Drug and substance abuse management approaches and students' academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya

Abstract

Drug and substance abuse among secondary school students remains a concern for education systems because of its association with students’ behaviour, engagement, and academic outcomes. This study examined the relationship between drug and substance abuse management (DSAM) approaches and students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Embu and Tharaka Nithi Counties, Kenya. A descriptive correlational survey design was employed within a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews, document analysis, and observations. The study examined three broad DSAM approaches: guidance and counselling, school climate, and discipline management. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the combined relationship between these approaches and students’ academic performance. The results showed a very strong relationship between the combined DSAM approaches and academic performance (R = .926). The model explained 85.8% of the variance in students’ academic performance (R² = .858; adjusted R² = .857). The overall regression model was statistically significant, F (3, 369) = 742.278, p < .001. School climate made the strongest relative contribution to the model (β = .635), followed by discipline management (β = .340) and guidance and counselling (β = .082), with all three predictors statistically significant. The findings suggest that DSAM is best understood as an integrated school-wide approach in which the learning environment, discipline management, and psychosocial support operate as complementary components. Schools should therefore strengthen these approaches in a coordinated manner when addressing drug and substance abuse and supporting students’ academic engagement.