THESIS TITLE: School-Community Relations and Student Unrest in Public Secondary Schools in Trans-Nzoia West Sub-County, Kenya.

STUDENT NAME: Protus Wanjala Telewa.

SUPERVISORS NAMES:

 1).Prof.Julius Maiyo

2).Dr.Robert Kati

ABSTRACT

The frequent occurrence of student unrest has often resulted in frequent destruction of school property and loss of life in some incidences. The study was designed to look at the influence of school-community relations on student unrest in public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West sub-county, Kenya. The specific objectives that guided the study were; to establish the extent to which the community contributes to student unrest in public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West Sub-County, to examine the role of the community in curbing student unrest in public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West Sub-County and to determine the extent to which the principal’s relationship with the community contributes to student unrest in public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West Sub-County. The social system theory was used to guide the study. The mixed research design was adopted where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. The target population was got from 42 public secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia West sub- County, chiefs and the Sub-County director of education in the Sub- County. The respondents were composed of principals, Heads of Departments Guiding and Counselling, Student representatives Sub-County Director of Education, Parent association chair persons and Chiefs. Sampling involved the simple random sampling, purposive sampling and proportional sampling. The Yamane formula for calculating sample size was used to sample out the 217 respondents. Data collection instruments included the use of questionnaires, interview schedule and observation check list. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27 was useful in data analysis. Pilot study was undertaken in Mt Elgon Sub-county in Bungoma County by administering 22 questionnaires to respondents to test for the validity and reliability of the research instrument.Validity was based on expert judgment while reliability was tested using Cronobach’s alpha. A reliability constant of 0.851 was obtained which was considered acceptable. The study established that there was a strong positive and significant relationship between community contribution and student unrest in public secondary schools, that there was a strong, negative and significant relationship between community curbing and student unrest in public secondary schools and that there was a strong, negative and significant relationship between principal-community relationship and student unrest. The regression analysis revealed that community contribution to student unrest in schools account for 32.6 % of the variability to the unrest in public secondary schools, community curbing of student unrest account for additional 56.1% of the variability to the unrest in public secondary schools and that principal relationship with community accounts for additional 7.9 % of the variability in unrest in public secondary schools. In total, these three predictors contribute 97% variability to unrest in public secondary schools when other variables are held constant. The analysis further revealed that as community contribution to student unrest increases by one standard deviation, unrest in schools increases by .056 standard deviations, that as community curbing increases by one standard deviation, unrest in public secondary schools decreases by -1.129 standard deviations and that as principal’s relationship with community increases by one standard deviation, unrest in school decreases by .358 standard deviations. Thus, the study concluded that all stakeholders must work together to enhance the curbing of student unrest in public secondary schools.