THE INFLUENCE OF SPORTS ON DISCIPLINE

The study recommends schools to motivate students to participateactively in sports by organizing frequent inter schools competitions and award participators.School administrators should

THE INFLUENCE OF SPORTS ON DISCIPLINE IN SECONDARY

SCHOOLS IN KAJIADO SOUTH

BY FAITH ASWANIMATRIC NO: B.ED /D223/10/11

A Research Project Submitted to the Department of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirement for the Award of Bachelor of Education

MARIST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

A CONSTITUENT COLLEGE OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA

NAIROBI – KENYA AUGUST 2014

This research project has been approved by the head of department.

Prof Joash Mutua

Signature Date

I dedicate this project to my dad who has tirelessly supported me during my entire life in campusboth financially, morally, emotionally and spiritually, my mum too for being there for me, mybrother dimpo who supported me when dad was not around and finally my sister Joan, Petuniaand my brother Lam for their support and encouragement

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I would like to the thank God the almighty for the life and energy he has given me to help mecomplete my education; I sincerely thank my supervisor Sr Kamau for tirelessly guiding methroughout the writing of this research project I also thank all my lecturers for their guidance andadvice, I also appreciate Sam for all the help he offered me both in the library and in thecompletion of my project, my classmates Vivian, Emmanuel who supported me in various wayswithout which this work would not be a success may the good Lord bless u all abundantly

on weekly basis However, the varieties of sports on offer in the curriculum and the timeallocated to play are inadequate Students who are actively involved in sports were found to bealso disciplined as sports promotes self-discipline, enhance teamwork spirit, promote life skillsand enable students to release tension, lower aggression and chances of indulging in crimes However, sport facilities are inadequate and in bad condition to effectively serve the sportingneeds of students in secondary schools The variety of sports in the curriculum should beincreased to broaden the participation of students School administrators have also neglectingsports in favour of academics The study recommends schools to motivate students to participateactively in sports by organizing frequent inter schools competitions and award participators.School administrators should also provide adequate facilities, trainers and allocate enough timefor sports, while the government should increase funding for sports in schools and set sportsstandards to be followed by each secondary school in the entire country.

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

I.O.C International Olympic Committee

N.C.E.S National Center for Educational Statistics

N.F.H.S National Federation of State High School Associations P.E Physical education

SPSS Statistical Package for Social Science

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION ii

DEDICATION iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv

THE ABSTRACT v

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

CHAPTER ONE 1

CHAPTER TWO 6

LITERATURE REVIEW 6

CHAPTER THREE 21

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 21

CHAPTER FOUR 27

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 27

Respondents were asked to indicate whether the most active students in sports are also the most disciplined, 40% strongly agreed followed by another 32.5% who simply agreed Only 12.5% disagreed and 10% strongly disagreed This is a clear indication that there is correlation between sports and discipline, where those who are actively involved in sports are also disciplined 35

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On whether sports promote self-discipline, 47.5% agrees and 37.5% strongly agrees while only 7.5% disagrees and 2.5% strongly disagree This again, is an indication that sports promote

self-discipline These findings are in agreement with those of Nordqvist (2011) 35

On suggestion that there is no relationship between sports and discipline, 67.5% of the respondents strongly disagree and another 27.5% also disagree However, 5% agrees while 2.5% also strongly agrees with the statement Nevertheless, those saying there is no relationship between sports and discipline are negligible at only 7.5% combined This is a clear indication that in fact there is relationship between sports and discipline as the study has also established above that those who are actively involved in sports are also disciplined These findings corresponds with those done by researchers from Tel Aviv University, Israel that concluded that apart from physical health sports participation also helps lower aggression, enhance self control and discipline among (Nordqvist, 2011) 36

CHAPTER FIVE 43

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 43

REFERENCE 46

Nordqvist, C (2011) Sports help lower aggression; enhance self control and discipline in boys Medical News Today Thursday 7 July 2011 47

