Student’s Views of Perceived Teacher Characteristics and Their Influence on Moral Competence of Public Secondary School Students in Westland District, Nairobi County.

Abstract
Empirical research posts that moral competence is not only inborn but can also be improved by educational and psychological processes. However, modern society presents adolescents with difficulties of how to recognize the moral content of real life social situation. This study was done on the moral judgement competence of adolescent students in high schools in Nairobi, Kenya. It aimed at examining the extent of influence the teacher characteristic has on the moral judgment competence of secondary school students within the Nairobi County based on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development stages’ concept. The mixed research design was used with a target population of 240 students from 4 sampled schools of various categories. Data was collected from questionnaires and from focus group discussions. This data was then analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively to show emerging result patterns based on the objectives. The study discovered that the teacher personality and teacher engagement are leading teacher characteristics that influence student moral competence. The outcome of the study is useful to the educators, the policy makers and the school administrations in high schools. The data was collected in March, 2015.
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Keywords
Teacher Characteristics, Moral Competence, Public Secondary School Students, Gender of the Teacher, Moral Competence, Teacher Influence on Student Morality, Moral Judgment Competence Test
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