KARATINA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION (ARTS)

NAME: ANTHONY MURIITHI GITHUI

REG.NO: E100/0397G/18

SCHOOL: MUKURWEINI BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

SUPERVISOR: PROF. GACHAHI

ZONE: NYERI-MUKURWEINI

COURSE TITLE: TEACHING PRACTICE REPORT

COURSE CODE: E100

TOPIC: INDISCIPLINE IS A ROOT CAUSE OF POOR PERFORMANCE IN

MUKURWEINI BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

SIGN …………………………….
 ABSTRACT

The paper reviews the main causes of indiscipline in Mukurweini boys high school and also
arguably notes how indiscipline affects academic performance.

The finding of this study shows that in order to maintain good discipline in schools, students
should adhere to school rules and regulations. The teachers should play their roles in enhancing
effective discipline by using guidance and counseling methods in school
DECLARATION

I declare that this report is an original work done by me. It has never been presented or used by
any one in Mukurweini boys high school, Karatina University or elsewhere.

Name: Antony Muriithi Githui

Reg. no.: E100/0397G/18

Signature: ………………………………………
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

ABSTRACT

DECLARATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

DEFINITION OF TERMS

CHAPTER ONE

1. Background of Mukurweini Boys High School

2. Introduction
2.1 Background to the Problem
2.2 Statement of the Problem (Nature of Indiscipline)
2.3 The Purpose of the Project
2.4 Project Objectives, Questions or Hypothesis
2.5 The Importance of the Study
2.6 The Scope of the Study

CHAPTER TWO
3. Literature Review
CHAPTER THREE
4. Design and Methodology
CHAPTER FOUR
5. Data Presentation
CHAPTER FIVE
6. Conclusions and Recommendations
References
 LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1: Distribution of Respondents

Table 2: Cases of Indiscipline

Table 3: Contrast between Levels of Indiscipline and Performance

 LIST OF ABBREVIATION

M.B.H. S - Mukurweini Boys High School

 DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of this study, the following terminologies shall be defined thus;

Student: A person who is studying in a school especially a secondary school.

Secondary School: This is a school for people between the age of 11 and 16.

Regulation: This is an official rule made by authority.

Discipline: This is the practice of training people to obey rules and regulations

Indiscipline: This is lack of discipline, control in the behavior of a grasp of people.

 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 BACKGROUND OF MUKURWE-INI BOYS HIGH SCHOOL

1.1 FOUNDATION OF THE SCHOOL

Mukurweini Boys High School was founded in the year 1964 under PCEA sponsorship. It was
initially a mixed school which by then was referred to as Kiangoma secondary school. It stuck
with its creepy name which means “belonging to madness” in Kikuyu for 43 years until it
changed to Mukurweini Boys High School in 2007. It is located in Mukurweini sub-county,
Nyeri county. It covers an acreage of 10 and is categorized as an extra county boarding school
with an enrollment of over 850 students.

1.1.2 PHYSICAL FACILITIES

The institution has classrooms. All forms from one to four. Each classroom has an approximate
of 50 students. The school has different offices, based on the departments in school. We have the
language department, mathematics, humanities and technical. This enables the teachers to sit in
their respective offices. The institution also has a computer laboratory which enables the students
to be equipped with computer knowledge. Biology and Chemistry laboratories help the students
to carry out their practical. There is availability of latrines which are centrally placed. A library
in the school is equipped with different learning materials which help the students to do their
revision.

1.1.3 ACTIVITIES IN THE SCHOOL

The program for the school activities program starts at 4:00pm and end at 5:00pm. Mukurweini

Boys has a range of activities ranging from group discussions, games, clubs to societies. The

group discussions maybe of any subjects or the English and Kiswahili department also organizes

debates from time to time.

Mukurweini Boys High school has been able to offer out door games which includes football,

volleyball, basketball, athletics and rugby. However, there are arrangements to include the indoor
games like table tennis in the next term. The students are also organized into clubs ranging from,

music, scouts, drama, math and sciences and journalism.

1.1.3.1 STRUCTURE OF ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL

The structure of co-curricular department supported by MBHS can generally be categorized as

follows

Sports involved

Basketball Athletics

Volleyball Racquet

Hockey Cross Country

Rugby

Swimming

football

1.1.3.2 CLUBS AND SOCIETY

Executive structure for the club societies

Patron – Teacher in charge

Chairperson – Student

Treasure – Student

Secretary – student

Clubs and societies

Mathematics Science Scouting

Amani Kiswahili Integrity

Art and Design Journalism Debating

Kenya Red Cross School Choir Christian Union

Young Farmers club & Society

1.1.4 RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

MBHS relates very well with the local community. Due to lack of enough water in the school,
the community provides the school with water for the daily use. There is a moving tank which
supplies the school with water on a daily basis.