APPENDIX 1: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS 49

APPENDIX 1I: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS 53

APPENDIX III: AUTHORIZATION LETTER 57

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Questionnaire Distribution and Return Rate 28

Table 2: Gender Distribution of Students and Teachers 28

Table 3: Distribution of Class of Study of Student Respondents 29

Table 4: Relationship between Sports and Discipline 33

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework 6

Figure 2: Whether Sports are Fun 30

Figure 3: Students Frequency of Engaging in Sports 32

Figure 4: Most Popular Sport 33

Figure 5: Adequacy of Sports Facilities 37

Figure 6: Condition of Sports Facilities 38

Figure 7: Adequacy of sports uniforms 39

Figure 8: Whether School administration Supports Sports 40

Figure 9: Adequacy of sports in school curriculum 41

Sports refer to games or contests, played individually or in teams, involving physical strength,skill, and endurance (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2009) Sports have been in existence formany years Sports can be traced from prehistoric times and are said to be as old as the humansociety International Olympic Committee (I.O.C., 2013), affirms that wrestling was played inancient Egyptian more than 4000 years ago

According to Kenyatta (1938:63), sports in Kenya can be traced long before the colonial period,such as dances and praise songs that were occasionally held in many villages Mbiti (1991:27)also echoes the presence of sports among Africans, where they participated in sports in form ofmusic, singing and dancing using instruments such as drums, rattles, whistles among others

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Consequently the ancient Africans were aware of the importance of sorts and encouraged theyouth to participate in the same According to Mahlmann (1989:133), modern sports wereintroduced in Kenya by British missionaries and colonial administrators through schools in thetwentieth century Kenya has been able to participate in the international arena since sixties.However, the importance of sports became more pronounced in the 1980’s when physicaleducation was included in the curriculum (Mahlmann, 1989:120) To make this possible, thegovernment elected stadiums to strengthen community ties through sports.

Currently, more time is spent on academic pursuits to the detriment of sports Sport is mostlyseen as a waste of valuable time that could apparently be used in preparing for examinablesubjects Wuest & Williamson as cited by Limakeris (2013) observed that sports are prone tolittle consideration, devaluation and neglect, which eventually hinders students’ to achieving thedesirable holistic education Many studies that have been done in this area are on the importance

of Sports From the foregoing it is clear that no study has been done to exhaustively pinpoint therelationship between sports and its contribution towards improving discipline in secondaryschools in Kajiado South This study therefore endeavors to bridge this gap by embarking on ajourney to seek that correlation

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Indiscipline cases in many secondary schools are common occurrences that are of great concern

to school authorities and other stake holders With the ban of corporal punishment and increasedhuman rights awareness, teachers have few tools at their disposal that they can use to curbindiscipline in schools Although sports are healthy activities that improve the physical well being

of students and plays a critical role in promoting discipline learning institutions are not investing

in sports but rather academic activities have been given the priority Sports in many cases areregarded as a waste of time Orunaboka & Nwachukwu (2012) observed that students arebecoming less respectful and less obedient towards parents and school authorities They areengaging in behaviors such as vandalism, hooliganism, bullying, theft, violence, sexual abuse,

drug abuse among other vices It is in the light of this predicament that this study is embarking on

a journey investigate the influence of sports on discipline in secondary schools

1.3 Delimitation/Scope of the study

The study is set to investigate the influence of students’ participation in sports on discipline insecondary schools in Kajiado South This study will be based within Rongai Township because it

is a cosmopolitan area with many schools both public and private The researcher will targetstudents and teachers in secondary schools

1.4 Objectives of the Study

This study is based on the following

objectives:-i To determine the attitude of students towards sports

ii To establish the role of sports in curbing indiscipline in secondary schools

iii To establish the status of sport facilities in secondary schools

1.5 Research Questions

i What is the attitude of students towards sports?

ii What is the role of sports in curbing indiscipline in secondary schools?

iii What is the status of sport facilities in secondary schools?

