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Conflict Management Strategies in used in
Primary Schools
Abstract
This study examined the management of
conflict in primary schools. The purposes of this study are to identify the
strategies used by head teachers in managing conflict between teachers, and the
strategies used by teachers in managing conflicts between pupils. The purpose
of the study is also to identify the strategies used by pupils in managing
conflict among themselves. The study identified teachers’ appraisal of the
conflict-management techniques of their head teachers. Four research questions
and four hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study consisted of
all the pupils in senior primary schools numbering 7892, as well as 1181
teachers and 80 head teachers in two local government areas in Awka Education
Zone. The sample size consisted of eight hundred and seventy (870) respondents.
The instrument was a questionnaires used to collect data from the respondents.
Data collected were analyzed used statistical weighted means and standard
deviation. The student t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of
significance. The findings showed that the head teachers manage conflicts among
teachers by use of persuasion, dialogue and invitation of the third party
(arbitration). It also revealed that the teachers manage conflicts principally
among pupils by using empathy and referral to Guidance Counselors, while pupils
manage conflicts among themselves by use of force (confrontation). The
appraisal of conflict management style of the head teachers by teachers showed
that the head teachers use dialogue, arbitration and separation device as
effective ways of resolving conflicts. Generally, the findings showed that
pupils, teachers and head teachers in Awka Education Zone apply various and
different methods in resolving conflicts in primary schools. For effective
management of conflict in primary schools, it was recommended among others that
the curriculum planning experts should include a course on management of
conflicts in the primary school teacher preparation programmes. This will
enable the head teachers, teachers and pupils to be vast in different
techniques of conflict management so that they will apply the appropriate ones
when the need arises. Suggestions for further studies as well as limitations
and implications of the study were also discussed.
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
In any society, irrespective of its
level of development, educational institutions are established primarily to
provide recipients of education with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, work
habits and competencies required by the people to perform their social,
economic and political roles efficiently, effectively and creditably. This has
always influenced the formation of each nation’s policy on education. In
Nigeria, for instance, the National Policy on Education (2004) Section 1.5
stated the National aims and objectives of Nigerian Education thus:
i. The
inculcation of national consciousness and national unity.
ii. The
inculcation of the right type of values and attitude for the survival of the
individual and the Nigerian society.
iii. The
training of the mind in the understanding of the world around and
iv. The
acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities and competencies both mental and
physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the
development of his society (FGN 2004:1.5).
The attainment of these lofty aims and
objectives depends largely on the productivity of the people (staff) who man
the system and this in turn is influenced by how well these staff are managed
to perform their functions and their locations whether rural or urban.
The complex nature of the educational
establishment makes it possible for people with different backgrounds in terms
of needs, goals, skills, talents, status, competencies, knowledge, behaviors,
styles, interest, values, prejudices, aggressiveness, perception, temperament,
and so on to be members of school system (Peretomode 1997). Teachers and pupils
which constitute educational input in the school system come from different
backgrounds and have different need-dispositions. Their need-dispositions are
sometimes at variance with the goals of the school. Under such state of
diversity, operation of the school system cannot be devoid of conflict. This is
because individuals or groups are sometimes bound to disagree on issues with
emotional intensity (Olele 2000, Umoren 1997 & Mescon 1998). Moreover, the
natural rural setting belief that leadership is a masculine position sometimes
stirs up conflict in any school headed by female administrator.
Thus, it is evident in school system
that conflicts are inevitable in a natural and a normal development of the
school administration. Due to its inevitable nature, Greenberg & Baron
(2000), suggested that school administrators must learn to manage conflict rather
than attempt to thwart or eliminate it.
Conflict as a concept has a plethora of
definitions because of different opinions held about it. Szilagyi (2000),
defined conflict as a disagreement between two or more organizational members
concerning the manner to be used to achieve certain goals. Gray & Starke
(2001), saw conflict as a behaviour by a person or group that is purposefully
designed to block the attainment of goals by another person or group. While
Peretomode, (1997), defined conflict as struggle for control of another
person’s behaviour, doing or action. Ezegbe, (1997) opined that conflict refers
to struggles, contradictions, mutual hostility in inter human relationship.
However, conflict is a clear indication that something is wrong with the organization
and that sound principles are not being applied in managing the activities of
the organizations.
Types of conflicts include;
1. Intrapersonal
conflict. This occurs within the person. Examples of such conflicts are
conflicts that emerge over the use of equipments in the school, choice of topic
for research projects, choice of spouse, moral questions, low self esteem, poor
financial status.
2. Interpersonal
conflicts are conflicts between two or more people. It can result when values,
beliefs and attitude do not fit together, for example, conflict between the
principal of a school and the members of staff over the criteria for promotion
of students at the end of a session.
3. Real
conflict occurs when goals or behaviours are incompatible because of struggle
for power and resources.
4. Artificial
conflict is a type of conflict whereby an individual member in an organization
believes he can gain respect within the group by lowering the credibility of
another individual of the same group. (Burgon, Heston, & Mc Croskey,
1994).
