The Nature of Conflicts and Discipline Issues Encountered in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

The study sought to investigate the nature of conflicts and discipline issues encountered in public secondary schools in Kakamega County. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The study population was 417 schools. The respondents included principals, teachers, and education officers, members of the Boards of management, support staff and students. Both probability and non-probability sampling designs were used as well as primary and secondary data collection techniques. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as tools for data collection. Quantitative data analysis was done using SPSS version 25. Research findings were presented in tables, graphs, and charts. The study found out that a majority of conflicts in public secondary schools in Kakamega County are value-based in nature as well as interest-based and need-based. Apart from that, some conflicts are also structural in nature. The study recommends that schools should strive to understand the nature of conflicts occurring in secondary schools. Future studies should consider applying a different research design to gather as much detailed information as possible.