THE EFFICACY OF MORAL EDUCATION IN ADDRESSING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN VIHIGA COUNTY, KENYA: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

Abstract

Moral education had long been recognized as a cornerstone of character development, emphasizing respect, empathy, and justice. In the context of secondary education, moral education provides students with tools to navigate through ethical dilemmas and it foster respectful relationships. However, the persistence of gender-based violence (GBV) in schools underscored a gap in translating moral education into actionable change. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the efficacy of moral education in addressing gender-based violence in public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya, using a phenomenological approach. Three main objectives guided the study: To examine lived experiences of teachers on the effectiveness of moral education in addressing GBV in public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya, to investigate the lived experiences of teachers on the role of moral education in curbing GBV in secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya and to establish effective moral strategies in mitigating GBV in public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya. The study was guided by Aristotelian theory of virtue ethics. Additionally, the study employed phenomenological hermeneutic and critical methods. Purposive sampling was used to recruit five guidance and counseling teachers from five public secondary schools in Vihiga County, Kenya. At the same time, unstructured interviews were employed to collect primary data. Data was analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six steps. The study established that moral education is a crucial component in the development of students’ ethical beliefs and perceptions, especially regarding GBV. Secondly lived experience of teachers revealed that they understood that moral education could help in preventing GBV, but they encountered several barriers in its practice. Also, it was found that in order to improve the effectiveness of moral education in combating GBV, schools should incorporate more participatory teaching methods and engage with parents and communities more actively. The study recommended that, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders should design training programs that will enable teachers to teach moral education and handle issues to do with GBV, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) should ensure that moral education curriculum is well structured and should include issues to do with GBV and schools should involve parents and other members of the community in moral education programs to enhance ethical standards outside the classroom environment.