Effectiveness Of Alternative Disciplinary Strategies Used In Secondary Schools In Starehe Division, Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to find out the effectiveness of alternative strategies of discipline used in Starehe Division, Nairobi County, Kenya. The objectives were: to determine the alternative discipline strategies being used in secondary schools in Starehe Division, Nairobi county, to determine the effectiveness of these strategies in management of discipline in secondary schools in Starehe Division, to determine the challenges faced in instilling discipline in secondary schools Starehe Division and to determine the strategies of improving alternative discipline in secondary schools in Starehe Division. The study employed descriptive survey design which is concerned with generalized statistics that result when data is extracted from respondents. Curwin and Mendler‟s theory of discipline with Dignity was used. This theory stresses on the use of non-punitive forms of discipline and the involvement of studies in making school rules that govern their behavior. The target population comprised of all principals, deputy principals teachers and students, of all 11 public secondary schools in Starehe Division, Nairobi County with 11 principals, 11 Deputy Principals, 340 teachers, and 6,274 students. The study locale was Starehe Division, Nairobi County. The instruments of data collection were questionnaires constructed by the researcher and the interview schedule which was administered to the principals. Piloting was done in one public school to test the reliability and validity of the research instruments. Data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).The questionnaires were used to generate both qualitative and quantitative data. Descriptive statistics was used to present the results of the study and determine general trends. The quantitative data was summarized into charts, graphs and pie charts. The study found out that various strategies of discipline being used in schools to instill discipline. The effectiveness of these strategies vary from school to school and also depending with the offence committed.Fr minor indiscipline manual punishment was effective while for major indiscipline alternative strategies include suspension, Exclusion, Guidance and counseling, peer mediation and teacher-student conferences. Further the study established that the ministry of Education should conduct in service courses for teachers regularly to upgrade their skills.