CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: TEACHERS INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In life, conflict is unavoidable. It occurs between two people, between groups and even within an individual. Conflict occurs in every organization including educational organizations. The intervention techniques for conflict resolution, whether positively or negatively, is the main concern regarding the outcome of the particular conflict.        

Several intervention techniques like social intervention techniques, administrative intervention techniques, moral intervention techniques and psychological intervention techniques for conflicts resolution have been developed for use by teachers in resolving conflicts in secondary schools. As a social intervention technique for resolution of conflict early recognition of social and emotional problems in students by teacher is necessary for best developmental outcomes (Crow & Richie, 2008). However, social and emotional difficulties continue over time and are highly resistant to change. Thus, it is not surprising that a strong relationship exists between student behavioural problems, delinquency, and later criminality (Enyi, 2002). However, if these social and emotional problems in students are left unattended, they create impairment which places students at high risk of persistent social and emotional problem, under-achievement, school drop-out and ultimately delinquency.

Young students’ ability to learn and eschew conflict is assured by a sense of security and stability and continuous relationship with teachers including their families and communities, Okoro in Mhehe (2007). Therefore, teachers early identification of students social and emotional problems and intervention on these social and emotional problems of students can have a significant impact on the developing students. Reits in Onoyase (2009) considers the development of emotional stability and social ability in the early years of students by teachers as playing a critical part in shaping the way students think, learn, react to challenges and develop relationships throughout their lives. Thus, teachers help to develop and influence students socially and emotionally because it contributes to the cognitive development of the students.

Teachers develop students socially and emotionally by helping them to identify and understand their own feelings; accurately read and comprehend emotional reactions from others; manage strong emotions and their expression in a constructive manner; control one’s own behaviour; develop compassion for others; establish and maintain relationships (Casey & Owne, 2007). However, when teachers help students to achieve the above feat, continual physical aggression, high school drop-out rates, adolescent delinquency and antisocial behaviour which are associated with students’ conduct will be ameliorated. The students’ years in the school are a vulnerable period for learning to control development of aggression which ushers in conflict (Oputa, 2003). It is evident that students who display high level of physical aggression in school are at the highest risk of taking part in violent behaviours as adolescents or adults. This calls for teachers’ intervention in restructuring the students way of behaviour; a way of preventing conflict in the secondary school system.

As an administrative intervention technique for resolution of conflict in secondary schools, teachers can address behaviours students manifest to avoid or escape a difficult academic task by teaching the students to use a better acceptable escape behaviour (Greenhalgh 2009). (Example is asking for help, which must be available once the student ask for it). According to Hurton & Hunt in Fadipo & Ojedele (2001), it is usually ineffective and often unethical to use aversive technique to control students’ behaviour (e.g. corporal punishment). To this extent, punishment such as suspension should only be considered in extreme cases i.e when the students’ behaviour severely endangers his or her safety or the safety of others; the teacher should try every possible positive intervention (for an appropriate length of time, remembering that behaviour may get worse before it gets better) before considering punishment (Ude, 2006).

According to Okoro in Mhehe (2007) the psychological intervention techniques to be embraced by the teacher in handling students’ problem should include knowledge of counseling techniques, confidentiality procedures, behaviour modification techniques and knowledge of legal procedure rules techniques. The teacher can equally recourse to the current psychological research technique, grief counseling techniques; interpersonal communication techniques and scientific research methodology in order to resolve conflicts in the secondary schools (Oputa, 2008).

Teachers teach students perspective taking, self control and social behaviour such as sharing as a way of moral intervention techniques for resolving conflict (Greenhalgh, 2009). However, there is general agreement that teacher effective and mature moral skills must have some capacity to control students behaviour. Teachers teach students self-discipline, along with empathy which are the two building blocks of character. Teachers equally teach the students the ability to carry out their moral vision which is one of the four central ingredients in their cognitive developmental model of moral maturity, which is parallel to moral will for conflict resolution in secondary schools (White, 2007).