Influence of secondary school principals’ information dissemination types on students’ discipline in Kitui County, Kenya
Authors: Kasau Annie , Okoth Ursulla , Kalai Jeremiah M. , Kimani Gerald 
Published: April 2024

Discipline is a significant element of human behaviour that can be defined as the restrictions of an individual or group of people. Ogweno (2016) defines students discipline as students exhibiting social acceptable behavior and agree with the regulations of the school. It is therefore a pivotal element in the smooth operation of an organization whether public or private. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of principal’s information sharing patterns on students’ discipline. There are four information sharing types: - Strategic sharing, Paradigmatic sharing, directive sharing and social sharing. In this study the focus was on directive and social sharing. Directive sharing involves information sharing between teachers and students while social sharing involves information sharing as a relationship and a community building activity. The study was guided by the situational theory of leadership by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard, (1969). Descriptive survey research design was used. From a target population of 369 principals, 369 deputy principals and 76071 students a sample of 110 principals, 110 deputy principals and 440 students were sampled through purposive sampling for principals and deputy principals, stratified proportional sampling for students. Questionnaires were used for students and deputy principals, an interview guide for principals and researchers observation schedule. The return rate was 100 per cent for principals, 72.7 per cent for deputy principals and 83.4 per cent students. Independent T-test was used to compare means between principals’ information sharing patterns and discipline variables with same continuous dependent variable (discipline) to determine whether the mean occurrences of student discipline differed based on principals information sharing patterns. Out of the total 101 (91.8%) of the schools indicated higher means on principals’ information sharing pattern as compared to means in discipline. This implied that there could have been other factors that influenced discipline in schools. The study also revealed that 91.8 per cent of the students agreed that information sharing helps control students’ behaviour hence improved discipline. About 91.0 per cent of the principals agreed that information sharing created an understanding of discipline issues. The study also revealed that 87.2 per cent of the students agreed that the school administration and students’ leaders held meetings. A majority 91.8 per cent of the deputy principals concurred with those of the students that information sharing helps control students’ behaviour hence improved discipline. The study concluded that information sharing patterns between the principal and students had no influence on student’s discipline but rather there could have been other factors that influenced students’ discipline. The study recommends that the principals should consider other information sharing processes which could help students to take control of their behaviour.