Drug Use Challenges Facing Student Leaders in Discipline Management in Secondary Schools in Kosirai Division, Kenya (Published)
Student leaders in school play a very important role in enhancing discipline among the students. However, they often face a lot of indiscipline challenges from the students, making it difficult for them to perform their management duties in school. Based on a study conducted in Kosirai Division, Nandi County, Kenya, this paper examines the drug use related challenges facing student leaders in discipline management. The study employed a descriptive survey design. Questionnaires, interviews and document analysis were used to collect data, which was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively and presented in form of frequency tables. SPSS also aided the data analysis process. A total of 183 students/student leaders, 50 teachers and 12 deputy principals were sampled in the study. The study findings indicated that there was use of drugs among high school students. The student leaders also said they encountered problems when dealing with students who use drugs. Consequently, these student leaders ended up performing poorly as they tended to use much of their time dealing with discipline problems amongst drug abusers. The prevalence of drug abuse among the youth is high and therefore there should be concerted efforts by the ministry of education officials, school management and parents in general to combat the use of drugs in schools and outside school.
Keywords: Challenges, Discipline Management, Drugs Use, Secondary Schools, Student Leaders
Constraints Principals Face in Enhancing Democratic School Governance in Kenyan Public Secondary Schools (Published)
In Kenya, democratic school leadership is becoming increasingly important as elsewhere in the world as one way of fostering democracy in the society. The Ministry of Education has come up with policies on how to enhance democracy at the school level but school principals still face major challenges in fostering democracy in the daily running of their schools. This study set out to establish the challenges principals face in enhancing democratic school governance in Kenyan Public Secondary schools. The study utilized cross-sectional descriptive survey strategy that employed mixed methods approach. The target population of the study was all principals and senior teachers, of all the 122 public secondary school in Baringo County, Kenya. The study sample was selected using stratified sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Data was collected by use of questionnaire and interview schedule and were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively
Keywords: Constrains, Democratic School Governance, Principals, Secondary Schools
Dilemma of indiscipline in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Toro Local Government Area Plateau State Nigeria, Implications for Corruption and Terrorism (Published)
This research was prompted by the dilemma of indiscipline in secondary schools in Toro local government area of Plateau state. The essence of the study was to identify risk factors of indiscipline, its effects on students’ academic performance, its’ implications for teacher effectiveness and relate its’ potentials for corruption and terrorism. The purpose was to come up with more effective alternative ways to address the phenomenon. The study had six objectives. Ten research questions guided the study. The theoretical anchor was Ivan Pavlov operant conditioning theory which explains maladjusted behavior. The sampling frame was made up of 102 secondary schools, 2887 teachers and 31604 students. The survey design was adopted. The convenient sampling technique was used. The simple percentage and averages were utilized to analyze the data. The sole instrument used was a structured questionnaire. The basic suggestion advocates a rethink of the effectiveness of the teachers and the state of school environment. The government should provide scholarships at secondary and tertiary levels for deserving students, implement free education, and also explore avenues of providing lucrative jobs for graduates as motivating factors. Disciplinary cases should be referred to juvenile courts. The system of education should provide differentiated curriculum.
Keywords: Corruption, Dilemma, Implication, Indiscipline, Secondary Schools, Terrorism
Factors Contributing To the Performance of Music Students in Secondary Schools in Nairobi County, Kenya (Published)
In teaching music, the teachers ought to strive to transform the students in terms of the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. Therefore, the teacher’s task is to create or influence desirable changes in behavior or tendencies towards behavior in his or her student. This paper is an exploration into the factors that contribute to the performance of music students in secondary schools. Focus is on Nairobi County which was the study area. The study used a descriptive approach. The target population constituted teachers and students teaching and learning music respectively. Purposive sampling was used to select 23 schools that offer music and 23 music teachers who teach music in Nairobi County. Music students were selected using simple random sampling. A total number of 180 out of 360 form three music students and 23 teachers participated in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires, classroom observation schedule and focus group discussions. For validity in data analysis, triangulation was used in data collection and presentation. Data was coded considering the interrelatedness of responses. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tabular form containing the number of responses per item (frequency) and the percentage of each response via graphs
Keywords: Music Curriculum, Secondary Schools, Student Performance, Teachers
Perceived Contributory Motivational Factors to Teachers’ Effective Job Performance in Secondary Schools in Afikpo Education Zone, Ebonyi State (Published)
The study was focused on examining perceived contributory motivational factors to teachers’ effective job performance in Secondary Schools in Afikpo Education Zone. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study covered all the five Local government areas in the zone, which consists of (43) public schools with all the teachers totaling two hundred and sixty-five (265). The selection of sample was first done in clusters, based on the 5 local government areas under the zone. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 5 schools from each cluster, (2) under urban and (3) under rural areas, making a total of (10) and (15) urban and rural public secondary schools respectively. With the use of proportionate sampling technique a total of (125) teachers were selected for sampling, (50) from urban and (75) from rural areas. The gender composition from the total sample size of 125 consists of (29) female and (96) male teachers respectively. The instrument for data collection was a self developed instrument questionnaire titled, “Perceived influence of Teachers’ motivation on teachers’ job performance in Secondary Schools in Afikpo Education Zone (PTMTJP)”. The instrument was given face validation and corrections were incorporated adopted as final version of the instrument. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to calculate the index, which gave a reliability of co-efficient of 0.67 which showed that it was usable. Descriptive statistical tools; mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 alpha levels of significance. Results showed that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivational related factors influence job performance of teachers. However, low public opinion on teaching profession as well as non-material rewards were not accepted as significant teachers’ intrinsic motivational factors for job performance. Recommendations showed that government needs to improve on teachers’ material need while administrators need to adopt more human relation approach to school governance among others.
