Odhiambo, Okita Dan2021-02-012021-02-012020http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/21271A Research Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology of Education of Kenyatta University. October, 2020Secondary school education is an important stage in the educational cycle of a child because it is the foundation for further education, training and work. Despite the importance of this level of education, girls‟ academic performance in Nakuru County has generally been low. The unsatisfactory performance could be due to drugs and substance abuse given that the county had been experiencing an increase in number of cases of drug and substance abuse in schools. This study investigated drugs, substance abuse, and their effects on academic performance of girls in secondary schools in Nakuru County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish: factors contributing to drug and substance abuse, sources and types of drugs and substances, strategies used to curb the vice and effects of drug and substance abuse on academic performance. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design and involved girls‟ schools only. The accessible population comprised of 5,188 Form Threes, 74 Deputy Principals, 74 Guidance and Counselling (G&C) teachers, and 74 Parents‟ Association (P.A) Chairpersons. Stratified, proportionate and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the 371 students, 44 Deputy Principals, 44 Guidance and Counselling teachers and 44 P.A Chairpersons who participated in the study. Five instruments, namely; PA representatives‟, G&C and students‟ questionnaires, Deputy Principals‟ interview schedule and students‟ focus group discussion guide were used to collect data. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe and summarise data. Qualitative data generated by open ended items in the questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions were organised in themes pertinent to the study objectives and summarised using frequencies and percentages. The findings reveal that excess pocket money, media, poor relationship between girls and parents/guardians, ineffective guidance and counselling, perception that drugs enhance performance, peer pressure, stress, single parenting, rejection by family members, and lack of corporation between parents/guardians and schools were the factors which contribute to drugs and substances abuse. Sources of drugs and substance were chemists, pharmacies, fellow students, peddlers, and members of communities neighbouring schools while emergency pills, contraceptives, painkillers, alcohol and antibiotics were the commonly used drugs. Provision of basic needs, guidance and counselling, strict enforcement of school rules and regulations, involvement of local communities and inculcating religious values were the strategies for curbing drugs and substance abuse while punishment was not. Drugs and substance abuse affected the health, behaviour, discipline and girls‟ participation in learning, and their performance. It was recommended that policies be developed which bring teachers, students, local communities, parents businesses groups together in the war against drugs and substance menace. It was also recommended that; rules on sale of prescription drugs be tightened, mandatory training in drugs and substance for principals and teachers and drug education in curriculum be introduced, need for policy guidelines for monitoring and evaluating strategies used to curb drugs and substance abuse. It was further recommended that schools develop policies that promote participation in learning by creating environments that make it enjoyable and interesting to students.enDrugSubstance AbuseGirls’ Academic PerformanceSecondary SchoolsNakuru CountyKenyaThesis