1.1.5 THE SCHOOL CALENDER

The school calendar is friendly and flexible. For instance, there are visiting days every first
Saturday of the month. We also have a half term break in the middle of the term. The national
days are also observed in the school. There are also special days in school like the Annual
General Meeting where the parents come to school to discuss the way forward for the school

1.1.6 THE SCHOOL DAILY ROUTINE

The school has its daily routine which is student friendly. It caters for all aspects of learning
ranging from Academic to social to physical and even spiritual, in line with the school mission
and mission and the national goals of education. A copy of the school routine is attached in the
appendix.

1.1.7 SCHOOL MOTTO, VISION, MISSION.

A. SCHOOL MOTTO
Effort and Discipline for excellence
B. SCHOOL VISION
A model school for quality education

C. SCHOOL MISSION
To provide quality education for life-long learning

1.1.8 TEACHER PREPAREDNESS

In Mukurweini Boys High School, the teachers are always prepared. On rare occasion are classes
skipped but the teacher ensures that the classes are compensated for. Assessment tests are given
after every topic to keep the students on their toes. Games department has a teacher in charge.
Each club and society has a teacher who serves as a patron.
1.1.9 TYPE OF ADMINISTRATION AND EXPECTATIONS AT VARIOUS LEVELS

The type of administration in MBHS is understanding. The views of everyone are respected. If
there is an issue that has risen, it is discussed openly and everyone gives the best opinion.

The school has different expectations in different categories. In games and other co-curriculum
activities, their aim is national level. When it comes to class work, the targets for each class are
set. The students also set their own targets and this propels them to work very hard.

2.0 INTRODUCTION
One of the modern day scourges is the acts of indiscipline. Indiscipline is a lack of control in
the behavior of an individual or a group of people with the result that they behave badly. It
should be noted that, most schools in the past were voluntary agency independent schools. As
at then, there was high degree of discipline in our Kenyan schools. There was harmony as
principals, teachers and students demonstrated awareness of their responsibilities in the
school. More so, parents and teachers shared the same view of students’ desirable behaviors
but this is not the case today.

2.1 Background to the Study

Our society is made up of organizations all of which have goals to meet. However, without
proper discipline, none of this would be realized. For them to operate smoothly, all of them
have a set of rules and regulations by which all members of the organization are expected to
abide by, failure to which sanctions are imposed on the workers to discipline them
accordingly. The same applies to educational organizations for serious learning to take place;
discipline has to be maintained in schools.

Indiscipline among students in schools has assumed alarming proportions both in terms of
frequency and severity and should be dealt with as a matter of urgency. Unfortunately, this is
also the case in Mukurweini Boys High School whereby indiscipline is exhibited by students
under different forms both within and outside the school premises.

It ranges from minor misbehaviors such as; improper dressing, lateness and not completing
homework, to severe misconduct like, violence against peers and teachers, bullying,
damaging properties, hooliganism, drug abuse and other immoral acts. All these acts and
more vices present in Mukurweini Boys constitute indiscipline. The problem lies when these
acts have a role to play in the performance of Mukurweini Boys High School.

2.2 Statement of the Problem

It has been realized that cases of student’s indiscipline in MBHS has become a canker warm
that has eaten too deep into the student’s moral upbringing. Students have become
uncontrollable and highly disrespectful to themselves, teachers, school administrators,
parents and to the society at large.

If we fail to understand the students’ indiscipline behavior in MBHS we will also not
understand where these behaviors emanated from, could it be from their peer groups, their
parents, parents’ attitude, teachers’ attitude, school culture, climate and environment, or is
there a bigger picture we are not seeing.

What is however obvious is the magnitude of disorder, it has triggered in the school. It
should be noted that several strategies have been proposed by the Ministry of Education as
well as by various other experts in the field. Additionally, MBHS has fashioned its own
approach to dealing with this issue. In spite of this, however, teachers continue to express
frustrations about the growing level of indiscipline in their classrooms.
2.3 The Purpose of the Project
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine how indiscipline is a root cause
of poor performance in Mukurweini Boys and how to curb it.

2.4 Project Objectives/ Questions

The objectives of the study were;
1) To establish the nature of indiscipline in Mukurweini Boys.
2) To establish the effects of students unrests and indiscipline on academic performance in
Mukurweini Boys High School.
3) To assess the positive measures/ strategies being put in place to arrest indiscipline among
students in Mukurweini Boys High School.
4) To seek suggestions on measures that could be taken to curb students’ indiscipline in
Mukurweini Boys High School.