Keywords: Afikpo Education Zone, Ebonyi State, Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivational Needs, Job Performance, Secondary Schools, Teachers’ Motivation
Methods Used By Teachers to Teach Christian Religious Education in Secondary Schools in Kimilili in Bungoma County, Kenya (Published)
Christian Religious Education in secondary schools in Kenya occupies a key position in the 8-4-4 curriculum. This is so because it enables the learner to integrate all subjects of the curriculum into a more mature view of self, their relationship with the environment, both physical and cultural, other people and God. The purpose of the study was to establish factors that face the use of audiovisual resources for teaching Christian Religious Education (CRE) in Kimilili Division, Bungoma County in Western Kenya. Based on the study, this paper surveys the methods used by teachers in teaching CRE in the study area. The study adopted a survey research design. Random sampling was used to select both CRE teachers and students to participate in the study while stratified sampling was used to select the schools. The sample was drawn from secondary schools in Kimilili Division of Bungoma County in Kenya. The sample size was made up of 266 respondents, comprising 242 CRE students and 24 CRE teachers. Data was collected using questionnaires and observation schedules. The study used two sets of questionnaires; one for CRE teachers and another for students. The collected data was quantitatively analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented using tables and graphs. The findings showed that the CRE subject is mainly taught using verbal communication and the use of textbooks is common. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that curriculum planners and other educational stakeholders in Kenya should establish CRE resource centres in every County so that resources for teaching CRE can easily be availed to teachers for teaching the subject. This paper will help teachers and other educational stakeholders to understand the importance of combining various methods in teaching with the sole purpose of ensuring that learners are able to master, retain and live out the content that is taught in CRE in Kenya.
Keywords: CRE, Christian Religious Education, Kenya, Methods, Secondary Schools, Teachers
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS’ TRAINING IN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF LIFE SKILLS CURRICULUM IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ELDORET EAST DISTRICT, KENYA (Published)
The teacher is the most important ingredient in the effective teaching and learning and more so the life skills. It is therefore important that teachers are very well prepared to meet this new challenge of teaching life skills. The success of a teacher largely depends on his/her personal context, personal efforts and his/her general personality. These characteristics can be greatly enhanced if a teacher receives specialized training in methods of teaching life skills education programme. This prompted the author to carry out a study in life skills teaching in secondary schools in Eldoret East District in Kenya. This paper discusses the findings on how the training of teachers influences life skills education in the study area. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The techniques used to select the research sample were stratified, purposive and simple random sampling. Two hundred and forty (240) students, 45 teachers and 15 heads of humanities department were selected to participate in the study. To collect data, questionnaire and interview schedule were used. Data collected were coded in Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSSv 13.5) and analysed by non parametric Chi-square (χ2) test, descriptive statistics and frequency distribution. The findings were presented in form of tables, charts and graphs. The study revealed that teachers were not fully prepared to teach life skills and were in dire need of in-service courses for effective teaching. It was therefore recommended the Ministry of Education through KIE should facilitate in-service training of LSE teachers at least once per year and provide clear guidelines on how to teach the contents of LSE. Investigation into teachers’ classroom competence has yielded findings, which can be used for the betterment of teaching and learning of life skills in Kenyan secondary schools. Curriculum developers would find the research findings useful as they reflect on the extent in which the objectives set for the course are being achieved
Keywords: Eldoret East District, Kenya, Life Skills Education, Role, Secondary Schools, Teacher Training
Principals’ Supervisory Techniques and Teachers’ Job Performance in Secondary Schools in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria (Published)
The study investigated the relationship between principals’ supervisory techniques and teachers’ job performance in Ikom Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The sample was 86 principals, 344 teachers and 1,376 students drawn from a population of 86 principals, 1829 teachers and 35,359 students in public secondary schools in the study area. To achieve the purpose of the study, two null hypotheses were formulated. Data collection was carried out with the use of two research instruments titled “Principals’ Supervisory Technique Questionnaire (PSTQ)” and “Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ)”. The instruments were subjected to face validity and Cronbach Alpha reliability estimate. The reliability value obtained ranged between 0.73 and 0.78. These figures confirmed that the instruments were reliable in achieving the objective of the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis (r) was used for data analysis at .05 level of significance. Results obtained revealed that a significant relationship exist between principals’ supervisory techniques in terms of classroom visitation, workshop techniques and teachers’ job performance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that job performances of teachers would be enhanced when they are properly supervised by principals using the various supervisory techniques.
Keywords: Job Performance, Principals, Secondary Schools, Teachers, supervisory techniques
INSTITUTIONALIZING GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING-A PANACEA FOR MANAGING STUDENT DISCIPLINE IN KENYAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE POST-CANING ERA. (Published)
In Kenya, as it is elsewhere in the world, corporal punishment has been banned as a disciplinary mechanism in schools. The Ministry of Education through a circular came up with strategies that would suitably replace corporal punishment which among others included the strengthening of Guidance and Counselling services in all educational institutions. This study investigated the extent to which teachers, students and parents agreed or disagreed that the institutionalization of guidance and counseling will assist in the management of discipline in schools. The research design adopted was survey and the study was conducted in Nakuru District in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. All the teachers, learners and parents of all the public secondary schools in Nakuru District formed the population of the study. The study employed stratified random sampling, simple random sampling and convenient sampling techniques. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Keywords: Discipline, Guidance and Counselling, Post- Caning era., Secondary Schools, institutionalization