Factors Influencing Social Cohesion Initiatives In Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

The structure and rationale of any peace building training has the goal of building patterns of unity in diversity amongst the members of the major diverse (ethnic/economic) groups. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors influencing social cohesion in secondary schools in Baringo County. The study adopted the classical ecological model of child development as its theoretical framework and sought to achieve four objectives. The first was to determine how training students in social cohesion is successful in the county of Baringo. The second was to investigate the extent social and educational infrastructure in schools influences peace. The third, the influence of training heads of schools in social cohesion. Lastly, the study also sought to determine the role teachers play in social cohesion in schools. The research used descriptive survey design. Using purposive sampling, five secondary schools which had been in existence for at least four years were sampled for this study. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics in frequency Tables with the help of the statistical package for social sciences software and was collected using a questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of 5 principals, 20 teachers and 122 students. There were three sets of questionnaires. One questionnaire was meant for students another for teachers and another for head teachers. Apart from section A of the three sets questionnaire, which was required respondents to fill in their background information, section B was totally different in all three sets. Section B of the three sets of questionnaires meant to address the objectives of the study. The return rate of the questionnaire was very high at 80%. The reliability of the instruments was above 0.8 using Pearson‗s product moment correlation coefficient. The main findings of the study indicated that the social cohesion programs are yet to be fully rolled out in all schools. The study also found out that some of the initiatives were very effective in bringing about a peaceful school and thus peaceful society while others were not very effective. Most of the teachers and administrators welcomed social cohesion positively. In addition, there is a positive relationship between the training of students in social cohesion and the peace in school. The relationship between social, educational infrastructure in school and peace was found to be positive. The training of heads of schools and influence of social cohesion is also positive. The findings have important implications on social cohesion. For instance, more teachers need to be trained in social cohesion. And although peace clubs in the form of Amani club is an initiative that is noble, it has not been embraced as most students are not members of this club. This implies that the students have not fully understood what Amani club is. Further areas of research suggested were carrying out a study on factors influencing social cohesion in the whole society in Kenya. In addition, a study may be carried out to investigate the factors influencing social cohesion in institutions of higher learning so as to determine if there exist any social cohesion in institutions of higher learning, how it was implemented and the relevance of social cohesion in institutes of higher learning.