Counseling methods in promoting student discipline in public secondary schools in Kiambu county, Kenya
Abstract
Student indiscipline in secondary schools has continued in the recent times signified by the
recent strikes reported over the month of October in local media. Guidance and counseling was
introduced in secondary schools as an alternative method of dealing with indiscipline following
the abolishment of caning in schools. The study therefore sought to establish the influence of
different counseling methods in promoting indiscipline in district public secondary schools in
Kikuyu District.
The study was guided by objectives which included; to investigate the cases of indiscipline, to
establish the perceptions of students on the role of the school guidance and counselor, to
establish the guidance and counseling methods adopted and to investigate on the factors
affecting school administrations in the implementation of guidance and counseling programs in
public secondary schools.
The study was carried out in four secondary schools in the four Kikuyu educational zones;
Kabete, Karai, Thogoto and Muguga which were identified through simple random sampling
procedure. The sample of the study was 132 form four students, four headteachers and heads of
guidance and counseling corresponding to one in each school. Data collected was analyzed
using the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) in forms of frequency and percentages
and were presented in charts and tables.
Study findings indicated that group counseling was the most popular method of guidance and
counseling compared to individual counseling and peer counseling. Lack of parent participation
in their children’s discipline was also identified as a challenge that school headteachers faced in
promoting discipline in the schools. Headteachers and teacher guidance and counselors also
indicated a lack of resources as a challenge to the implementation of successful and effective
school guidance and counseling programme. Lack of ministerial support was the reason of the
lack of resources for schools guidance and counseling services.
Based on the study findings the study made the following recommendations; there should be
more communication between the different stakeholders in developing and education on the
school guidance and counseling objectives. There should be continuous training of teacher
counselors in schools facilitated by cooperation among stakeholders given the decentralization
of education management which would suit the different guidance and counseling challenges
faced in schools and the ministry should allocate each school a head of guidance and counseling
department who should have commensurate experience and expertise in children counseling.
Citation
Master of Arts Degree in Sociology Counseling ClusterPublisher
University of Nairobi Faculty of Arts
Description
Research project submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for a Master of Arts Degree in Sociology
Counseling Cluster