1.6 Significance of the Study

The main purpose of any research is to add new knowledge to the body of the existing knowledge(Mugenda & Mugenda (2003) Therefore, this study will generate new knowledge which will be

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beneficial to the society The findings of this study will be useful to several people and sectorswithin the society They include the following:

Secondary schools stand to immensely benefit from the findings of this study as they will be able

to reduce drastically cases of indiscipline Administration of schools will be smooth as there will

be harmony between the authorities and students

Students in general will benefit as they will take sports with all the seriousness it deserves It willtherefore improve their physical well being, enable them to study peacefully without conflicts,improve their discipline, and bring achievement of set goals

The findings will provide the Ministry of Education with concrete information on how sports can

be used positively as a tool to curb indiscipline in schools The finding can also be impetus tocurriculum developers place sports in its proper place in the curriculum Other researchers will beable to have access and refer to this study and carry out further research in areas that have beenleft out Other researchers who may be interested in carrying out related studies or expanding on

the same area will benefit from this study by using it in their literature review.

1.8 Limitations of the study

The researcher encountered several hiccups in the process of conducting this study To beginwith, the study approval by the research panel was a lengthy process This study also anticipatedseveral other challenges such as fear of giving information The researcher talked to therespondents on the importance of the study to them in order to curb against this lethargy Tocounter fears of infringement and confidentiality of the information they provided, the researcherindicated clearly on the questionnaire forms that the information they provided was confidential

and is only intended for the purpose of this study Respondents were not also required to providetheir names

1.9 Organization of the study

This study is organized into five chapters Chapter 1 introduces the research by giving thebackground of the study, statement of the problem, scope of the study, objectives, researchquestions, scope, objectives, significance, research questions, limitations and organization of thestudy

Chapter 2 discusses the conceptual and theoretical framework and reviews literature related tohow sports impacts on students’ discipline based on the research questions Among topics to beaddressed are the attitudes of students towards sports, the role of sports in curbing indiscipline insecondary schools and status of sports facilities in secondary schools

Chapter 3 covers the research design, the target population, sample design, data collectionprocedures, ethical issues, validity and reliability of the questionnaires and the description of thedata analysis procedures Chapter 4 presents the findings of the research in terms of graphs andcharts Chapter 5 discusses the summary of the research findings, conclusions andrecommendations It also gives suggestions for further research

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CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Conceptual Framework

Students’ good discipline is determined by their attitude towards sports, the actual participation

in sports and availability and condition of sporting facilities Disciplined students are thedependent variable while the attitude towards sports, rate of participation in sports and status ofsporting facilities will be independent variables The figure one below illustrates the conceptualframework for this study

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework

Independent variables Dependent variables

Disciplined students are dependent variables that are affected by independent variables such asthe attitude of students towards sports, rate of participation and availability and conditions of thesports facilities Therefore, positive attitude towards sports will make students participate insports, which will lead to the ultimate goal of becoming disciplined Availability of sportsfacilities and their condition is a strong motivator for those willing to indulge themselves insports Facilities such as play grounds, balls, uniforms, sport shoes, among other equipment arenecessary for sports to be successful Moreover, when the playing grounds are in good conditionsmore students will be attracted to sports such as soccer, rugby, netball, volleyball among others.Therefore, the better the condition of sports facilities, the more the number of participants and ofthose who will be well disciplined

2.2 Theoretical Framework

This study is hinged on two motivational theories One of the theories that the study is grounded

on is Self Determination Theory According to Hill (2011), the theory was developed by twopsychologists by the name Edward Deci and Richard Ryan The theory suggests that people tend

to be driven by a need to grow and gain fulfillment The first assumption is that people areactivity directed toward growth Gaining mastery over challenges and taking in new experiencesare essential for developing a cohesive sense of self In self determination theory, people need tofeel competent so as to gain mastery of tasks and learn different skills, they need to feelconnected and related so as to experience a sense of belonging and attachment to other people,they need to feel autonomous or in control of their own behaviors and goals (Deci & Ryan,2002) In a school set up, students have an intrinsic value to grow and gain self fulfillment Manystudents would strive to overcome challenges and take in new experiences Involvement in sports

