Teachers’ Perspectives on the Effectiveness of Moral Strategies for Character Formation in Public Secondary Schools in Kakamega County, Kenya

Abstract

Philosophers and educationists contend that education plays a critical role in inculcating learners with moral values for character formation. Moral education for character formation is not an issue of personal choice but fundamental to society in promoting economic growth, prosperity, and order. However, there are a number of problems that hinder the process of reaching the identified ideal of character formation. Some of the challenges are associated curriculum content and the strategies applied by teachers. In school moral education for character formation is promoted through the teaching of subjects such as Christian Religious Education, Hindu Religious Education, or Islamic Religious Education, however they are exam or Cognitive oriented. This is manifested in unacceptable behaviors that are exhibited by students such as school arson, drugs and substance abuse, obscene behavior, and exploitation of school and other public resources. Therefore, this article sought to investigate teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of moral strategies for character formation in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. Phenomenological theory guided this study. On the other hand, phenomenological hermeneutical method was applied in the study.  The study employed a descriptive phenomenological research design to explore teachers' perceptions of moral education strategies for character formation in public secondary schools in Kakamega County, Kenya. This design was chosen because it enables the researcher gain insight into participants' lived experiences of a phenomenon without prejudices and preconceptions. It utilized an interpretive paradigm to understand teachers' perceptions of their social realities, focusing on subjective experiences and perspectives related to moral education. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 15 participants from seven public secondary schools. Unstructured interviews were employed to collect the data. The data collected was analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six steps. The study established that there was mixed reaction on the effectiveness of strategies used in moral education for character formation. The minority of the participants observed that all the strategies were ineffective, while the majority indicated that guidance and counseling although less proactive, is the best strategy for moral education for character formation. The few who mentioned punishment indicated that it was the best method, although illegal and illicit in the current Kenyan schooling context. The study concluded that moral education strategies in public secondary schools in Kakakmega  county, Kenya are largely ineffective, with only a few approaches like class meetings, student leadership, and clubs fostering deeper student engagement. Most strategies are implemented reactively and lack consistent emphasis, limiting their impact on character formation. To improve effectiveness, a more proactive approach and better implementation mechanisms are needed. The study recommends that teachers in Kakamega County be trained to use multiple moral strategies that require extensive student participation and include practical and reflective methods to promote character education. Moreover, moral education should be an integrated approach to ensure that students receive ethical education in many areas of learning to strengthen their morality in applying moral education in many facets of their learning.