The Resolution of Conflict between Teacher and Student: Students' Narratives

Abstract

The important thing for teachers is to solve conflicts with students correctly and effectively without damaging the relationship, losing the cooperation with students or disrupting educational process. Although there is a great concern about the way a teacher manages studentsí behaviour, there is very little relevant data concerning teacher-student conflict. The article aims at revealing the characteristics of conflict resolution between students and teachers from the studentsí point of view. To investigate the process of conflict between a teacher and a student, a case study method was used. Respondents were asked to recall a conflict occurring between them and a teacher during the school years, describe how the incident was handled, and the consequences of it. The number of respondents constituted 30 students. Students and teachers actually engage in a range of behaviours. In accordance with the theoretical framework, the four behavioural categories were grouped. Students reported that during the teacher-students conflict a full palette of strategies (dominating, integrating, accommodating and avoiding strategies) was used. Findings revealed that forcing was expressed by arguments, involving a third party and aggression. Avoiding was expressed by crying, avoiding the contact. Accommodating was expressed by pretending and giving in. Apologising, making a compromise, compensation, talking about the problem were examples of an integrating strategy. The results indicated that participants reported 28 behavioural reactions to a classroom conflict. Among them, 12 were those of teacher engagement, and 16 of student engagement. In line with the conglomerated conflict behaviour framework, students reported that both conflict parties (students and teachers) in the case of active student position engaged in more than one type of behaviour in response to a single incident. Understanding studentsí experience would allow teachers to better respond and manage studentsí reactions, as well as help teachers prevent behaviours such as aggression and promote other behaviours such as motivation.