is one such a challenge that improves one’s skill to handle different challenges in life includingdisciplinary matters Students also desire to be related to others through teamwork that is easilygained through sport teams They also have the need to control their own behaviors, respectothers and respect school rules This again is easily achievable when students involve themselves

in sports where self discipline is the hallmark of good sportsmanship

This study is also based on another motivational theory developed by B.F Skinner (1904-1990)known as the Skinner Model of Discipline (Corey, 2009) This theory is based on the fact thatlearning best occurs when a reward is provided after an organism makes the desired response.Reinforcement can be in terms of verbal comments, facial expressions, gestures, marks, prizes,and awards, among others In fact many students are known to strive to work hard to just get asmile, a pat or a kind word from a teacher Sports are regarded as positive activities that involve

good character, teamwork, hard work, healthy competition, persistence, care for opponents, joy,among many other good things Teachers can use sports to reward or praise the participants forinvolving themselves in a healthy positive task Those who exhibit excellent behavior in andoutside the field of play should be rewarded so that they can maintain that behavior When insporting activities, winners are generally rewarded with praises and prizes s

Berger (2008) observes that if a mother want a child to easily learn how to speak, when theymention a word appropriately, the mother can smile to the child and repeat the word, shower thebaby with attention, praise and perhaps food Such a child is likely to make those sounds againand again The same applies to students when they engage in healthy activities such as sports.Teachers should be in a position to praise and encourage such students as a way of reinforcing thehabit Therefore, sport is an educational tool that can be used to instill discipline among studentsinstead of punishment which has numerous negative effects For instance it fails to eliminate theundesired behavior and can even increase its occurrence

2.3 Theoretical Framework

This study is hinged on two motivational theories One of the theories that the study is grounded

on is Self Determination Theory The theory was developed by two psychologists by the nameEdward Deci and Richard Ryan The theory suggests that people tend to be driven by a need togrow and gain fulfillment The first assumption is that people are activity directed toward growth.Gaining mastery over challenges and taking in new experiences are essential for developing acohesive sense of self In self determination theory, people need to feel competent so as to gainmastery of tasks and learn different skills, they need to feel connected and related so as toexperience a sense of belonging and attachment to other people, they need to feel autonomous or

in control of their own behaviors and goals (Deci & Ryan, 2002) In a school set up, students

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have an intrinsic value to grow and gain self fulfillment Many students would strive to overcomechallenges and take in new experiences Involvement in sports is one such a challenge thatimproves one’s skill to handle different challenges in life including disciplinary matters Studentsalso desire to be related to others through teamwork that is easily gained through sport teams.They also have the need to control their own behaviors, respect others and respect school rules.This again is easily achievable when students involve themselves in sports where self discipline

is the hallmark of good sportsmanship

This theory is also based on another motivational theory developed by B.F Skinner (1904-1990)known as the Skinner Model of Discipline (Corey, 2009) This theory is based on the fact thatlearning best occurs when a reward is provided after an organism makes the desired response.Reinforcement can be in terms of verbal comments, facial expressions, gestures, marks, prizes,and awards, among others In fact, many students are known to strive to work hard to just get asmile, a pat or a kind word from a teacher Sports are regarded as positive activities that involvegood character, teamwork, hard work, healthy competition, persistence, care for opponents, joy,among many other good things Teachers can use sports to reward or praise the participants forinvolving themselves in a healthy positive task Those who exhibit excellent behavior in andoutside the field of play should be rewarded so that they can maintain that behavior When insporting activities, winners are generally rewarded with praises and prizes When students arerewarded or praised after participating in sports, chances of continuing doing sports and all theother good things associated with sports are very high

Berger (2008) observes that if a mother want a child to easily learn how to speak, when theymention a word appropriately, the mother can smile to the child and repeat the word, shower the

baby with attention, praise and perhaps food Such a child is likely to make those sounds againand again The same applies to students when they engage in healthy activities such as sports.Teachers should be in a position to praise and encourage such students as a way of reinforcing thehabit Therefore, sports are a better way of instilling good discipline among students in schoolsinstead of using other harmful punishment methods such as caning.

