The role of guidance and counseling in enhancing student discipline in public secondary schools in Koibatek Sub-county, Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

Discipline cases in public secondary schools in Koibatek Sub-County have become a matter of concern in recent years to all players in the education sector. Discipline has an adverse effect on academic performance. Despite the Ministry of Education Policy for all schools to establish guidance and counseling programme as an alternative disciplinary measure, schools are still experiencing an increasing number of discipline problems. The study therefore sought to establish the role of guidance and counseling in enhancing students discipline in public secondary schools in Koibatek Sub-County, Baringo County in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Population of the study was 2624 students in 23 public secondary schools 23 principals, 23 counselors and 227 teachers. Purposive sampling was used to get the accessible population, 8 principals, 8 counselors, 79 teachers and 912 students were involved. Stratified random sampling was used to sample 23 teachers and 262 students. Data was collected through administration of three sets of questionnaires for students, teachers, counselors and interview schedule for principals. Validity of the instruments was determined by experts from the Department of Psychology, Counseling and Educational Foundations of Egerton University. Reliability of instruments was verified through a pilot study in three public secondary schools not included in the study.3principals 3 counselors 9 teachers and 24 students were involved in pilot study Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used. The alpha coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17.00. From the findings it was discovered that guidance and counseling was not a widely used method in addressing students discipline problems. Students cause havoc just before Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Mock Examination so that they can find an excuse as to why they had performed poorly. The study recommends that teacher counselors should go for guidance and counseling training to facilitate effective counseling to enhance students’ discipline. The government through ministry of education should come with clear policy to improve guidance and counseling services in secondary schools.