Abstract:
Academic achievement largely depends on the students’ discipline among other factors in any
institution of learning. Studies show that indiscipline students perform poorly in both internal
and external examinations including KCPE performance. Hearing impaired students, studies
suggest, perform poorly because they display more behavior problems. For instance, there
were poor examination results in both internal and national KCPE exams results for the
year’s 2007and 2008 in primary schools for the hearing impaired in Vihiga County. This was
attributed to high indiscipline cases (over 60%) as reflected in the school internal discipline
records. The present study investigated disciplinary problems that existed and modes of
punishment used to manage discipline problems in schools for the hearing impaired in Vihiga
County. The main objective and research question of this study was to find out the common
disciplinary problems that existed and modes of punishment used in schools for the hearing
impaired. It was assumed that hearing impaired learners had similar discipline problems to
the hearing learners. Descriptive survey design method was used and four schools for the
hearing impaired were selected with a study population of 215 learners and 45 teachers to
participate in the study. Saturated sampling technique was used to select the study population
cited. Six learners and 4 teachers participated in the pilot study while 60 learners and 41
teachers participated in the main study. Questionnaires for teachers and learners were used
to collect data which was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study established that the
most commonly displayed behavior problems included fighting, stealing, bullying, truancy
among others while modes of punishment used included cleaning of rooms, withdrawal of
privileges, digging, canning, reprimands and time-outs. The study concluded that teachers
used both friendly and non physical punitive methods of punishment as well as non punitive
strategies such as guidance, counseling and reinforcement to maintain discipline. These
findings may be useful to the area of special Needs Education and the Ministry of Education
in revising school discipline procedures. The researcher recommended that teachers should
use those modes of punishment that are friendly and non punitive strategies. Alsothis study
recommended that a study to be carried out to find out the impact of hearing impairments on
behavior problems and poor academic performance among hearing impaired learners in
Kenya.