2.3 Other Reviews

This topic carries an up-to-date review of literature related to the influence of sports on discipline

in secondary schools The literature review is based on the objectives of the study that dwells onthe role of sports in curbing indiscipline in schools The research reviews variety of informationresources such as books, journals, e-resources, published and unpublished materials Withincreased liberties among students and child rights, teachers have few tools at their disposal thatthey can use to curb indiscipline in schools Sports despite being a healthy activity that improvesthe physical well being of students can as well be used to curb indiscipline This study embarks

on reviewing the related literature under three sub-topics That is, the attitude of students towardssports, the role of sports in curbing indiscipline and the status of sports facilities and relatedresources in secondary schools

2.3.1 Attitude of Students towards Sports

An attitude is a manifestation of favor or disfavor towards an event or things Attitude is formedfrom one’s past or present and influence and shape behaviors of people They shape ourbehaviors in many ways They also determine our involvement in different activities in our lives.Attitudes and perceptions towards sports are imperative in understanding whether a student willparticipate in sports or not In Kenya for instance, physical education although in the schoolcurriculum is not examinable, hence it is treated casually by both teachers and students It is

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therefore safe to say that few students are motivated to participate with vigor and diligence insuch an exercise

In America the number of students that are involved in sports is impressive For instance,according to Weber (2008) the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)and the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) reported that about 7,159,904 whichare 53% of the total American high school population participated in co-curricular activitiesduring 2005-2006 school year This is an indication that there is a positive attitude towards sportsamong students in America

Bibik, Goodwin & Orsega-Smith (2008), carried out a study on High school students’ attitudestoward their physical education programs in the state of Delaware They found out that 45% ofthe students would enjoy having more sports or games in their physical education curriculum.This implies that students would welcome introduction of a more variety of sports to choose from

as opposed to just a few of sports 43% indicated that physical education is important to theirhigh school education They also found that majority of those students who enjoy physicaleducation were more likely to enjoy being in school (Bibik, et al., 2008) This is an indicationthat sports play a role in controlling school dropouts, truancy and absenteeism and therebyincrease retention rate of students in schools

There are several reasons as to why high school students have a negative attitude towards sports.First, some students are not involved in sports and consequently do not find them valuable.Secondly, students are not involved in decision-making on sports yet they are key stakeholders onwhat happens in the field Moreover, students who are less skillful in some sports fail to make it

in the teams and therefore develop a sense of isolation The result is that they are ridiculed bycolleagues for inadequate sports skills Consequently, the student develops negative attitude, feeluncomfortable and unsafe to attempt to sharpen their skills in sports They therefore will try toavoid sports that they have inadequate skills in (Bibik, et al., 2008)

Self gratification is another strong factor that determines the attitude of a students’ participation

in sports If a given sport generates enjoyment to students the likelihood of them participating in

it are very high Kang & Kim (2001) affirms in their study of students’ perceptions of enjoyment

in Physical education (PE) teachers often experience difficulties in making PE enjoyable It isevident that participation in sports is influenced by gender for instance male students likechallengeable and risky sports, while female students prefer aesthetic activities such as dance.Lower grade students also have more positive attitude toward PE This could be becausenaturally, young people are more inclined to involve themselves in games

Luke and Sinclair (1991) examined potential determinants of male and female high schoolstudents’ attitudes toward physical education These factors included boredom with activities, notwanting to get sweaty, not wanting to dress out, and the perception that athletes receivedpreferential treatment Therefore, these are other factors that could negatively contribute tominimal involvement in sports

A research done in Kenya by scholars from Kenyatta University and Ministry of Health dubbed

‘Kenya’s 2014 Report Card on the Physical and Body weight of Children and Youth,’ found out

that rural children are physically fit compared to their urban peers The urban children werefound to be inactive and obese due to watching too much television and engaging less or in noreal games (Gathura, April 5, 2014, The Standard) The study found out that rural children are

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spending a mean of 56 minutes in Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA), compared to 36minutes among urban children World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children andyouth aged 5-17 needs to accumulate at least 60 minutes per day for MVPA This is a clearindication that many children in Kenya are not involving themselves in adequate physicalactivities.

