Assessing the effectiveness of conflict management methods used in private and public secondary schools

Abstract

The drive of this study was to assess effectiveness of conflict management methods used in public and private secondary schools in Dodoma City in Central Tanzania. The objectives of the study were to establish the conflict management methods, assess the extent to which conflict management methods are effective in managing conflicts, and suggest viable ways for improving conflict management methods in schools. The study used a selected-case study and descriptive survey method, where data were collected and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The respondents included Teachers, students, and parents. The respondents were administered with questionnaires while head teachers and some parents were interviewed and There was one focus group discussion that was composed of one randomly selected teacher from the each selected secondary schools, one student (head boy/girl from each school), and one representative parent from each selected school. So, there were 12 (twelve) people who participated in a focus group discussion. Analysis was carried out using computer software (including SPSS and Excel) and appropriate statistical tests including the Chi-square and Pearson’s correlation Coefficient were used to test relationships between variables. The findings indicated that the conflict management methods used in private and public secondary schools in Dodoma city in central Tanzania includes; adequate coverage of the syllabus in session, opportunity to attend courses in conflict management, use of student representative bodies in decision making and administration, administrative, transparency and accountability in financial and resource allocation, professionalism and meritocracy in appointment of teachers and administration. From the findings, however, not all the methods are conflict management are equally effective: while the most effective method is professionalism and meritocracy in appointment of teachers and administration, the least effective is compromising. While the suggested most effective ways of improving conflict management processes are in service of education managers, teachers, and education stakeholders on management and conflicts resolution and transparency and accountability in financial and resource allocation and management, the least effective of the suggested ways of conflict management processes is giving in to other party and ignoring one goal. It was recommended that there is need to have trainings on conflict management methods in schools to assist in management of conflicts. The study findings will be significant in that the findings may be useful to education researchers, educational planners and other scholars of educational administration as it will hopefully increase their awareness of the values of conflict and there is need for regional educational officers to organize seminars termly for trainings on conflict management methods in schools to assist in management of conflict.