DISCIPLINARY SUSPENSION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG STUDENTS OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LANG’ATA SUB-COUNTY, NAIROBI, KENYA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of disciplinary suspension on psychological well-being among students in public secondary schools in Lang‘ata Sub-county Nairobi, Kenya. The study was guided by two theories – deterrent and reformative theories of punishment and sought to answer the following research questions: what are the students perceptions of disciplinary suspension?, what are the major causes of disciplinary suspension?, how does disciplinary suspension affect students psychological well-being?, what are the preventive measures to disciplinary suspension and lastly, what recommendations are needed to address the effects of disciplinary suspension on students psychological well-being. The study adopted a mixed method research approach and employed descriptive and phenomenological research designs. Respondents for the study were selected through probability and non-probability sampling techniques; notably through linear systematic sampling and purposive sampling methods. The target population consisted of 764 participants, including (all form 2 and 3 students, all the discipline masters/mistresses, and all school counsellors from the three public secondary schools under study. The sample size comprised 254 respondents, including: three discipline masters/mistresses, three school counsellors, and 248 students from the three schools under study. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires while qualitative data were collected through interview schedules. Quantitative data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of a computer based Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 for windows. Two inferential tests, namely regression and Pearson correlation were conducted to test the research hypotheses. The results revealed a strong positive correlation between disciplinary suspension and psychological well-being (r> 0.5, p-value < 0.5), tested at 0.05 level of significance. The themes that emerged from qualitative data results were varied perceptions of disciplinary suspension; minor and major causes of disciplinary suspension, as well as negative and positive effects of disciplinary suspension. The study then recommended to have, in each public secondary school in Lang‘ata Sub county, an ‗in-school‘ suspension unit where every student with disciplinary suspension is remand and given the necessary attention and follow up his or her indiscipline behaviour deserves. .