Utilization of guidance and counselling in management Of discipline in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality, Uasin Gishu County

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to compare guidance and counseling and corporal punishment in management of pupils’ discipline in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality, Uasin Gishu County. The specific objectives of the study were: to determine guidance and counseling services as offered to pupils, to find out how guidance and counseling services are offered to pupils, to determine the effects of guidance and counseling on pupils’ discipline and to examine challenges faced by the head teachers, deputy head teachers and teachers in using guidance and counseling in management of pupils discipline in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study targeted 2,668 subjects who comprised of 42 head teachers, 42 deputy head teachers, 64 teachers and 2520 standard eight pupils in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality. Morgan Krejcie table was used to select a size of 427 respondents comprising of 18 head teachers, 18 deputy head teachers, 56 teachers and 335 pupils. Questionnaires and interview schedule were research instruments used for data collection. Pilot study was carried out in two public primary schools in Kapsabet town in Nandi County. Validity and reliability used were determined by giving the questionnaires to supervisors, research experts and colleagues who critically examined and assessed their suitability in relation to the objectives of the study. Test and re-test method was applied to ascertain reliability. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Data was presented in form of frequency tables, pie-charts and bar graphs. The study established that social such as forming relationships, choosing suitable careers and behavior services such as how to conduct themselves within the school premises and in the society is services offered. Pilot Study was carried out in two public schools in Kapsabet Municipality, Nandi County. The study found out that guidance and counseling services are offered to pupils in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality through organizations for guidance and counseling services in the school by head-teachers and guidance and counseling departments which offer guidance and counseling services to the pupils and others invite guest speakers and teachers from other schools to come and offer guidance and counseling talks to pupils. Effects of guidance and counseling on the management of pupils’ discipline in schools were that it helps to develop a very free and friendly atmosphere, it allows pupils to vent out any pent-up anger that would otherwise have been let loose on fellow pupils or school property and counseling helps students to cope with change on their daily lives and environment .The findings of the study were expected to be beneficial to school Head teachers, policy makers, parents and other stake holders of education in Kenya. Challenges faced in using guidance and counseling in management of pupils’ discipline in public primary schools in Eldoret Municipality were lack of policy framework for implementation, lack of enough trained teacher counselors to head the department, inadequate resource materials to be used during counseling sessions, too much workload for teachers hence no time for counseling, pupils do not take guidance and counseling correction seriously and inadequate private rooms for guidance and counseling sessions. Based on the conclusions of the study, the researcher recommends that the government should deliberately organize seminars, conferences, workshops and other symposiums where experts can be invited to teach teachers on the modern issues and changes in education as far as discipline is concerned. The study suggests that further study should be carried out on the effects of guidance and counseling on pupils’ on academic performance in public primary schools.