Influence of students’ council decision-making skills on management of discipline in Secondary Schools in Mbeere South sub-county, Embu County, Kenya

Abstract

students’ discipline. The study adopted correlational research design. The target population was 848 comprising deputy principals and students council leaders from 53 public secondary schools. Stratified and purposive sampling were used to select a sample of 272 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and were piloted in four secondary schools purposively selected in Mbeere North Sub-County. The reliability of questionnaires was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient method. The researcher ascertained validity of the questionnaires by presenting them to experts in the Department of Education. Quantitative data gathered was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive data analysis was presented in form of mean, standard deviation, percentage and frequencies. The hypothesis was tested at α = 0.05 level of significance using linear regression model. The study established that students’ council decision-making skills influence management of students’ discipline in public secondary schools. The study recommended allocation of funds to students’ council activities in schools’ annual budget and monitoring of students’ council activities by Ministry of Education (MoE). It is hoped that the findings will be significant to school principals, teachers, students’ council leaders and educational policy makers in coming up with strategies to manage students’ discipline. The findings also provide additional literature on the management of students’ discipline in secondary schools in Kenya.