Muraya (April 6, 2014) reported that energy saving devices are turning children into junkies and dummies before puberty, putting their health at risk The reason for this is that there is a shift from active traditional lifestyles to the sedentary behavior such as watching TVs, playing games, surfing the Internet among others instead of being physically active The report also noted that girls are more affected by obesity due to role modeling where boys are assigned masculine tasks such as sending them for errands while discouraging girls from venturing out Rural youth are fairing better than their urban counterparts as they are involved in physically active household chores

2.3.2 Summary of the Attitude of Students towards Sports

From the reviewed literature, indications are that many Kenyan students are not involving

themselves in sports The reason for this is that there is a shift from active traditional lifestyles to the sedentary behavior such as watching TVs, playing games, surfing the Internet among others instead of being physically active It has also been observed that sports in Kenyan secondary schools are treated casually because they are not examinable Therefore, both students and staff have little motivation to participate in sports with the seriousness it deserves

Several factors determine whether students will participate in sports or not One such factor is theskillfulness of a student in a given sport The less the skills in a particular sport, the less the

interest to participation in that sport Other determinants include boredom with activities, notwanting to get sweaty, not wanting to dress out, and the perception that athletes receivedpreferential treatment compared to other sports

Participation in sports is also influenced by gender Male students prefer challenging and riskysports while female students prefer aesthetic activities such as dance Lower grade students alsohave more positive attitude toward sports because naturally, young people are more inclined toinvolve themselves in games

2.4 Role of Sports in Curbing Indiscipline in Secondary Schools

Discipline is a path that enables one to attain their set goals Learning institutions have set goalsand for these to be achieved, discipline is the bridge or paramount for one to achieve academicsuccess as well as protecting the physical and emotional health of students

Many school authorities are at a dilemma on how to instill discipline to their students due toincreased liberties among students There is also a sense of increased awareness among studentsabout their child rights Sport refers to a competitive game or physical event (Simpkin, 1998).Itcan also refer to physical activities orphysical education in a school set up. Sport is a two edgedsword that on one side enhances the participant’s physical fitness, but also on the other handpromotes self discipline, sportsmanship, teamwork spirit, time management toughness, selfconfidence, mental and life skills as well as academic success

Several studies have been conducted on the importance of sports in controlling indiscipline inschools For instance, National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) (1992), in its researchfindings on student unrest in school and colleges recommends that to prevent students from

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engaging in deviant and indiscipline behaviors, emphasis should be placed on engaging them inextra-curricular activities Students’ social time should be increased to enable them releasetension This calls for increase on the provision of recreational facilities like games equipment,entertainments like music, drama, debate, visiting to and from other schools clubs and societies(NCCK, 1992:61) These kinds of activities keep students engaged in positive activities and thushelp to keep them away from mischief.

The report done by Republic of Kenya, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2001) onstudent discipline and unrest in secondary schools recommended that the government makes itmandatory that there is adequate space for children’s playground in every residential estate inurban areas (2001:89) This is in realization that sports play a part in keeping students and youthoccupied and disciplined

Similarly, McCann (2001) observes that factors that are likely to inhibit violent acts amongstudents include: sports, parental support and structure, a sense of hope, among others.Supportive friendship with peers who have pro-social attitudes such as sports and good moralvalues also plays a role in shaping the behavior of such students

