducted through descriptive, correlational, and regression techniques alongside thematic analysis of policy documents. Key findings revealed that schools with strong cultural integration of discipline demonstrated significantly higher academic performance (M=3.24, SD=0.67) compared to those with weak cultural embedment (M=2.15, SD=0.82, t=12.45, p<0.001). Document analysis identified five critical cultural elements: shared values systems (89% of high-performing schools), consistent enforcement mechanisms (76%), community involvement (83%), tradition-based expectations (71%), and leadership modeling (94%). The interaction analysis showed that cultural strength moderated the relationship between disciplinary practices and academic excellence (?=0.34, p<0.001), indicating that discipline was most effective when deeply embedded in institutional culture. The study concluded that discipline rooted in school culture operated as an indispensable prerequisite for academic excellence, with culturally-integrated disciplinary systems producing sustainable improvements in educational outcomes. The key recommendation emphasized the need for educational leaders to develop comprehensive cultural transformation strategies that embed disciplinary values into the core identity and daily operations of secondary schools.