DIRECTIVE SPEECH ACTS OF THE STUDENT AFFAIRS COORDINATOR IN FOSTERING DISCIPLINE IN A PRIVATE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

Student discipline is a fundamental component in creating an effective and orderly learning environment. In private elementary schools, the student affairs coordinator holds a central role in guiding and regulating student behaviour through verbal communication, particularly directive speech acts. This study aims to analyse the forms, strategies, communicative functions, and ideological meanings of directive speech acts used by the student affairs coordinator at SDIT Nurul Yakin Dayun, Siak. Using a qualitative approach with Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis model, data were collected through direct observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation of disciplinary interactions. The analysis revealed five dominant forms of directive speech acts: direct commands, mitigated requests, reprimands, prohibitions, and advisory utterances. The coordinator employed various strategies—such as bald on record, off record, positive politeness, and negative politeness—chosen according to the context, the severity of the violation, and the student’s characteristics. The results show that directive speech acts serve not only a regulative function in enforcing school rules, but also pedagogical and affective functions that support moral development and strengthen interpersonal relationships between the coordinator and students. Ideologically, these utterances reflect symbolic power within the school, shaping student identity as subjects who must be guided while maintaining a humanistic and empathetic tone. Overall, the study concludes that directive speech acts are an essential communicative tool in character-building practices, integrating authority with empathy to foster a constructive and humane disciplinary culture in schools.