STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY TEACHERS TO MANAGE DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS AT LANGATA DISTRICT, NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA IGWE ANGELA ANAYO REG.NO. 1021014 A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements of the Award of Masters in Education to the Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Education in The Catholic University of Eastern Africa February 2014 ii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to God Almighty and to all teachers who work hard to instill values into all students under their tutelage. I also dedicate it to my dear friend and Sister Ijeoma Orji who passed into glory on the 29th of December 2013 as I was about to finish this work. May she rest in the bosom of the Lord. iii ABSTRACT This study looked into the strategies adopted by teachers in disciplining students in Langata District of Nairobi. It used mixed method research paradigm. Eight Private and 4 public secondary were used as samples alongside their principals while 92 teachers were sampled using stratified sampling. Data collection instruments were Questionnaire, Interview guide and Document analysis guide. The reliability test of the questionnaires have coefficient of reliability as 0.72 and 0.8 for the teachers and principals respectively. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Chi-square test for independence was used in testing the hypothesis and the results showed that there was no significant difference in strategies used by male and female teachers and between the private and public schools. Findings revealed that teachers use all the six strategies but rated cognitive and supportive strategies as very effective and punitive strategy as moderate. Major challenge faced by teachers in disciplining students after the ban of corporal punishment is students being unaffected and not wanting to change with the minor punishments given to them. Teachers suggested that partnering with all stakeholders and employing professionals in guidance and counseling will be of great help in improving students’ discipline. Based on the finding the researcher recommended a whole school community approach where all stakeholders will be involved in students’ discipline. Ministry of education should provide practical guidelines on students discipline and review Child’s Right. Marvin Marshal and Curwin and Mendler’s Models was also recommended for teachers use. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank God Almighty who in His infinite love and mercy gave me the grace to round off this course in Education. I am indebted to my beloved Mother Mary on whose intercession I rely on most often when the going gets tough for me. I also thank my Religious family (The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary) for granting me the opportunity to pursue this study. My thanks go especially to Rev. Sr. Maureen O’Malley who dimmed it right with her team that I should have more studies in education field to be able to cope with my primary assignment. I owe special gratitude to my supervisors Dr. Sr. Jacinta M. Adhiambo and Prof. Belainesh Araya who have helped me to learn more on how to carry out research by scrutinizing my work thoroughly. May God grant them help all the days of their lives. Special thanks to Dr. Marcella Momanyi the Head of Department Educational Administration and Planning whose support and care have helped me throughout my studies in this department and Dr. Simon Kang’ethe the Dean Faculty of Education who has been a source of inspiration and admiration to me in his apt knowledge of statistics. I cannot forget my lecturers in the Institute who impacted my life with great scholarly knowledge: Dr. Pauline Nam, Dr. Paschal Wambiya, Dr. Magdalene Dimba, Dr. Marcella Momanyi, Dr. Simon Kang’ethe, Dr. Elizabeth Ngumbi, Dr. Jerald Anyona, Mrs. Catherine Machyo and Mr. Simon Mailu.May God bless them all. I wish to say a hearty thank you to all those that participated in this work and most especially the school principals, the deputy principals and all the classroom teachers for their candid opinion which helped to generate the findings presented in this work. v I am indebted to Br. Henry Uzor and Sr. Therese Nwosu who took time to proof read my work. I am also most grateful to my colleagues who have been of great help to me by their suggestions especially Mr. Michael Tanui, Sr. Agatha Auma, Mrs. Rose Ngare and all those whose help and support are enormous, may the Lord keep them close to His heart of love. I feel indebted to my Regional Leader Sr. Helen Nwagwu and her Team whose support is enormous and my community members- Sisters Helen Onyiuke, Maria Ogueji, Linda Kiven, Ekwutosi Onyeke, Rachael Nwankwo, Ijeoma Orji, Perpetua Madu, Nkiru Egbo, Helen Ohiemi, Jacinta Obi, Nneka Arenye, Samba Sakungo, Julieta Muruthi and Anna Gathegu whose love and support gingered me to proceed in doing this thesis writing even when the going became tough. I also thank my parents and my siblings for their constant love which keeps me proceed in all that I do and all those who in one way or another have been a source of inspiration and support to me in carrying out this research work. May the Lord give them help when they are in need and sustain them all throughout their lives. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ............................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ xii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xiv ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMNS ............................................................................................ xv CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Research Hypothesis ................................................................................................................. 7 1.5 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Scope and Delimitations of the Study ....................................................................................... 8 1.7 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................. 9 1.7.1 Strengths of Assertive Discipline ......................................................................................... 13 1.7.2 Critique of Assertive Discipline ........................................................................................... 14 1.7.3 Application of Assertive Discipline ..................................................................................... 14 1.8 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................................................... 17 1.9 Operational Definitions of Terms ........................................................................................... 