Effect of Teacher Support on Students' Discipline in Public Secondary School in Tharaka-Nithi County
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70619/vol5iss5pp21-33-712Keywords:
Teacher Support, Student Discipline, School Connectedness, Peer Networks, Invitational EducationAbstract
Student indiscipline remains a persistent challenge in many public secondary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, undermining academic progress, disrupting learning environments, and increasing the financial burden associated with repairing damaged school property. While multiple factors contribute to student behaviour, teacher support has increasingly been recognized as a critical determinant of learners’ discipline and overall school adjustment. This study examined the effect of teacher support on students’ discipline in public secondary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County. Guided by Invitational Theory, which emphasizes the role of supportive interpersonal relationships in shaping positive student outcomes, the study adopted a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The target population comprised students, teachers, and principals from public secondary schools in the county, from which a sample was selected using stratified, systematic, and purposive sampling techniques. Data were collected using questionnaires for students and teachers and interview schedules for principals. The reliability coefficients for student and teacher questionnaires were 0.831 and 0.731, respectively, indicating high internal consistency. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that teacher support had a statistically significant effect on students’ discipline, indicating that learners who perceive their teachers as caring, approachable, fair, and academically supportive are more likely to exhibit positive behaviour and comply with school rules. The study concludes that strengthened teacher–student relationships play a vital role in fostering disciplined learning environments. It recommends that schools invest in teacher mentorship programmes, continuous professional development on positive discipline strategies, and policies that promote supportive and empathetic teacher–student interactions to enhance discipline in public secondary schools.
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