Stakeholders’ Involvement in Overcoming the Challenges in Improving Student Behavior and School Discipline: A Cambodian Primary School Case Study

Abstract

Improving student behaviour and school discipline in primary schools involves direct and indirect stakeholders whose roles and collaboration may shape disciplinary practices. This qualitative case study examined the challenges encountered in improving student behaviour and school discipline and the measures used to address them in selected primary schools in Kandal Province, Cambodia. The study was grounded in the understanding that students' behaviour and discipline are shaped by multiple stakeholders, including direct stakeholders (school officials, teachers, parents/families, and students) and indirect stakeholders (the Ministry of Education, volunteers, and NGOs). Data were collected through purposive sampling across five selected primary schools, involving 48 participants. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, classroom observations, and documentary analyses were used to explore: (1) how stakeholders participate in improving student behaviour and school discipline, (2) how school principals collaborate with stakeholders, (3) the key challenges stakeholders encounter, and (4) the strategies used to address these challenges. Findings indicated that stakeholders implement discipline through a combination of disciplinary actions (e.g., verbal warnings, academic punishment, school labour punishment, and formal apology mechanisms) and school regulations (e.g., dress code, punctuality, health and safety, and special education-related rules). However, major challenges included family factors, teacher constraints, and peer-influenced forms of inappropriate conduct. To respond to these challenges, the schools emphasised strengthened school–family collaboration (including workshops, home visits, regular updates, and structured communication via social media) and improved principal–teacher collaboration (through moral instruction, Buddhist lessons, mindfulness/meditation practices, and school ceremonies). The study also highlighted the importance of classroom-management strategies such as clear rules and routines, behavioural interventions aligned with disciplinary approaches, and the development of positive teacher–student relationships. The study concluded that effective discipline improvement in Cambodian primary schools depends on coordinated stakeholder collaboration and consistent implementation of supportive, value-based, and classroom-centred strategies.