1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«[T]his dissertation explores how the disciplining of students is textually and socially organized in Montreal (Quebec) schools. [It] investigates, first how school administrators learn to discipline students. Secondly, this research project considers how different stakeholders in schools (e.g., teachers, administrators, students and parents) view school discipline differently.» (p. i)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«[R]esearch participants are mainly school administrators [10]. [I also] interviewed the provincial director for the Alternative Suspension program offered by the YMCA [Young Men’s Christian Association] in collaboration with several Montreal high schools. […] Finally, I interviewed three young adults who had recently graduated from high school in English schools in Montreal. They agreed to speak with me about their personal experiences concerning discipline in high school.» (p. 23)

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

«Findings suggest that new vice-principals learn to do their work in action with the people they work with and through coaching from their principal, rather than simply basing their decision-making process on common sense and professional judgement as they initially suggested.» (p. i) The analysis shows that «[d]isciplining students and dealing with their parents is by far the hardest part of a vice principal’s job. Over the years, parents have generally become more involved when the school disciplines their children. […] When a student misbehaves, parents complain that we target their child and that our consequences are unreasonable.» (p.102) The author suggests that «[w]hen the parents declare that they do not trust the school anymore, the partnership between both parties has been broken. The collaboration therefore becomes very difficult. Parents often take the discipline of their child very personally, like an attack on them, their values, the way they have educated their child.» (p. 106)