Disciplinary Problems and Modes of Punishment used against Transgressions of upper Primary Learners in Schools for the Hearing Impaired in Vihiga County, Kenya.

Abstract

Academic achievement largely depends on the students’ discipline among other factors in any institution of learning. Studies show that indiscipline students perform poorly in both internal and external examinations including KCPE performance. Hearing impaired students, studies suggest, perform poorly because they display more behavior problems. For instance, there were poor examination results in both internal and national KCPE exams results for the year’s 2007and 2008 in primary schools for the hearing impaired in Vihiga County. This was attributed to high indiscipline cases (over 60%) as reflected in the school internal discipline records. The present study investigated disciplinary problems that existed and modes of punishment used to manage discipline problems in schools for the hearing impaired in Vihiga County. The main objective and research question of this study was to find out the common disciplinary problems that existed and modes of punishment used in schools for the hearing impaired. It was assumed that hearing impaired learners had similar discipline problems to the hearing learners. Descriptive survey design method was used and four schools for the hearing impaired were selected with a study population of 215 learners and 45 teachers to participate in the study. Saturated sampling technique was used to select the study population cited. Six learners and 4 teachers participated in the pilot study while 60 learners and 41 teachers participated in the main study. Questionnaires for teachers and learners were used to collect data which was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study established that the most commonly displayed behavior problems included fighting, stealing, bullying, truancy among others while modes of punishment used included cleaning of rooms, withdrawal of privileges, digging, canning, reprimands and time-outs. The study concluded that teachers used both friendly and non physical punitive methods of punishment as well as non punitive strategies such as guidance, counseling and reinforcement to maintain discipline. These findings may be useful to the area of special Needs Education and the Ministry of Education in revising school discipline procedures. The researcher recommended that teachers should use those modes of punishment that are friendly and non punitive strategies. Alsothis study recommended that a study to be carried out to find out the impact of hearing impairments on behavior problems and poor academic performance among hearing impaired learners in Kenya.

Key words: Behavior problems, Hearing impairments, Transgressions, special needs education.