ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to investigate the conflict resolution mechanisms in public secondary schools in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Four research questions and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised of all the public secondary school principals and teachers in Ebonyi State. The sample for the study is 260 respondents, out of the total population of 5228 respondents. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled conflict resolution mechanisms questionnaire. The data generated for the study was analyzed using mean and standard deviation for answering the research questions while t-test statistics was used for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was discovered from the findings that cause of conflicts in schools include: individual aggressiveness, authoritarianism, frustration due to uncoducive working atmosphere, poor motivation and stress from the job, misunderstanding, not taking instructions, poor communication, lack of commitment, poor management and differences in opinion. Conflicts in schools are manifested through destruction of public properties, blocking the highways and preventing others from attending to their work peacefully, writing of petitions against authority by staff, students/community riots, teachers strikes, verbal hostility expressed in for of rebukes and defamation of character, demonstration and carrying of placards and of songs. Conflicts encourage indiscipline, breeds non-charlant attitude to work, and adversely affects students’ performance and drag reputation of schools to mud. Conflicts could be resolved by involving both parties to a conflict in a discussion, involving teachers and student in decision-making; being fair and firm, and holding regular meetings with the PTA. Based on the finding the researcher recommended that educational administrations and planner should appreciate the causes of conflict and put in place mechanism for handling then when they come up. Government at all levels should reduce and avert conflict by providing good working environment in the schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
| 1 |
Conflict is experienced within the individual, between individuals, among groups, states and sometimes transcend to other creatures. The fact that this phenomenon exists in all creation makes it difficult to understand and almost impossible to resolve successfully, especially when its causes are natural. When conflict is resolved there is bound to be peace. The major concern has been how to give meaning to this phenomenon, diagnose its structure, locates its causes and attempts finding solution. In spite of all the efforts, by the Government conflict appears to defy solutions by drawing individuals at daggers points, groups as well as institutions at war and nations at loggerheads. It has been a central concern not only to these mentioned categories but also to international community and development agencies. According to Onu (2005), One major reason for the concern about conflict resolution and transformation is because if it becomes protracted, conflicts can wrap up a society, economies or regions where they are situated in complex emergencies which can in turn be extended to global environment, and become obstacle to peace and progress. For any organization to perform effectively, interdependent individuals and groups within the organization must establish relationships across organizational boundaries, between individuals and among groups.
Individuals or groups may depend on one another for information, assistance, or coordinated actions. Such inter-dependence may foster either cooperation or conflict. Conflict connotes disagreement, distortions inconsistencies and antagonisms existing in a particular system. It could equally mean discord in actions, lack of concordance in opinion in order to achieve one’s own goal.
Conflicts arise in virtually every human organization, secondary schools inclusive. This is so because in every human organization, the individual characteristics such as aggressiveness, authoritarianism, and frustration due to un-conducive working atmosphere, poor motivation, and stress from the job create tension in the organization. According to Ikejiani-clark (2009), conflict is a natural and inevitable part of people working together, sharing diverse thoughts, concerns, perspectives and goals. It may occur at inter-organizational, organizational, inter-group and interpersonal levels. For example, there may be conflicts involving a school and the community; where the school is located the principal, the staff and students, students and the school authority, a staff and a fellow staff or between two students, or among staff or among students. Ezegbe (1997) defines conflicts as mutual hostility in inter-human relationships. The mutual hostility, according to her, can occur in form of insults, name calling, defamation of character, blackmailing, sarcasm, false accusation, withdrawal of services, salaries, fringe benefits or incentives, strikes and demotion. White and Bednar cited in Imhabekhai (2000), defines conflict as the interplay of interdependent people or groups who perceive incompatible goals and interference from each other in achieving those goals.
According to Nye (2001) conflict is conceived as “mutual hostility” at interpersonal, inter-human, inter-group, and inter-ethnic, inter-cultural and at inter-national level. It is a situation where the disputants are hostile to each other or to one another in order to achieve their set goals or objectives, which are usually regulated by hierarchy of human needs, selfishness, possessiveness, greediness, as well as sociological, political, cultural, psychological and religious motives. According to Harks (2001), conflict means: to come into collision, clash or be in opposition or at variance. It equally means ‘strife’, controversy, discord of action, disagreement in opinions, and antagonism of interest or principle. Kemper (2001), while relating conflict behavior to conflict concept, defined inter-personal conflict as “that role situation in which the organizational conditions, practices, needs or goals of different members appear incompatible to those other members. Imobughe (2005) sees conflict as a state of disharmony in an interactional process describing it thus, as an inevitable universal phenomenon affecting all cultures irrespective of size, political, social and economic development. Udomo (2000) sees conflict as disagreement and misunderstanding between two parties concerning an issue(s). Conflict he said exists where there is divergent or different ideas to a matter under consideration. People who are in conflict are termed to be quarreling, disunited, struggling and fighting over things. He concluded that where there is conflict people tend not to cooperate with each other; cold war exists and things fall apart. Conflicts are part and parcel of human organizations world over. This indeed is a paradox because of the amount of energy and resources expended by organization to prevent and or resolve conflicts. Flippo (2005) attempted an explanation why there must be conflict when he remarked that, a total absence of conflict would be unbelievable, boring, and strong indication that conflict is suppressed. The inevitability of conflict was also established by Kerzner (1998) when he asserted that conflict is part of change and therefore inevitable.