According to Cowley (2003) participation in extra curriculum activities create a positive culture

of schools If the culture of a school is positive, it will have a far ranging implication for studentsbehavior change For instance, when new students arrive in school and find that the establishedculture is that of hard work and acceptable discipline, it is more likely that they will be influenced

to keep to it

The Catholic Institute of Education (2003) affirmed that the use of kinesthetic learning style is amethod that influences discipline positively This approach involves use of games, role plays anddoing experiments They confirm that students learn best when they are physically active Young(2005:48) concurs with this and asserts that important strategy for dealing with challengingbehavior is application of sports He even suggests that physical activities be introduced in class

as a physical warm up and to kick start the brain before introducing a subject Moreover, TheNational Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported that over 7,000,000sports participants in United States were found to have higher grade-point, lower school dropoutrates, better daily attendance, and fewer discipline problems than non-participants in sports

Teachers can therefore use sports to shape the character of students They can use sports to teachstudents what is right or wrong, when inside and outside the field of play One of the methodsthey can use is to be good role models while in sports activities Students learn more byobservation for “action speaks louder than words” This can help students to learn beingresponsible, have respect, sense of teamwork, accountability, time management, how to cope withfailure and success

According to Lumpkin & Stokowski (2011) there are some codes that were developed by Heart

of Illinois Conference used to model discipline of sports’ participants that teachers can replicate

in a school set up The codes state: Respect our game, yourself, and others; Respect our officials

at all times; Show sportsmanship in victory or defeat; Be positive in your actions and comments;Never single out an athlete for criticism; Set a good example for us and those around you; Cheerfor good play; Practice self-control; Remember: This is a game; we are here to have fun! This

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implies that when students internalize such codes and make them their guiding principles in lifeand in schools, indiscipline cases can be reduced drastically.

Sports also play a role in lowering aggression According to Nordqvist (2011), sports help loweraggression; enhance self control and discipline in boys Medical News Today (Thursday 7 July2011), affirms this when they observed that apart from helping participants’ physical health,sports also improve their emotional, behavioral and cognitive wellbeing Participants also gainother important traits such as self control; self observation, problem solving skills, and delayedgratification The secret in participating in sports lies in the interest towards the sports Hence,students need to love doing sports to obtain all these benefits

2.4.1 Summary of the Role of Sports in Curbing Indiscipline in Secondary

During sports, there is a lot of emphasis on self discipline, respect for others and teamwork Suchpositive traits can be used as guiding principles for students both inside and outside schools

Sports also play a role in lowering aggression, self control, self observation, problem solvingskills, and delayed gratification.

2.5 Status of Sports Facilities and related Resources in Secondary Schools

In Kenya, many school authorities prefer investing in academic oriented activities to the expense

of sports (Rintaugu, 2011) In fact in many cases, sports are seen as a waste of time According toRintaugu (2011) who conducted a study on the availability and adequacy of sport facilities andequipment in selected secondary schools in Kenya, the findings showed that there is dire need forsporting facilities in most secondary schools Inadequate sport facilities results in poorperformance in many sports and even reduced participation in many others When students do notparticipate in sports, there are high chances of involving themselves in misconduct to fill thevoid The few studies conducted on the state of facilities recommend improving the number offacilities, their functionality and accessibility

Apart from inadequate facilities, another critical challenge is inadequate trained teachers to teachsports Simpkin (1998) observes that many schools do not have trained teachers and adequateequipment for effective teaching of sports

An even more critical area that lags far behind in sports facilities is among students with specialneeds Learners with special needs require special attention and special facilities, which are notoften provided Such people therefore end up living sedentary lifestyles because they are notprovided with appropriate facilities However, a good example of an institution that has gone out

of its way to handle and care for learners with special needs is Kenyatta University by installingfacilities geared to helping them This phenomenon has moved to other universities such asNairobi University

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However, capacity building in terms of sports trainers is getting better For instance, according to

2013 Annual report of University of Nairobi College of Education & External Studies School ofEducation Department of Physical Education & Sport, capacity building in teaching of sports isimproving with time As of 2013, the department had enrolled 96 students at degree level and ithas a capacity to enroll 200 students The department has also enrolled 6 students for doctoraldegrees This is a positive stride towards improving the status of sports in secondary schools inKenya

