The Impact of School Dress Codes on the Quality of Student Life at a Selected High School
Date
2017
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that school dress codes have on the quality
of life in a senior class at Elizabethton High School. Archival data were obtained from the
Elizabethton School District outlining the dress code violations of the class of 2016. Eight
participants from the class completed a Likert scale opinionnaire. The archival data and resulting
opinionnaires were analyzed. While the archival data revealed a mere 10 dress code violations
over a four-year period, the responses to the opinionnaire highlighted the impacts of a school
dress code on students' quality of life. Students suggested that they understood the school's
purpose for implementing a school dress code (25% Neutral; 50% Agree; 25% Strongly Agree)
and yet teachers were inconsistent in their enforcement (62.5% Strongly Agree; 37.5% Neutral).
In addition, the students disagreed with the argument that dress codes promote a safe learning
environment (12.5% Strongly Disagree; 12.5% Disagree; 50% Neutral; 25%Agree). Finally, the
results revealed that 90% of dress code violations were incurred by female students. Future
studies would benefit from considering gender discrimination and dress code policies.
Description
Master of Education (M.Ed.) Thesis
Keywords
Dress code, Self-expression, Gender discrimination, Religious expression, Master of Education (M.Ed.) Thesis, Student life