It is therefore not an aberration to expect conflicts in the administration of secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The nature and types of conflicts that occur in secondary school administration vary from one school to another. These types of conflicts include internal and external conflict. Internal conflict is person versus self, while external is person versus nature and environment. According to Kirkwood (2002), various types of conflict that exist in organizations include data conflicts, structural conflicts, relationship conflicts, and interest conflicts. Conflicts can lead to disputes, grievances, lawsuits, complaints, strikes, and disciplinary actions. Conflicts can occur at a number of levels of human functioning. Conflict which lies on the shoulder of an administrator between opposing motives or ideas is shown by its “internal dialogue” and is at the intra- personal level. According to Okeibunor and Anugwom (2002), the primary concern here is with the social conflict, that is, conflict between people whether they are acting as individuals, as members of groups, or as representatives of organizations or nations. Interpersonal conflicts occur when two or more people have incompatible needs, goals, or approach in their relationship.
Communication breakdown is often an important source of interpersonal conflict and learning communication skill is valuable in preventing and resolving such difficulties. However, very real differences occur between people that cannot be resolved by any amount of improved communication. “Personality conflict” refers to very strong differences in motives, values or style in dealing with people that are not resolvable. For example, if both parties in a relationship have a high need for power and both want to be dominant in the relationship, there is no way both can be satisfied, and a power struggle ensues. Common tactics used in interpersonal power struggle include the exaggerated use of rewards and punishments, deception and evasion, threats and emotional blackmail. Unresolved power conflict usually recycles and escalates to the point of relationship breakdown and termination. Role conflict involves very real differences in role definitions, expectations or responsibilities between individuals who are interdependent in a social system. If there are ambiguities in role definitions in an organization or unclear boundaries of responsibilities, then the stage is set for interpersonal friction between the persons involved. Unfortunately, role conflict is often misdiagnosed as interpersonal conflict rather than role conflict, and resolution is then complicated and misdirected. The emotional intensity is often quit high in role conflict since people are directly involved as individuals and there is a strong tendency to personalize the conflict (Fisher, 2000).
Inter-group conflict occurs between groups of people such as ethnic or racial groups, departments or levels of decision making in the same organization, union and management. Competition for scarce resources is a common source of inter-group conflict in less disruptive ways. According to Fisher (2000), social-psychological processes are very important in inter-group conflict. Group members tend to develop stereotypes (oversimplified negative beliefs) of the opposing group, tend to blame them for their own problems (scape-goat), and practice discrimination against them. These classic symptoms of inter group conflict can be just as evident in organizations as in race relations in community settings. Inter-group conflict is tense and prone to escalation when identities are threatened. The common conflicts observable in secondary schools usually occur between the students on one hand and the school authority on the other. Other forms of conflict include interpersonal conflicts among staff as well as among the students. Higher levels of conflicts in schools involve the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the federal or state government. For instance, Ebonyi state workers (teachers inclusive) embarked on a prolonged strike from August 17th to September 30th, 2011 over the non-implementation of the Harmonized Salary Structure (HSS) announced by the Federal Government in October 2010. The partial implementation of HSS for workers in the state after a long delay did not help matters. Such things as non-satisfaction of teachers’ genuine demand are potential sources of industrial conflicts not only in the educational sector, but also in the entire civil service in the state. The inability of the government to effect payment of salaries promptly could generate conflict between workers and the government or an organization. Principals, teachers and educational administrators perceive the commonest source of conflicts in secondary schools as poor salaries and inadequate facilities.
