Counseling methods in promoting student discipline in public secondary schools in Kiambu county, Kenya

Abstract

Student indiscipline in secondary schools has continued in the recent times signified by the recent strikes reported over the month of October in local media. Guidance and counseling was introduced in secondary schools as an alternative method of dealing with indiscipline following the abolishment of caning in schools. The study therefore sought to establish the influence of different counseling methods in promoting indiscipline in district public secondary schools in Kikuyu District. The study was guided by objectives which included; to investigate the cases of indiscipline, to establish the perceptions of students on the role of the school guidance and counselor, to establish the guidance and counseling methods adopted and to investigate on the factors affecting school administrations in the implementation of guidance and counseling programs in public secondary schools. The study was carried out in four secondary schools in the four Kikuyu educational zones; Kabete, Karai, Thogoto and Muguga which were identified through simple random sampling procedure. The sample of the study was 132 form four students, four headteachers and heads of guidance and counseling corresponding to one in each school. Data collected was analyzed using the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) in forms of frequency and percentages and were presented in charts and tables. Study findings indicated that group counseling was the most popular method of guidance and counseling compared to individual counseling and peer counseling. Lack of parent participation in their children’s discipline was also identified as a challenge that school headteachers faced in promoting discipline in the schools. Headteachers and teacher guidance and counselors also indicated a lack of resources as a challenge to the implementation of successful and effective school guidance and counseling programme. Lack of ministerial support was the reason of the lack of resources for schools guidance and counseling services. Based on the study findings the study made the following recommendations; there should be more communication between the different stakeholders in developing and education on the school guidance and counseling objectives. There should be continuous training of teacher counselors in schools facilitated by cooperation among stakeholders given the decentralization of education management which would suit the different guidance and counseling challenges faced in schools and the ministry should allocate each school a head of guidance and counseling department who should have commensurate experience and expertise in children counseling.