20 vii CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 22 2.1 Discipline Theories ................................................................................................................. 22 2.1.1 Marvin Marshall’s Theory ................................................................................................... 25 2.1.4 Application of Discipline without Stress, Punishment or Reward ...................................... 30 2.1.5 Justification of the Theory ................................................................................................... 34 2.2 Curwins’ and Mendler’s Theory: Discipline with Dignity ..................................................... 34 2.2.1 Strength of Curwins’ and Mendler’s Discipline with Dignity ............................................. 36 2.2.2 Critique of Curwins’ and Mendler’s Discipline with Dignity ............................................. 36 2.2.3 Application of Curwins’ and Mendler’s Discipline with Dignity ....................................... 37 2.2.4 Justification of Curwin and Mendler’s Theory .................................................................... 39 2.3 Students’ Behaviour and Discipline ........................................................................................ 39 2.4 Teachers Experience and School Discipline ........................................................................... 42 2.5 Teachers Discipline Approaches............................................................................................. 43 2.6 Empirical Studies on Teachers and Discipline ....................................................................... 46 2.6.1 Teachers Disciplinary Strategies.......................................................................................... 46 2.6.2. Effectiveness of Teachers Disciplinary Strategies .............................................................. 51 2.6.3 Kenya Government Policy on School Discipline and Teachers Strategies ......................... 52 2.6.4 Challenges Faced by Teachers in using Alternative Approaches ........................................ 53 2.4 Critique of the Literature and Knowledge Gap....................................................................... 55 viii CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 58 3.1 Research Design...................................................................................................................... 58 3.2 Target Population .................................................................................................................... 59 3.3 Description of Sample and Sampling Procedure .................................................................... 59 3.3.1 Sampling Procedure for Schools .......................................................................................... 60 3.3.2 Sampling Procedure for School Principals and Discipline Masters/Mistresses .................. 61 3.4 Description of Research Instruments ...................................................................................... 62 3.4.1 Semi- structured Interview for School Discipline Masters/Mistresses ................................ 62 3.4.2 Document Analysis Guide ................................................................................................... 63 3.4.3 Questionnaire for Teachers .................................................................................................. 64 3.4.3 Questionnaire for School Principals .................................................................................... 64 3.6 Validity, Pilot Testing and Reliability of Instruments ............................................................ 65 3.6.1 Validity ................................................................................................................................ 65 3.6.2 Pilot Testing of Instrument .................................................................................................. 65 3.6.3 Reliability ............................................................................................................................. 66 3.7 Data Collection Procedures..................................................................................................... 68 3.8 Description of Data Analysis Procedures ............................................................................... 69 3.8 Ethical Considerations ............................................................................................................ 70 CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 4.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 72 ix 4.1 Return Rate of Questionnaires and Interview Guide .............................................................. 72 4.2 Demographic Information of the Respondents ....................................................................... 73 4.2.1 Demographic information of Principals............................................................................... 77 4.3 The Strategies Adopted By Male and Female Teachers to Discipline Students in Langata Schools .......................................................................................................................................... 82 4.4.3 Discipline Strategies of Teachers and its Resonance with the Kenyan Government policy on school discipline....................................................................................................................... 96 4.4.4 Teachers Past and Present Experience ................................................................................. 98 4.4.5 The Challenges Teachers Face in Practising Alternative Discipline Approaches ............. 101 4.4.6 Suggestions on How to Improve School Discipline .......................................................... 104 4.5 Hypothesis Testing................................................................................................................ 107 4.5.1 Discipline Strategy and Gender ......................................................................................... 108 4.5.2 Discipline Strategies and School Ownership ..................................................................... 115 4.6 Document Analysis ............................................................................................................... 121 CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY 5.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 127 5.1 Summary ............................................................................................................................... 127 5.2 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 131 5.3 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 132 5.4 Recommendations for Further Studies.................................................................................. 134 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 135 x