2.5 The Importance of the Project

Academic performance is a major indicator of quality education. Quality education in turn, is
considered the key to economic and industrial growth and ultimately development. The
national goals of economic recovery and industrialization are jeopardized by students’
indiscipline in schools today. The information provided by my research is important for the
progressive improvement of performance in Mukurweini Boys High School as well as the
Ministry of Education and other stakeholders who have an interest in quality education.

The public and the parents also have an interest in education, having invested heavily on it.
The society expects good returns for its investment in terms of good academic performance.
However, indiscipline in schools usually ends up jeopardizing this returns; my hope is that
this research paper will help abet such issues.

2.6 The Scope of the Study

The research work is limited in scope to Mukurweini Boys students; the study covers the
causes of indiscipline in the school as a cause of poor performance. However, some factors
like time and finance played a vital role in the limitation of the study.
 CHAPTER TWO

3.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature reviews relevant to this study embraced the following themes which emerged
from the research questions of the study:
 The nature of indiscipline
 The effects of students unrests and indiscipline
 The strategies being put in place to arrest indiscipline among students
 The suggestions/ measures that could be taken to curb students’ indiscipline

Reports on indiscipline and unrest in schools have been a common feature in the media for a
long time. Muchemi (The Nation 2001, May 21) gave a chorological account of protests and
destruction in public schools. According to Muchemi, the issue of unrests and indiscipline in
schools is of great concern. It has become a worrying trend in that it has evolved from simple
protests to the destruction of property. The report prepared by the provincial Education Board
(central Province) indicated that indiscipline was rampant not only in central province but in
the whole country.

The problem of indiscipline in schools is not unique to Kenya. It is a global issue of great
concern, spanning political, economic, geographical, racial and even gender boundaries. The
main concern is not only in the risk of destruction of property and injury to persons but also
the poor academic performance associated with the growing trend of indiscipline (Khaled
Times 2006).

Several researchers agree that when classrooms are characterized by disruptive behavior the
teaching and learning environment is adversely affected. Firstly, the initial behavior can
cause a ripple effect, leading to several students displaying disruptive behavior. Kounin
(1970) adds that additionally both the methods the teacher uses to curb the misbehavior and
the targeted students’ resultant behavior cause a second ripple. These result in loss of
valuable teaching and learning time.
Some teachers spend between thirty (30) to eighty (80) percent of their time addressing
discipline problems (Walsh 1983). The time and energy needed to cope with some disruptive
students can be physically draining or emotionally exhausting (Levin & Nolan, 1996). Stress
related to classroom management is one of the moist influential factors in failure among
teachers. (Vittetoe, 1977). Not only do classroom discipline problems have negative effects
on teacher effectiveness and longevity (Levin and Nolan, 1996).

According to the daily Nation 2002, students and teachers and schools affected by unrest find
it difficult to restore working relationship after the unrest. The emotional and psychological
trauma that characterizes the aftermath of students’ unrest strains further interaction amongst
the people. The issue of emotional and psychological impact due to unrests in schools has not
featured in various reports discussed so far. Akala suggested that these would be need for
learning of teachers in conflict management as opposed to use of force, which brings anger
and resentments.

It is worth nothing that various views have been expressed regarding the cause of indiscipline
and possible solutions to the problems have been proposed. The rod was banned in Kenya as
means of disciplining students according to the Daily Nation (2004, August 19). This ban has
been blamed for the increase in indiscipline, and naturally, there have been calls to rethink
the decision. A similar article in the East African Standard (2004, August 11) also supported
this point. However, these views are not in agreement with organizations such as the Kenya
Human Rights Commission (KHRC)

Rwamba (2004) argued that lack of democratic leadership together with communication
breakdown is a major cause of indiscipline in schools. He suggested that there is a
relationship between learning and indiscipline. Cognitive skills are crucial in terms of
academic success, self-esteem, coping skills and overall resilience. In the absence of
discipline, the learning and teaching process are hindered. Time is wasted and energy is
misdirected to deal with issues emanating from unrest.

Although much has been done to establish the causes of the problems of unrest and possible
remedies recommended, very little has been done in terms of the counseling needs of the
parties affected by unrests. Such counseling would be important in deterring future
occurrences and bringing normally to the schools for example, the best that is usually done is
to expel or suspend the students. Usually such actions breed deeper resentment and the
teachers and students still have to be in the same school. Without counseling and proper
“friendship” between administration and teachers on the one side and the students on the
other, such a problem is rarely solved.
 CHAPTER THREE

4.0 DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY.

The survey used a survey research method employing both questionnaires and interviews.
The survey research obtained data that described the existing relationship between
indiscipline in Mukurweini boys and academic performance.

