| Student misbehavior continually presents a challenge that school teachers and leaders face. Scholars have argued that the extent students comply with rules is linked to their perceptions that their school's rules and authority are fair. This study asks: To what extent do students perceive their school authority as fair and legitimate? To what extent are there other threats to legitimate authority beyond student perceptions of unfairness? In this case study, I sought answers to these questions by conducting research at Excalibur High School, a public high school for grades nine through twelve. I highlighted the voices and experiences of ninth grade students and focused on Excalibur's communication and enforcement of its discipline policy throughout a school year. I conducted over 200 hours of fieldwork including observations and interviews and administering a survey to the entire ninth grade class. Findings showed that students perceived authority to be unfair because of adults' inconsistent and consistent application of rules. Furthermore, they perceived unfairness due to adults' inaccuracy in identifying wrongdoings. Finally, students thought authority was unfair because adults gave severe penalties for trivial infractions. Threats to legitimate authority included these student perceptions of unfairness as well as a weak school mission and the school's reliance on coercion and exchange to secure compliance. The results are important for school teachers and leaders who seek to develop behavior policies and missions that students and adults believe in and follow. Moreover, findings are relevant for understanding power, authority and discipline in public schools. |
