Teacher-student relationships and learner discipline in digital inclusive education: A relational pedagogy perspective from South Africa

Abstract

The paradigm shifts from traditional to digital learning has instigated novel challenges for learner discipline, particularly in inclusive classrooms characterised by high levels of student diversity. While the current discourse largely focuses on technological solutions or behavioural management, it has overlooked the role of teacher-student relationships in shaping teacher-student engagement and learner behaviour online. This study argues that relational pedagogy intentionally cultivates caring teacher-student relationships, thus fostering positive student discipline in digitally mediated inclusive educational environments. Drawing on the Attachment Theory (Riley, 2010), the Community of Inquiry Theory (Garrison et al., 2000), and Noddings' (2013) Ethic of Care Theory, the study adopts a qualitative multiple-case study design to determine the perspectives of ten participants (four lecturers and six students) specifically from higher education digital inclusive classrooms in South Africa, demonstrating that the dynamics of learner discipline differ across educational sectors. The study revealed four findings: relational presence enhances engagement and self-regulation, relational deficits correspond with disengagement and behavioural challenges, contextual and structural factors mediate relational dynamics, and lecturers recognise relational approaches, but face systemic barriers, including large class sizes, limited time, and inadequate training. This study concludes that learner discipline in digitally inclusive educational settings must be reimagined not as a matter of control but as one that emerges from relational trust and belonging. These insights have practical implications for teacher professional development and an inclusive digital policy, representing South Africa’s contextually grounded perspective on global debates on learner discipline.