Extent To Which Guidance And Counseling Manages Student Discipline In Secondary Schools In Kirinyaga West Sub-County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Guidance and counseling plays a very important role in discipline management. Discipline motivates students to do what is right for the right reason. The purpose of this study was to find out extent to which guidance and counseling manages student discipline in secondary schools in Kirinyaga West Sub-County, Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish the status of guidance and counseling programs in secondary schools, to find out common forms of discipline issues handled by guidance and counseling teachers in secondary schools and to establish challenges facing guidance and counseling in the management of student discipline in Kirinyaga West Sub-County secondary schools. This study was based on the Behavioural Theory as it explains how behaviour is learned or acquired. The study adopted a descriptive survey research. The target population of this study was all 28 public secondary schools, 28 heads of guidance and counseling teachers and 1426 form three students in Kirinyaga West Sub-County. For this study, the researcher applied Gay principle to determine the sample size whereas simple random sampling technique was used to select the 10 heads of guidance and counseling departments and 143 students who took part in the study. Guidance and Counseling heads questionnaires and students’ questionnaires were used as the main research instrument to collect data for the study. The research instruments were tested for validity and reliability. A pilot study was conducted and correlation coefficient was computed and a reliability coefficient of 0.72 achieved thus the instruments were considered as reliable. Data collected was categorized, coded and analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS). Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics including mean scores, frequencies and percentages that was presented using table, charts and graphs. The study concludes that guidance and counseling is a key component in secondary schools and has assisted administration in managing discipline issues. The study established that majority of the form three learners had not undergone any form of guidance and counseling in the school though the rate of penetration of G & C in schools was significant.