2.5.1 Summary of Status of Sports Facilities and related Resources in

Secondary Schools

Many secondary school authorities prefer investing in academic oriented activities to the expense

of sports There is therefore dire need for sporting facilities in most secondary schools.Inadequate sport facilities results in poor performance in many sports and even reducedparticipation in many others When students do not participate in sports, there are high chances ofinvolving themselves in misconduct to fill the void The few studies conducted on the state offacilities recommend improving the number of facilities, their functionality and accessibility.Many schools also do not have trained teachers and adequate equipment for effective teaching ofsports An even more critical area that lags far behind in sports facilities is among students withspecial needs Learners with special needs require special attention and special facilities, whichare not often provided

2.6 Summary of Literature Review

From the discussion above, it is clear that sports play a positive role in curbing misconduct, loweraggression and enhance self control and discipline among students in secondary schools Many

students would like to involve themselves in sports, but for them to have a positive attitudetowards sports, those sports have to be enjoyable and be fulfilling Consequently, it is importantfor the students to be part and parcel of decision making in sports However, sports facilities,equipment and trained sports teachers are not adequate in many secondary schools

CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter highlights the research design and methodology used in this study The chapter goesfurther to justify the use of the identified research design and methods They include researchdesign, target population, description of the sample, sampling procedures, research instruments,data collection procedures and data analysis procedures

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3.2 Research Design

According to Leedy and Omrod (2001), a research design is a set of plans developed by aresearcher that provides criteria and specification for the research This study used descriptivedesign as it allow for proper gathering of information, summarizing it, presenting and analyzing

it The researcher opted for this method as it is described by Ogula (2010) as the method used tosystematically gather factual information that is necessary for decision making

The researcher adopted mixed research design, which involves mixing of both quantitative andqualitative research approaches The quantitative research approach enabled the researcher tocollect data with the aim of answering the research questions, while the qualitative approachprovided the researcher with in depth information concerning the topic of research Both designswere intended to complement each other

3.3 Area of Study

The study was conducted in Rongai Town in Kajiado South The area was chosen because of itscosmopolitan nature and having a substantial number of schools ranging from international,public to private ones Therefore, there was a high likelihood of getting the desired information

3.4 Target Population

Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) define a target population as population which the researcher wants to use to generalize the result The target population of this study was taken from one international secondary school, one public secondary school and one private school Students from Form 1, 2 and teachers of the secondary schools were targeted The researcher opted for thiscomposition of respondents to be able to compare results from public, private and international schools

3.5 The Sample Size and Sampling Procedure

3.5.1 The Sample Size

A sample is a set of respondents selected from a large population for the purpose of survey,(Mugenda & Mugenda, 2003) The sample for this study was drawn from forms 1 and 2 studentsand teachers of public, private and International schools It comprised a total of 40 respondents;

30 students and 10 teachers The researcher sampled students and teachers who presumablyrepresented the population The study adopted probability-sampling procedures for thequantitative data in order to ensure an equal, known and non-zero chance in selecting theparticipants For qualitative data collection, non-probability sampling procedures was employed

to ensure that key informants were included in the study

3.5.2 Sampling Procedure

Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) define sampling procedure as a process of selecting a number ofindividuals for a study in such a way that, the individuals selected represent the large group fromwhich they were selected The study was carried out in three secondary schools in RongaiTownship of Kajiado County They comprised one public, one private and one internationalsecondary schools The study applied both stratified and simple random sampling to come upwith the desired sample drawn from form three and four in each school Probability sampling wasused to come up with the students that participated in the study This was done using randomsampling to ensure that each unit in the population has an equal chance of being selected Beforedistributing the questionnaires, the researcher divided girls and boys in stratums according totheir gender Students in each stratum were numbered and the numbers written in small pieces ofpaper and put in different containers Using simple random sampling the required number of

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