Analysis of head teacher’s leadership styles on students’ Discipline in selected public secondary schools in Koibatek, Baringo County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish how the leadership style of a school head teacher influences students’ discipline in Koibatek sub-county. Four research objectives were formulated that sought to establish the principal‘s leadership style and its influence on discipline in public secondary schools in Koibatek sub-county, and analyze the extent to which the head teacher’s characteristics such as age, gender, education, background and administrative experience influenced student’s discipline. The study was guided by Likert’s systems theory. This study utilized descriptive survey design with the use of questionnaires, interviews and documentation as instruments of collecting data. Purposive sampling technique and simple random sampling technique were used to identify six secondary schools and the respondents from each school for the study. Stratified sampling was used to pick the sample size due to the different categories of public schools in the district to allow each participant have an equal chance of participating. The respondents included the six head teachers of the sampled schools and thirty students from each school, giving a total sample size of 180 respondents. The students were given self administered questionnaires while the six head teachers were interviewed. Data collected was coded and analyzed descriptively using frequencies, percentages and tables. The findings of the study indicated that indiscipline cases were still a common phenomenon in public secondary schools. Though most of the head teachers stated that they adopted the democratic leadership style in their schools, the students were not in agreement and revealed that the autocratic leadership was still evident. The data also provided evidence that there was significant relationship between head teacher’s age and gender on student’s discipline. Based on the findings the study concluded that the head teacher’s leadership style had a direct relationship to students’ discipline. Therefore, the head teachers should use the appropriate leadership style that enhances discipline and which creates a conducive teaching and learning environment in schools.