The role of public secondary school heads in managing students’ discipline in musoma municipality

This study examined the roles of public secondary school heads in managing students’ discipline in Musoma municipality. The study was guided by three research objectives; To describe the types of students’ indiscipline cases based on school type and size, To compare the types of students’ indiscipline cases and their background information (in terms of gender, age and grade/class level), and to relate the types of students’ discipline cases and the roles of school heads in managing them. The study involved a descriptive survey design which employed both qualitative and quantitative research approaches. The targeted population included public secondary school students, second masters/mistresses, discipline masters/mistresses, head prefects and School Heads in Musoma municipal public secondary schools. The sample consisted of seven public secondary schools where three hundred and thirty seven students, seven school heads, seven second masters/mistresses, seven discipline masters/mistresses and seven head prefects were sampled. Information gathered was obtained through questionnaires, interviews and documentary review. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS computer software version 20 and processed in tables while qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The findings revealed that students’ indiscipline problems can be influenced by the type of school where mixed day secondary schools were found experiencing more indiscipline problems compared to single sex boarding secondary schools that had few indiscipline cases. The size of the school also had influence on students’ indiscipline cases where the number of students exceeded more than the capacity of available few teachers to manage students. Moreover, more male students were involved in indiscipline cases compared to female students. Students at adolescent stage, between 14-18 years were perceived disturbing and involved more in indiscipline cases; majority being in form three and four classes. The school heads performed the interpersonal roles effectively but they failed on the information roles due to lack of support from parents and not doing enough guiding and counseling to students. On decision roles, school heads handled the discipline cases with bias elements as students were not given reasonable opportunity to express themselves. The study concludes that, school heads performed interpersonal roles effectively but ineffectively in informational and decisional roles. The study recommends that school heads to be effective in managing discipline problems they ought to incorporate the interpersonal, informational and decisional roles so as to have effective management of students’ discipline. The study recommends school heads to make decisions on students discipline issues according to the government directives and free from bias. It is recommended that further study be conducted on effectiveness of procedures used by heads of schools in handling students’ discipline.