EFFECTIVENESS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS FOR SCHOOL REFUSAL BEHAVIOR AMONG PUPILS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS, IN KEIYO NORTH SUB-COUNTY, ELGEYO MARAKWET COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

In spite of the many efforts by parents, teachers and counselors to curb school refusal behaviour, there is much evidence that the problem has persisted. The objectives of the current study were; to determine the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for school refusal behaviour among pupils in public primary schools in Keiyo North subcounty, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. The study's objectives were to determine the effectiveness of cognitive, behavioral, clinical, guidance, and counseling intervention strategies for school refusal behavior among pupils in public primary schools in Keiyo North sub-county, Elgeiyo Marakwet County, Kenya. The study was based on positivism philosophy, which relies on hypothetical relationships and employed Hirschi's Control Theory. The theory posits that strong affiliations mitigate the inclination toward disruptive behavior. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, using the survey to collect data. The targeted population was class 7 and 8 pupils in public primary schools who were absent from school or class for at least 10% or more days in their previous academic year. They were identified with the assistance of their previous class teachers. Keiyo North Sub-county has 5806 pupils in classes 7 and 8. Purposive sampling was used to select the public primary schools that participated in the research. Gill and Johnson (2010) sample size determination table was used to calculate the sample size, and a sample of 357 learners was derived. Four schools were used for piloting and did not participate in the actual research. Data was collected using pupils' questionnaires and document analysis, which included attendance registers, records from guidance and counselling departments, and discipline books. To determine the validity of the research instrument, piloting, correlation analysis, and consultation with supervisors who are experts was done. Cronbach alpha was used to ascertain the instruments' reliability, resulting in an alpha value of 0.7. This was considered high enough and thus accepted and used. Data from questionnaires was validated, coded, tabulated, and then analyzed with the help of the SPSS computer package of social science version 23. Descriptive statistics were charts and percentages that assisted in presenting demographic data, and inferential statistics (chi-square) was used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Findings from this study showed a relationship between the effectiveness of cognitive, behavioral, clinical, guidance, and counseling and school refusal intervention strategies used by primary school teachers to treat school refusal behavior. It was concluded that the psychosocial support given to school refusers is not fully utilized. The study recommends that trained school counselors should be posted to primary schools to ensure functional guidance and counseling, and also, a positive school environment should be highly maintained by all stakeholders to foster a strong bond with the school. Additionally, a longitudinal study on psychosocial interventions for school refusal behavior should be carried out in other parts of Kenya for comparison.