| dc.description.abstract | Indiscipline in public secondary schools in Kenya has escalated despite
various intervention measures.
This study endeavors to unearth the factors influencing principals' performance in
maintaining discipline in public secondary schools in Central Division of Machakos
District. To meet this objective, the researcher developed research objectives and
subsequently research questions. Literature related to the topic under study was reviewed
and a conceptual framework was also provided capturing the various variables which
determine discipline in schools and whether they have an effect on the maintenance of
discipline in schools.
The study used ex-post facto design method to study the variables. A target population of
24 headteachers, 324 teachers and one D.B.O was used for the study from which 22
headteachers, 175 teachers and one D.E.O. were sampled randomly. Questionnaires for
headteachers and teachers were developed. An interview schedule was developed for the
D.B.O. Data were personally collected by the researcher after conducting a pilot study to
validate the research instruments. The data were then analyzed and reported ..
The major findings of the study were that many schools in the Division experienced
indiscipline among the students. The study also found out that there were more male
headteachers (77%) as compared to female headteachers (23%), 77% of the headteachers
sampled were aged 36-45 years of age, and this did not influence discipline among the
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students. In addition, most of the headteachers (72.2%) were found to be a highly trained
cadre of professionals.
The findings indicated that headteachers who had previously worked as teachers
comprised 45.5% of the respondents while 31.5% had served as heads of departments and
that 72% of the headteachers were experienced in management prior to their
appointment. At the same time 86% said they never attended any in-service course after
appointment to headship position. This is despite the findings that 36.7% of the
headteachers had served for a period of between 6 - 10 years.
The study concluded that, there was no relationship between the gender of the
headteachers and indiscipline in schools, that there was a strong relationship between the
experience of headteachers and indiscipline in schools and that there was no proper
orientation of the teachers who are promoted to head schools though training and inservice
courses. The study recommended that the appointment of headteachers should be
balanced across all gender since there is no relationship between gender and indiscipline
in schools, that for a teacher to be appointed to head an institution the person should have
served as a deputy headteacher for a period deemed to be long enough to provide the
necessary experience to head an institution; that newly appointed headteachers should be
grven in-service training on management in general and particularly in guidance and
counselling as a method of handling disciplinary issues in an schools. The study also
recommended that headteachers should attend refresher courses in order to keep abreast
with the issues affecting the youth globally: | en |