Conflicts are seen in homes between
parents and teenagers, in schools between students and school authorities, in
work places between workers and supervisors, in communities over territories,
resources control, power sharing to mention just a few. Sources of conflicts
include differences in personality tracts, differences in background,
differences in values, poor communication skills, differences in perceptions,
differing view, points, emotions and attitudes. Ezenwa (1998), indicated that
other sources of conflict in school includes; non involvement of teachers in
decision making process, lateness to duty, formation of cliques by staff, poor
discharge of duties and poor academic background of school administrators.
School conflict can also arise from the
structure such as the size, location of institution – rural or urban, nature of
work and gender composition.
Conflicts manifest in different forms.
It can occur in form of insults, name calling, blackmailing, defamation of
character, false accusation, withdrawal of love and support or services,
withdrawal of salaries, strikes, suspension, sudden transfer, demotion,
termination of appointments, violent demonstration, wars and killing (Ezegbe,
1997).
Conflicts have led to wars, dislocation
of people and loss of lives and property. Greed, egoism and desire to have
power over others are humanity worst enemies. In some way, they are at the root
of every conflict (Pope John Paul II, 2001). All over the world, conflict has
caused misery and suffering to millions of people. According to UNDP (2002)
during the 16 years of civil war in Mozambique, more than 40% of the schools
and health clinics were destroyed or forced to close down. The economic loss
caused by the war in Mozambique was estimated at $ 15 billion.
Conflict has its merits and demerits. For an
administrator, conflict handled with wisdom can help him make effective
decisions. This is because the dissenting opinions will expose different
aspects of the problem at hand. A judgment made after a careful consideration
of these opinions is likely to be an effective one. However, whenever people
gather for any purpose there is bound to be disagreement. In the school setting
not all disagreements are conflicts but all conflicts result from disagreements
(Mbipom & Okon 2003). The success of any school organization therefore
depends on the ability of the school administrator to resolve the conflicts
arising from disagreements within the school system. The administrator’s
efforts at achieving the set objectives of the National Policy on Education
will be hindered if he is unable to manage his teacher and pupils well so as to
reduce conflicts when they arise.
According to, (Ezegbe 1997) conflicts in
any organization can be managed effectively using the following methods;
1. Dialogue.
This is calling the conflicting parties in a disputes to express their
grievances and thus free their mind of grudges and bitterness.
2. Arbitration
is a process of bringing in a peacemaker to settle the problem.
3. Confrontation
is the use of force or debate by the two opposing parties to solve their
problems.
4. Separation
device as the name implies involves separating the two opposing individuals by
transfer, to another section of the organization.
5. Super
ordinate goal is involving the conflicting parties in the interrelated work
thereby forcing them to have a better relationship as they work together.
6. Prayer
is another way to managing conflicts. The problems can be taken to God in
prayers and He will effect a lasting solution to any conflict.
7. Empathy
involves putting oneself into the feeling of others. Ability to sense the
distress of another person decreases the tendency to hurt him and would easily
elicit apologies to sooth ill feelings. Thus nipping the conflict in the
bud.
For teacher-role performance to be
effective, school administrators should be versed in conflict management
strategies and apply any of them to solve individual teachers or group
conflicts based on the situation it best fits. In addition, school
administrator should initiate healthy communication, maintain peace, remain
accountable to the people he serves, demonstrate forgiveness, train staff and
students as mediators, encourage reconciliation and maintain confidentiality. Conflicts
are inherent and inevitable in any human organization. The existence and
prevalence of such conflicts and their traumatic effects on educational
institutions demand that emerging conflicts should be controlled to maximize
productivity and for the education system to achieve its aims and objectives.
This underscores the needs to find the means of resolving conflicts before they
get out of hand.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
There is a growing concern about
conflicts in schools and the society today. The issue of aggressive behaviours
and bullying in primary schools is alarming. There is need that conflicts be
managed constructively in order not to escalate and consequently interfere with
the learning process and playground harmony. Teacher actions at a classroom and
school level have an important influence on student conflict management. Over
the ages, the government, administrators and religious bodies have been
encountering a lot of conflicts.
There is a general impression that conflict in
schools is on the increase (Onwurah, 1995). Sometimes people blame the
government, administrators, head teachers for their inability to control
conflict situations in schools. Many researchers have written works on the
causes and implications of conflicts in schools. For example, Onwurah (1995)
pointed out that schools nowadays are more involved in conflict than in the
past. Little or nothing has been written on how conflict is resolved or managed
in primary schools especially in Awka Education Zone of Anambra State.
As a school teacher, it was observed that many
a times, the pupils have constant quarrel with one another. The disagreements
which the pupils have at play grounds often times are not settled, and these
are carried into the classroom during lesson, which in turn disturb the
teaching and learning processes in the classroom. The teacher who might not
have known that such problems existed will be busy teaching only to be
distracted by noise in the classroom. This makes the teacher unhappy and the
teaching and learning process in the classroom negatively impacted.
Effective management of conflict in the school
setting would go along way to improve teaching and learning. The question is
how are conflicts handled in our primary schools? Thus, the statement of a
problem as a question: What are the conflicts management strategies in use in
primary schools in Anambra State?
Conflict Management Strategies in used in Primary Schools
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