| dc.description.abstract | Globally, alcohol is the most widely abused drug in our society, perhaps because it is somehow legal and readily available. A leading cause of death, alcohol abuse takes the lives not only of problem drinkers, but also of innocent persons. More than 50% of all automobile accidents involve alcoholism. Abuse of alcohol can lead to alcoholism, a terrible disease that afflicts one in every ten persons in our population without regard to gender, race or social status.
The overall research problem addressed in this study was that despite the many measures put in place by the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission to improve the performance of teachers in primary schools; little has been done to determine the influence of alcoholism on performance of duties by public primary school teachers in Ugenya district. This was a serious omission particularly when put into consideration that there was evidence of alcoholism among public primary school teachers in Ugenya district.
The purpose of this study was to determine influence of alcoholism on performance of duties by teachers in public primary schools in U genya district. The major objective of the study was to determine the influence of alcoholism on performance of duties by teachers in public primary schools in U genya district. The findings from the study would help bridge gaps left by the previous studies on alcoholism and its influence on work performance and also to add knowledge on existing literature on alcoholism. Several literatures on alcoholism and its effects were reviewed. The effects were related through a conceptual framework and various related theories explored.
The study adopted descriptive survey design where qualitative and quantitative data was collected. The study population was 1246 which consisted of 1085 teachers, 155 head teachers, 6 education officers. Data was sourced through three different questionnaires. Data was analyzed using measures of central tendencies such as means, mode and measures of dispersion such as range and standard deviation. Frequency tables, percentages and total summations were used to present the data. The study findings revealed that teachers engage in alcohol consumption due to social/peer pressure, environmental influences, personal problems, social occasions and curiosity among other reasons. However, peer pressure and environmental factors are the leading causes of alcohol intake.
The study further revealed that alcoholism is a major cause of absenteeism among primary teachers in U genya district with 84.2 % of head teachers reporting that teachers who use alcohol do not attend school daily. The head teachers explained that the consequences of alcoholism such as hangovers results directly to absenteeism and inadequate teacher concentration on school duties. From the study, conclusions based on the findings were drawn. Based on the findings, it could be concluded that absenteeism and alcohol related diseases are the major consequences of alcoholism that influences teacher duties. The respondents suggested key agencies which are vital in finding solutions to alcoholism. These included government bodies, sports and leisure clubs, guidance and counseling agencies and the laws.
The bold recommendations from the study was that government should increase teachers' terms of service and monthly pay so that those who take alcohol are able to afford legal bottled alcohol. It was also felt that legalizing the brewing and sale of traditional brews and sensitization on the dangers of alcohol abuse could help streamline the use of these brews. The study suggested that further research on influence of alcoholism on teacher performance could be replicated in other areas especially Siaya and Bondo districts. A further study could also be carried out to determine the influence of other forms of drugs like bhang on teacher duties. There is need for further research to establish major reasons for taking alcohol and the positive benefits of alcoholism. | en_US |
