INFLUENCE OF TEACHERS’ INTERACTIVE STRATEGIES ON STUDENTS’ DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN URBAN AREAS IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

students’ discipline in secondary schools is paramount in determining the learners’ outcomes. Many schools in Kenya experience a growing level of indiscipline. School indiscipline has been of great concern over time to parents, the government and other educational stakeholders due to many cases of tardiness, drug abuse, cultism, rioting, theft, truancy and many other antisocial vices. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of teachers interactive strategies on students’ discipline in secondary schools in urban areas in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Three objectives were formulated: to establish the influence of communication interactive strategies on students’ discipline in secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County; to establish the influence of goal setting interactive strategies on students’ discipline in secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County and to establish the influence of social skill development interactive strategies on students’ discipline in secondary schools in Uasin Gishu County. The study was guided by Operant learning theory. A conceptual framework was designed to guide this study. The study employed descriptive research design which is suitable in collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population for this study was 18846 comprising of 23 principals, 38 deputy principals, 729 teachers and 18056 students. Krejcie and Morgan formula was used to calculate sample size. The sample size comprised of 252 teachers, 376 students, 23 principals and 38 deputy principals. Stratified sampling, simple random sampling and purposive sampling was used. Data was collected by use of questionnaires administered by the researcher through hand delivery and interview schedule. A pilot study was conducted in two schools which are not part of the study. Reliability of the instruments was done using internal consistency measure called Cronbach’s alpha [α] with threshold of above 0.7 which indicates the extent to which a set of test items can be treated as measuring a single latent variable. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 for descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics include frequency, percentages, means and standard deviations. Inferential statistics include correlation and multiple regression. The study findings revealed that there was positive linear influence of communication interactive strategies on students discipline (β1=.324; p=0.000). There was positive linear influence of social skill development interactive strategies and students discipline (β2=.336; p=0.000). There was positive linear influence of Goal setting interactive strategies and students discipline (β3=.400; p=0.000). The study concluded that effective communication interactive strategies, social skill development interactive strategies, and goal setting interactive strategies can all play important roles in promoting and managing student discipline. Setting goals and regularly discussing them with students can help them understand what is expected of them and feel more involved in managing discipline. Consistently enforcing school policies is crucial in promoting positive student behavior. The study recommended that school administrators and teachers should prioritize effective communication interactive strategies. Teachers should focus on developing social skills among students, particularly those related to emotional management, positive communication, and conflict resolution. Goal-setting strategies should be incorporated into disciplinary practices in schools.