STAKEHOLDERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AS A MEANS OF FOSTERING MORAL VALUES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: A CASE OF SOY SUB-COUNTY, KENYA.

Abstract

Christian Religious Education (CRE) plays a vital role in Kenyan secondary schools, with its core objective being the development of students’ moral character. However, its effectiveness in addressing moral issues such as indiscipline, dishonesty, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancies remains a concern. In Uasin Gishu County, the continued decline in students’ moral values has raised questions about whether CRE is achieving its intended purpose. This study seeks to assess the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding CRE’s effectiveness in promoting moral values among secondary school students in Soy Sub-County, Uasin Gishu County. Specifically, the study aims to assess students’ perceptions, evaluate teachers’ perceptions, examine parents’ perceptions, and investigate the Board of Management’s perceptions of CRE’s effectiveness in promoting moral values. Anchored in Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Lawrence Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development, the study adopts a pragmatism research philosophy and an exploratory research design. The target population comprised 51 CRE teachers, 681 Form Four students and their parents, and 867 Board of Management members. Using Yamane’s sample size formula, a sample of 825 respondents was determined. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were employed to ensure balanced representation. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed quantitatively with SPSS version 23 and qualitatively through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that stakeholders acknowledged CRE’s potential in shaping students’ moral character. Students, teachers, and parents affirmed its role in promoting honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility, and compassion. However, several challenges were identified, including students’ lack of seriousness toward the subject, overemphasis on examinations, negative societal influences, and limited parental involvement. To enhance CRE’s impact, the study recommends increasing lesson time through Boards of Management, offering regular in-service training for teachers on interactive pedagogy, and strengthening church-based mentorship programs. Parents Teachers Association forums should also reinforce value formation at home. The study further recommends longitudinal research to track moral development over time and evaluate how the current CRE curriculum responds to emerging societal challenges such as digital ethics and environmental responsibility.