Effectiveness of Peace Education Programmes in Secondary Schools: A Case Study of kisumu Municipality, Kenya

Abstract

Peace education is aimed at teaching individuals the information, attitudes, values, and behavioral competencies needed to resolve conflicts without violence and to build and maintain mutually beneficial, harmonious relationships. There are many approaches to peace education, many of which are based on ideology, practical experience, and good intentions. What is lacking is peace education programmes based on theories validated by research that can be operationalized into practical procedures. In Kenya, Peace Education has been seen through development and environmental studies that are offered as common courses in Universities and also civic education carried out by civil societies. However, these activities do not reflect a comprehensive peace education that can generate a culture of peace. This paper explored the effectiveness of peace education programmes put in place by secondary schools as a sustainable management tool for peace. The study employed three interrelated theories which underlie effective peace education: social interdependence theory which deals with the nature of cooperation and competition; constructive controversy theory which deals with political discourse and creative problem solving, and integrative negotiations theory which deals with mutually beneficial agreements. The research has validated these theories, and each was operationalized into practical procedures. The management objective was to explore a range of educational programmes put in place to enhance peace. Specific objectives included: To find out the strategies the schools have adopted to conduct peace education and how successful the implementation has been; to find out teachers perception on the necessity of peace education and to establish the effects of peace education on students and the civil society by extension. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and was based in Kisumu Municipality, Kenya. The target population of this study comprised the learners, the teachers and the Directors of Studies in each school were purposively sampled for the interview. These Directors were selected on the basis of their experience as teachers in charge of academic and other programmes in their respective schools and therefore were conversant with strategies employed by schools to initiate the peace programmes. Data collected was arranged in themes and sub-themes that helped in attaining the research objectives. The researcher thereafter conducted content, theoretical reflection analysis.