Exploring the Influence of Teacher Classroom Management Style on Students' Self-esteem: A Case of Public Secondary Schools in Nyandarua West Sub-County, Kenya

Self-esteem is defined in a similar vein as a positive or negative attitude towards a particular object, where the object is the self. For children to succeed in education they need to develop a positive self-concept as well as self-esteem. The major purpose of the study was to investigate whether students’ level of self-esteem can be influenced by a teacher's classroom management style. To achieve this objective, the teacher's classroom management style and students’ self-esteem were measured and the data obtained was analyzed. The aim was to find out whether the selected school factor had any influence on students’ level of self-esteem. The research was conducted using an ex-post facto research design to find out and establish any existing relationship between independent and dependent variables retrospectively. Teacher classroom management style was seen as a naturally occurring independent variable, which could affect students’ level of self-esteem. The population of the study comprised students in public secondary schools in Nyandarua West Sub County. The Sub County has 8 public secondary schools; with a student population of 3067. Data relevant to the study was collected using questionnaires prepared by the researcher. The questionnaires were administered to a sample of 240 students selected using simple random sampling from the 1320 form two students in the Sub County. The data was analysed using mean calculations, percentages and a one-way ANOVA test. It was found that a teacher’s classroom management style has a significant influence on students’ self-esteem, either raising or lowering it. In boarding schools, teachers were shown to have been more effective in handling students’ classroom affairs. In day schools’ teachers were rated as less democratic and equally students in these schools scored lowest on the self-esteem test. Students in schools with teachers who were more democratic in handling students’ affairs were found to have higher self-esteem compared to those in schools with teachers rated as less democratic. It is therefore recommended that teacher classroom management style should be improved in all school categories. Teachers should be sensitized on the role of self-esteem in behaviour and academic performance. Finally, this study suggests that further studies should be conducted to find out whether similar results would be obtained in other Sub Counties in Kenya and to find out whether peers, parents and school catering facilities have any significant effect on students’ level of self-esteem.