Title: Cultural Transfer or Contextual Adaptation? A Critical Examination of Japanese Discipline and Its Potential Application in Uganda
Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius, Musiimenta Nancy
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 231-238
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
Background: Student indiscipline remains a pervasive and structurally entrenched challenge in Ugandan secondary schools, undermining academic performance, teacher effectiveness, and the broader goals of national education policy. Japan's school discipline model, premised on tokkatsu - a whole-school approach integrating communal duties, structured routines, and values-based character formation - has attracted global attention as an effective, proactive alternative to punitive behavioural management. However, no empirical study had systematically examined the applicability of this model within the Ugandan context, leaving a critical evidence gap at the intersection of comparative education and education policy. Objective: This study critically examined the Japanese school discipline model and assessed its potential for contextual adaptation within Ugandan secondary schools, with specific objectives to characterise the structural components of the Japanese model, assess the prevalence and determinants of student indiscipline in Uganda, and determine the feasibility and acceptability of adapting selected Japanese disciplinary elements.Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 480 students, 96 teachers, and 32 administrators drawn from 16 purposively sampled secondary schools across four districts (Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, and Mbarara), selected using stratified random sampling. Quantitative data were analysed in Stata Version 19 at three levels: univariate analysis described the sample; bivariate analysis using Pearson's chi-square tests and independent-samples t-tests examined unadjusted associations; and three-level multilevel logistic regression estimated adjusted associations between individual-, classroom-, and school-level predictors and student indiscipline, with model fit assessed via likelihood ratio tests and AIC. Qualitative data from 24 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions were analysed thematically. Results: The overall prevalence of student indiscipline was 45.6% (95% CI: 41.2%-50.1%). In the adjusted multilevel model, the strongest individual-level predictor was low parental education (aOR = 4.81, 95% CI: 2.68-8.63, p < 0.001), followed by low household SES (aOR = 2.93, p < 0.001) and male sex (aOR = 1.52, p = 0.018). School-level factors independently associated with higher odds of indiscipline included government school type (aOR = 1.64, p = 0.023) and increasing teacher-student ratio (aOR = 1.34 per 10-unit increase, p = 0.001). Protective factors included the presence of a formal disciplinary policy (aOR = 0.52, p = 0.001), structured morning routines (aOR = 0.56, p = 0.007), and student awareness of the Japanese discipline model (aOR = 0.51, p = 0.003). The school-level ICC of 0.18 confirmed that 18% of variance in indiscipline was attributable to between-school differences. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results, with stakeholders expressing high feasibility and acceptability for adapted communal duty and routine-based practices while noting cultural, resource, and institutional barriers to wholesale model transfer. Conclusion: Student indiscipline in Ugandan secondary schools is multiply determined, with both household-level vulnerabilities and school structural deficits playing significant independent roles. Structural elements aligned with the Japanese discipline model formalised routines, institutional policy codification, and informed teaching staff - were independently and significantly associated with reduced indiscipline, affirming the feasibility of principled contextual adaptation rather than wholesale cultural transfer. Policy reforms should prioritise structured routine mandates, teacher professional development, and sustained investment in government school resource environments.