Disciplinary problems in a secondary school in northern Malaysia: Factors and the roles of counseling teachers

The various disciplinary problems that occur among students, regardless of their severity, are very worrying. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that cause students to engage in disciplinary problems in a secondary school in northern Malaysia. It also aims to examine the roles played by counseling teachers in overcoming students with disciplinary problems. We used a qualitative method in which we interviewed three teachers in the school who were directly involved with the disciplinary management: the Senior Assistant of Student Affairs teacher, the discipline teacher and the counselor. To analyze the data obtained from the interview results, thematic analysis was used. The results of the study showed that there are five factors contributing to disciplinary problems at the school, namely dysfunctional family, economic factor, students’ attitude, peer influence, and the environment. All of the teachers felt that the strategic collaboration of the counseling unit with the discipline unit as well as other teachers is vital to curb the problem. Other initiatives, including focused counseling, ziarah cakna program, as well as consultation with parents, were also important in controlling and reducing disciplinary problems at their schools.