Extensiveness Students Compliance with Rules and Regulations on Enhancing Learning Process in Public Secondary Schools in Moshi District, Tanzania

This study was aimed to investigate the extensiveness on students obedience with rules and regulations enhance learning process in public secondary schools in Moshi District, Tanzania. The social Control Theory, developed by Travis Hirschi in the late 1960s, guided this study. The study employed convergent research design under a mixed-method approach. The study targeted 63 public secondary schools, 63 heads of school, 63 discipline teachers, and 16,850 students and 1 District Secondary Education Officer (DSEO) resulted to a total of 16,977. Sampling techniques that was used in this study include; simple random sampling, purposive sampling, and proportional stratified random sampling techniques was used to select the respondents. The study used a sampled of 12 discipline teachers, 12 head teachers, 394 students and 1 District Education Officer, results of a total of 419 respondents. The research instruments for data collection included questionnaires for teachers and students, interview guides for head of school and District Education Officer. Two research experts specializing in educational planning and administration from Mwenge Catholic University validated the research instruments. A pilot study was conducted in one public primary school in Moshi District Council which consisted 32 students, 1 discipline teacher, and 1 head of school resulted to 34 respondents. The reliability of the Likert-type questionnaires was established using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, with values of .914 for questionnaire for students. The credibility of interview guide was ensured through triangulation techniques. Quantitative data were descriptively analysed into frequency, percentage, and mean through statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 while qualitative data were thematically summarized. The study adhered to ethical considerations throughout the research process. Findings revealed that students acknowledged obedience to school rules and regulations as a significant factor in enhancing the learning process. Compliance was reported to promote life skills such as self-discipline, responsibility, and accountability, which are essential for academic success. Students indicated that following rules helps them stay focused on studies, manage time effectively, and maintain positive behavior in class. Additionally, a disciplined environment was seen to create a fair, safe, and respectful atmosphere that fosters positive teacher-student relationships. The study concluded that students’ obedience to school rules and regulations greatly enhances the learning process in public secondary schools. It recommended that parents actively support school rules by reinforcing values of respect, responsibility, and discipline at home, and maintain regular communication with schools to monitor their children’s behavior and academic progress.