Conflict and Its Management Styles: Teachers, Students and Principals Perceptions, the Case of Kolfe Keranyo Sub-City Government Secondary Schools of Addis Ababa
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2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate conflict and its management styles: Teachers, students and principals perceptions, the case of Kolfe Keranyo Sub-City Government Secondary Schools of Addis Ababa. The study attempted to identify the major sources of conflict, perceptions of conflict, frequently used CMS. In order to attain the objective of the study, a descriptive survey design was materialized. Data were gathered from 240 respondents (i.e. 58 teachers, 144 students and 30 administrative staff).Questionnaires and interview were the instruments used for data collection. The data gathered were analyzed using various statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, One-way ANOVA and Post Hoc test. The computed data affirmed that disciplinary problems ranked as the first major source of conflict in the schools. Age-similarity among teachers, students and administrative workers including principals, and sexual harassment were rated as the second & third conflict generating factors in the study area. Apart from this, the collected data through open-ended question and interview asserted that principal(s) were not effective in handling disputes. The finding of the study further showed that majority of the respondents’ perceive conflict as bad, negative and destructive that must be avoided rather than managing conflict for benefit. Compromising was the first frequently used conflict management style in the schools under study. The second most prevalent style was avoiding followed by accommodating, collaborating and dominating consecutively. The ANOVA as well as the Post Hoc multiple comparisons test asserted that there was a statistically significant difference in the use of accommodating, compromising and collaborating styles among the three groups. Above all, the study unveiled that the importance of contextual and/or indigenous conflict management mechanisms such as social committee, 'sheemagilies', group-networking, etc. in alleviating conflicts were to some extent put into practice in the schools. As a concluding remark, since school culture is dynamic which is built by people with different family backgrounds, learning experiences and seeing & managing things from their point of view regardless of others, members of school community should accept the inevitability of conflict that could not be avoided at all. Despite these loopholes, principals encountered with frequent disputes and handled it according to their personal feelings and skills. Therefore, it is recommended that seminars, discussions, and symposia should be organized for members of school community on communication aspects, diversity management and conflict resolution strategies by Woreda Education Office, Sub-City Education Office and Addis Ababa Education Bureau
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Education