Nexus between Hidden Curriculum in Basic Police Training and Police Peformance: Case of National Police College Embakasi a Campus in Nairobi County, Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Kathuli, Stephen
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The aim of this research is to assess the nexus between hidden curriculum in basic police training and police performance at the National Police College Embakasi A Campus. The objectives of this research are to; assess the effect of relations between students and instructors; investigate the effect of the punitive administration; assess the effect of police subcultures and; investigate the effect of training methodology on police performance. The problem in this study is that it is not clear whether hidden curriculum in basic police training has subsequently influenced police performance. Few official reports or studies have been done to show the impact of hidden curriculum in basic police training on police performance. The study utilized the Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura (1983) to explain the nexus between hidden curriculum in basic police training and police performance. The study used survey design in order to obtain quantitative and qualitative data. The target population for this study was 385 instructors in NPC Embakasi A Campus serving in the ranks of Gazetted officers, inspectorate and other ranks. The target population also included ordinary members of the public in Nairobi County. Stratified random sampling was applied to select respondents comprising of instructors from NPC Embakasi A Campus and serving officers in RDU. Ordinary members of the public in Nairobi County were selected by snow ball sampling to make the study sample size to be 147. Research data was collected using a questionnaire and a key informant interview and personally administered by the researcher. The collected qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis and discussed narratively under themes. The quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS computer package and organized in percentages and frequency distributions. These results were then presented in tables. The researcher also adhered to ethical considerations in the process of research. The study found that skill at arms and physical fitness were the training units with the most effect to police performance as shown by a high relevance of 47% and 45.5% respectively. The attitudes that were passed to trainees with the contribution of instructors included occupational socialization or police norms and use of police discretion as indicated by a high relevance of 40.9% and 46.2 % respectively. The study found that the punishment administered to trainees that had the highest effect on performance of police officers included extreme or unfair punishment for mistakes (28%) and performing difficult duties unnecessarily (31.1%). It was also found that cumulatively, the hidden curriculum from police subcultures influences police service performance to a moderate extent represented by 28.8% of the respondents. The study recommends that instructors in the police training institutions be subjected to an assessment Centre to filter those undisciplined. Efforts should be made to deploy instructors based on competence and to areas they are likely to be most effective and efficient. A robust trainee selection process should be put in place with an aim of recruiting a manageable number of trainees per session. Further studies are recommended in the other NPS campuses to find out the causes of police brutality in the country.
Description
A Research Project submitted to the School of Security, Diplomacy and Peace Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master Of Arts of Kenyatta University, November, 2020
Keywords
Nexus, Hidden Curriculum, Basic Police Training, Police Peformance:, National Police College, Embakasi Campus, Nairobi County, Kenya