Exploring the potential efficacy of communitarian-inspired approaches in addressing moral decline in secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya

Jephithar Mwenesi

doi:10.51867/ajernet.6.3.84

Authors

Jephithar Mwenesi
mwenesijephthar@gmail.com
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya

Keywords:

Alternatives to Corporal Punishment, Communitarianism, Moral Decline, Moral Dialogue, Secondary Schools, Socratic Method, Platonic Dialogue, Teacher Experiences

Abstract

This paper explores the effectiveness of communitarian-inspired Alternatives to Corporal Punishment (ATCPs) in curbing moral decline in secondary schools in Bungoma County, Kenya. Despite the 2001 ban on corporal punishment, moral decadence among students persists, revealing that existing ATCPs such as guidance and counselling are ineffective due to weak parental support, institutional disconnect, and lack of philosophical grounding. This study uses a phenomenological hermeneutic approach to capture the lived experiences of teachers. The study adopts the culturally-constitutive view of communitarianism, which fosters societal group accountability among families, schools, and neighborhoods. By combining African ethics with other types of dialogical models, such as Socratic and Platonic methods, the study suggests implementing moral dialogue, value-based education, and collaborative assessment instruments as an effective means of discipline and moral development. The results suggest that to be successful, the ATCPs must incorporate philosophical ethics and community participation to create moral communities in the Kenyan education system.

Dimensions

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