Group polarization in decision making: a study of selected secondary school disciplinary panels in Rongo District of Kenya
Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Behaviour problems have been on the rise in Kenyan schools for some time now.Various maladaptive behaviours found among school children include bullying, vandalism, stealing, alcohol and drug abuse, truancy, not completing homework assignments and other forms of problem behaviours.These problem behaviours impact negatively on the teaching and learning enterprises of schools as well as on the safety and security of the school environment.As consequence, schools have to develop student behaviour management practices aimed at addressing student problem behaviours.Corporal punishment was a major means by which schools dealt with students' problem behaviours.However, because of the human rights abuses associated with corporal punishment, the Kenyan Ministry of Education had to abolish corporal punishment in 2001 and instructed schools to evolve more effective student behaviour management practices with strong emphasis on positive student behaviour development.Schools' student behaviour management practices including policies on student behaviour expectations, school rules and regulations as well as counselling services are all to be coordinated by each School Disciplinary Panel.A School Disciplinary Panel is to be composed of small group of teachers as a way of emphasizing the latter's roles in student behaviour development and not just student academic or educational development.The central concern of this study was to investigate the Kenyan schools' behaviour management practices as being implemented by School Disciplinary Panels especially in the latter's responses to students' problem behaviours.The study investigated processes of decision making by Kenyan secondary school disciplinary panels for the management of student behaviours and the contribution of this to student behaviour development.Mixed methods research design was adopted for the study.The adoption of both quantitative and qualitative approaches was to ensure the collection of comprehensive vi
Author: Peter J. O. Aloka
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W314640170