A study of the relationship between indiscipline cases and punishment given to secondary school students in Wajir District

Abstract

A major goal of psychology is to predict human behaviour. It is also the goal of any education system to produce an all round person after a successful completion of a given educational cycle. One prerequisite for proper learning to take place is discipline to be maintained inside and outside the classroom. It is therefore a goal for any school administration and the teachers to maintain discipline in their schools. This formed the foundation of this research where the relationship between student's misbehaviour and the punishment given by teachers was under study. A sample of three schools was obtained in Wajir District which involved a hundred and twenty students, thirty teachers and three head teachers. Questionnaires and interview schedules were the main tools for data collection. Descriptive statistics was used in the analysis and presentation of data. The study realized that there was a relationship between indiscipline and punishment since punishment was seen to be effective in controlling student's misbehaviour to an extent. However, majority of those involved in the study were of the view that guidance and counselling more than punishment was effective in controlling student misbehaviour in schools.