Pathways to School Discipline: Modelling the Roles of Community Participation and Teacher Engagement in Private Secondary Schools using PLS-SEM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65820/ejes-1vol2-issue1-2026Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the structural relationships among community participation, teacher engagement, and school discipline in private secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria, with particular attention to the mediating role of teacher engagement.
Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was used. Data were collected from 500 teachers selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Measurement and structural models were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.
Results: The results indicate that community participation has no significant direct effect on school discipline. However, community participation significantly predicts teacher engagement, and teacher engagement has a strong positive effect on school discipline. Teacher engagement fully mediates the relationship between community participation and school discipline, indicating that community participation's influence on discipline operates primarily through teachers’ psychological engagement.
Novelty and contribution: This study contributes to the literature by integrating Social Capital Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model within the context of urban private secondary schools. It provides empirical evidence that teacher engagement is a critical mechanism linking community participation to disciplinary effectiveness in market-driven educational settings.
Practical and social implications: School proprietors and administrators should prioritise strategies that transform community participation into a supportive resource for teachers. Policies that strengthen teacher engagement may yield greater improvements in school discipline than direct disciplinary interventions alone.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hafeez Abiodun Osundiji, Ganiyu Abiona Ibikunle, Ayodeji Olasunkanmi Abari (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
