IMPLEMENTATION OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SIAYA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Poor academic performance is a serious concern for the education sector in Kenya and in many countries around the world. Siaya County has one of the highest student-teacher ratios in public secondary schools in Kenya. Available data of student-teacher ratios 40:1, 38:1 and 36:1 for the years 2016, 2019 and 2020 indicate that the student-teacher ratio in the county’s public secondary schools is the highest in its Nyanza Region and is above the UNESCO recommended ratio of 25:1. The county, like most counties in Kenya, has persistent below average academic performance as shown by county KCSE mean scores 4.123, 4.575 and 4.915 out of 12 points for the years 2020 to 2022. This situation brings to question the effectiveness of classroom management. The classroom is the primary context for curriculum implementation, and how it is managed can determine learning outcomes. Research has identified evidence-based specific practices that define basic components of classroom management. However, few studies have examined implementation of each of the basic components of classroom management as a package of evidence-based practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of classroom management practices in public secondary schools in Siaya County. Specific objectives were to examine: the implementation of maximizing structure, implementation of establishing expectations for behavior, implementation of actively engaging students, and implementation of using a continuum of strategies for responding to behavior in public secondary schools in Siaya County. A conceptual framework based on the concept of Simonsen et al. (2008) that classroom management founded on evidence-based practices is a critical input for successful teaching and learning was adopted. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The study population comprised 465 English teachers, 635 mathematics teachers, 580 chemistry teachers and 247 deputy principals in 243 public secondary schools in Siaya County. By stratified random sampling based on school categories, a sample of 112 schools consisting of 1 national school, 5 extra-county schools, 11 county schools and 95 sub-county schools was obtained. By purposive and simple random sampling techniques, one teacher in each of the three subjects; English, mathematics and chemistry, was selected in each school, giving 112 teachers for each subject and a total of 336 classroom teachers. 112 deputy principals in the selected schools were included in the sample by purposive sampling, giving a total sample of 448 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires. The content validity of questionnaires was tested by the researcher’s expert supervisors using Lawshe’s content validity ratio. CVR of +1 ascertained validity. A pilot study was conducted in 11 schools outside the sample to determine the reliability of the instrument. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.74 was obtained. Statistical methods, including mean, frequency distribution tables and percentages, were used to analyze data. The study found that implementation of classroom management practices in public secondary schools in Siaya County was generally moderate (mean rating 1.95 on a scale of 0-3). Implementation varied across basic components of classroom management (mean ratings ranging from 1.73 to 2.35), and among public secondary schools (mean ratings ranging from 1.40 to 2.50). The findings are significant to teacher trainers and implementers of quality assurance standards in public secondary schools.

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