FACTORS INFLUENCING SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ APPROACHES ON MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS’ DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA

Authors

Keywords:

Management, students, discipline, public, secondary schools, Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

The objective of the study was to establish factors influencing effectiveness of school principal’ approaches on students’ discipline in public secondary schools in Migori County. This study was informed by behaviour modification by operant theory. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design with a population consisting of 271 principals, 271 deputy principals, 271 student leaders, 1759 teachers and 10 Sub-county Directors of Education (SCD). The study sampled 74 principals, 74 deputy principals, 74 student leaders, 8 SCDs and 317 teachers from Krejcie and Morgan table respectively summing up to 547 respondents. Data was collected using 2 questionnaires; one for administrators, and the other for teachers while an Interview guide to gather information from SCDs and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide from student leaders. Piloting, involving 10% from each category of the respondents, was done to determine reliability and validity of the research tools. Test-retest method was used to establish reliability by employing Pearson’s r with a reliability threshold of 0.70 and above. Face and content validity was determined by experts in Educational  Management and Policy and determination of Content validity Index (CVI) at 0.85. Quantitative data was analysed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation and T-test while qualitative data was coded, transcribed and organized thematically. Factors influencing effectiveness of disciplinary approaches was influential mean rating of 3.35. Findings are important to educational administrators, policy makers and planners in understanding how different factors influence discipline. The study concludes that principal's attitude, parental involvement in discipline cases, and principal's experience are highly influential factors in managing student discipline in secondary schools. Principal's attitude was found to be the most influential, with both teachers and administrators rating it as highly influential. The study   recommends that the Ministry of Education, through the Board of Management, should establish a clear policy on parental involvement for rewarding and giving motivational talks to students and teachers. This will promote schools to consistently recognize and encourage good behavior, leading to long-term improvement of school discipline.

Published

2025-09-24

How to Cite

Lynnette, R. A. (2025). FACTORS INFLUENCING SCHOOL PRINCIPALS’ APPROACHES ON MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS’ DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MIGORI COUNTY, KENYA . International Research Journal of Rongo University, (Special Issue 2), 41–57. Retrieved from http://journals.rongovarsity.ac.ke/index.php/IJORU/article/view/96

Issue

Section

Special Issue 2: The 5th International Multidisciplinary Conference of Rongo University