The study took book qualitative and quantitative research approaches. Qualitative approach
was carried out through group discussions with students who had been involved in
indiscipline cases. On the other hand, Quantitative inquiries was used to collect information
from the principal, deputy principal, counselors and students concerning the frequency of the
cases of indiscipline, and academic performance of students with respects to indiscipline and
other variables that could be quantified.

The population consisted of students of Mukurweini Boys High School. It was important to
sample some classes that had not experienced cases of indiscipline so as to know the
strategies the employed. In particular, 2 classes which had no cases of indiscipline and 2
classes which were profoundly in trouble were chosen. For the classes that had unrests, the
students were interviewed in a focus group while personal interviews were carried.

The sampling approach was both purposive and simple random purposively, the research
sampled classes that were involved in indiscipline cases and those which were not involved
further; the research sampled the school administration since they were likely to have the
information required for this study.

The data collected from the respondents was the analyses and various statistics generated
which are presented in form of frequencies and parentages. Correlations were carried out to
determine the impact of student’s indiscipline on academic performance. Data collected from
the questionnaires were computed and presented in tables and inferential implications from
them derived and recorded.
 CHAPTER FOUR

5.0 DATA PRESENTATION.

The study set out to analyze the causes of indiscipline in Mukurweini Boys High School and
the impact it has on academic performance

Table 1: Distribution of respondents by seniority (N= 134)

Sex Frequency Percentage

Teachers 34 45%
Students 100 55%
Total 134 100%

This is generally a fair and nearly balanced distribution of respondents in the survey as views
from both male and female were accommodated

Table 2: Which are the most prevalent cases of indiscipline? (N=134)

Response Category Frequency Percentage

Late coming 14 15

Bunking lessons 26 50

Drug Abuse 30 25

Fighting 24 25

Love affairs 40 15

Total 134 100

Table 2 shows that drug abuse and bullying/Fighting are the most reported cases of
indiscipline, bunking lessons, late coming and love affairs also feature prominently in cases
of indiscipline.
Table 3: Shows how levels of indiscipline lead to degrading in performance.

Combined Mean Grade of Combined Mean Grade of

indiscipline classes disciplined classes
Mean
x 3.49 5.53

Above is the Mean Grade of the two groups of students. The intention was to determine
whether the classes that were indiscipline had higher mean compared to those that were
disciplined.

Discussions
The information from the study revealed that the most prevalent cases of indiscipline were
drug abuse, fighting, late coming as well as love affairs. It should be noted that other causes
of indiscipline also manifested themselves like improper dressing, noise making and even
truancy at school.

On suggestions to reduce cases of indiscipline teachers stated that there is need to work with
parents and community leaders to curb indiscipline in Mukurweini Boys High School.
 CHAPTER FIVE

6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations.

From the finding of this study, it can be concluded that the main cause of indiscipline in
Mukurweini Boys High School include drug abuse, bullying/fighting, banking lessons, late
coming etc. The major causes of indiscipline are attribute to peer pressure, lack of punishment,
home background as well as drug abuse.
In light of finding of this study I would like to make the following recommendations:
 The ministry should recruit competent professional counselor for the school to guide
students on proper behavior patterns.
 Parents and community leaders should be involved in the discipline of each and every
child in the community.
 Teachers should strive to deliver motivating and interesting lessons so that pupils feel
compelled to attend these lessons in order to avoid bunking of lessons
References.

1) Aryado, J. (2009). Managing and Handling Indiscipline In Schools. International Journal

of Violence and School, 8(10):85-97.
2) Bandura,k. (2010). Social Learning Theory, Eaglewood cliffs: New Jersey, Pizntice Hall.
3) Kiprop, C.J. (2012). Approaches to management of discipline in secondary schools in
Kenya. International Journal of Research in Management, 2(3): 120-138.
4) Ndakwa, D. (2013). A simplified guide: the making of a new student. Nairobi; Pavement
publishers.
5) Gibson, J.T. (2008). Psychology For the Classroom, Eaglewood Cliff, Prentice Hall.
6) Kounin, J.S. (2008). Discipline and group management in classrooms, New York Hold
Rinohartz and Winstom
7) Daily Nation 2004 pg. 14 Nature of Indiscipline.
APPENDIX 1
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

HEAD TEACHER

DEPUTY HEAD TEACHER

TEACHERS

PREFECTS

STUDENTS

TIME TABLE