Changing Students’ Unwanted Behaviors: The case Of Secondary Schools At Kiwengwa Tourist Area In Zanzibar

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this research were to find out the magnitude of unwanted behaviors to secondary school students and measures which have been taken to change the secondary school student‟s unwanted behavior at Kiwengwa tourist area in Zanzibar. The study employed a qualitative approach. A total of seventy two (72) respondents from three secondary schools Kiwengwa, Pwani Mchangani and Matemwe, were selected as a sample. The study included sixty (60) secondary school students, three teachers, five parents and four religious leaders. Purposive sampling was used to obtain the sample. The data were collected through interviews, documentary review and focus group discussions. Data analysis was done through descriptive content analysis, and calculations were made to get quantifiers in form of percentages. The findings of the study revealed that most unwanted behavior practices in secondary schools were manifested among boys and girls whose age ranged from 14- 23 years. The behaviors commonly practiced were drug abuse, alcoholism school, dropout, truancy, sex abuse and male earring. Tourism, Peer pressure, working for money, imitation of foreigners and new life style were found to be the major causes of unwanted behavior among secondary school students. Corporal punishment, suspension, manual work, guidance and counseling, discussion with parents and expulsion from school were found to be the common methods used to discipline students in the secondary schools. On the other hand the findings also revealed that the methods used by teachers to change students‟ unwanted behavior were ineffective because teachers lack of knowledge and skills in dealing with students who practice such behavior. It is recommended in the study that guidance and counseling should be purposively established in secondary schools; and in-service teacher training program on counseling and guidance skills should be put into place to make the teachers able to take care of students‟ behaviors