Towards Effective Curriculum Delivery: Examining the Intervening Role of Religion on Students’ Involvement in Sports Betting Among Public Secondary Schools

Abstract

Habitual sports betting among students is concomitant with numerous psychological, social and health effects whose ramifications may encumber effective curriculum delivery. To this, religion, being the spiritual and moral compass of society should not turn a blind eye. Little research has however, been done to examine the role of religious intervention on mitigating gambling involvement among students. This study investigated the intervening role of religious doctrine and religious commitment on sports betting among secondary school students in Mumias-East sub-county, Kenya. It involved 369 students, obtained by stratified random sampling. Questionnaires were used for data collection. Results were analysed using frequencies and percentages, while hypotheses were tested using Chi Square. The study found that the doctrine of most religious denominations reprehended sports betting. However, there was no significant relationship between religious doctrine and involvement in sports betting. But the study found a significant relationship between students’ commitment to religion and involvement in betting. Students who were ‘Very Committed’ to religion had the least propensity for sports betting. It was thus concluded that religious doctrine per se does not affect an individual’s decision to bet or otherwise. Rather, the level of commitment to the doctrine and practice of one’s faith is what affects their decisions. The study thus recommends that schools should work with religious leaders to institute programs that enhance students’ commitment to their religious faith. It also recommends an inclusion of betting awareness in school curriculum, which could be done by integration of the content into already existing subjects.

Keywords: Religious doctrine, Religious commitment, Sports Betting, Secondary Schools