The conflicts that arise in secondary school system could be attributed to such factors as lack of effective communication network, unconducive atmosphere or the working environment generally, management style, and disagreement over goals. Conflicts are inherent and inevitable in any human organization, including the educational system. (Fisher, 2000) Conflict occurs when two or more values, perspectives and opinions are contradictory in nature and have not been aligned or agreed about yet, including: within oneself when one is not living according to one’s values; when values and perspectives are threatened; or discomfort from fear of the unknown or from lack of fulfillment. Conflicts is inevitable and often good, for example, good teams always go through a “form, storm norm and perform” period. Getting the most out of diversity means often-contradictory values, perspectives and opinions (McNamara, 2007). The existence and prevalence of such conflict and their traumatic effects cannot be ignored or allowed to linger. It should be controlled and resolved, because when hostility is not resolved, the effect is disharmony and lack of peace. According to Oputa (2003), peace advances development, growth and progress, peace is order, peace is brotherhood and peace is life itself. This is to say that when conflicts are allowed to linger, no matter at what level, the school will not be able to achieve its aims and objectives and develop as expected even with the highest quality of staff and infrastructure. Hence, unrestricted and unresolved conflict is dysfunctional to any organization.
Conflicts resolution is the process of attempting to resolve a dispute or a conflict. Successful conflict resolution starts by listening to and providing opportunities to meet the needs of all parties and by adequately addressing interests, so that, each party is satisfied with the outcome (Weaver, 2003). Conflict resolution is all about finding the win-win outcome for parties involved, versus the win-lose dynamic found in most conflicts. ‘Conflict resolution aims to avoid conflicts before they start or before they lead to verbal, physical, or legal fighting or violence. Conflict resolution implies the means and ways of checking and reducing tension to avoid its disastrous effect. Oputa (2003) asserts that one of the effective ways of conflict resolution is dialogue and reconciliation. Handy (1997), listed the use of dialogue, confrontation, arbitration and others as strategies for conflicts resolution. There are other means such as catharsis, super-ordinate goals, empathy, grid theory, synergy, and address by influential person, satisfaction of human needs, prayer, and separation device. These strategies are employed at checking and reducing tension and its effects.
The art of conflict resolution is grounded on the fundamental principles of management processes as outlined by Fredrick Taylor (Taylor 1911). Conflict management as a process entails assembling activities, of planning and monitoring the performance of a process. It involves the application of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques and systems to define, visualize, measure, control, report, and improve processes with the goal to achieve harmonious environment of co-existence. Schools as organizations in their own right have managers such as educational administrators, schools principals and teachers who are charged with the responsibility of maintaining stability in order to achieve organizational goals. Conflicts in Ebonyi state public secondary schools are on the rise in the recent past (Ebonyi Record, Newspaper July 22, 2010).
The government of Ebonyi state stated her concern over the disturbances in learning institutions where in some cases students have burnt down schools and even attacked teachers. This mainly arises due to unresolved conflicts between the students and the schools’ administrators. Educationists such as principals and teachers equally agree that most schools now spend little time on academics because indiscipline and its management consume so much time. This has had negative impacts on the academic performance of students. It is also widely acknowledged by the school community that violence against teachers, other students and destruction of property both in the learning institution and surrounding communities, goes a long way to buttress the teachers’ role in conflict resolution as well as their role in creating a peaceful teaching and learning atmosphere. The right attitude and environment that begets productivity cannot be expected in a system that is conflict ridden. There is therefore the great need to resolve conflicts within the secondary school system. Effective resolution of such conflict is highly dependent on the identification of the conflicts areas.
Generally, conflicts in secondary schools inhibit progress, growth and development. Although some conflict theorists have argued that some amount of conflict is an evidence of organizational growth, an unrestricted conflict is harmful to any organization and must be checked. This is to say that conflict is a two-edged sword, if properly managed, it leads to growth and innovation, but other-wise, it leads to disputes, feeling of insecurity, confusion, resentment and dissatisfaction among the authorities, staff and students.
If there exists an ugly conflict in secondary schools (for instance between students and the school authorities or the staff and students) there is bound to be resentment and uncooperative behavior between the conflicting parties. Therefore, the importance of peaceful environment in the secondary schools cannot be over emphasized. For secondary schools to function effectively and achieve their goals and objectives there must be peaceful co-existence and a conducive teaching and learning atmosphere. The principal as the administrator alone cannot bring about the desired peace and also perform his other administrative functions effectively. Conflicts areas that apply to principals and teachers arise due to such action as Appointment done not based on interest, and academic competence. Non-involvement of staff subordinates and peers in decision making process; insensitivity and compelling staff and subordinates to implement decisions which they do not participate in their formulation among many others. Considering the fact that success of the principal in the implementation of school objectives and goals solely depends on the teachers’ cooperation and understanding to develop the school programmes, there is crucial need to resolve such conflicts.
A functional educational system, particularly the secondary school system, requires an adequate conflict resolution strategy to enhance organizational effectiveness between staff and students, staff and the principal, school and the community. This will enhance effective achievement of set goals and objectives. There is need for the teachers as members of the school and the community to be actively involved in the resolution of conflicts, so that student- related conflicts which have often times occurred in educational institutions will be curbed, especially in the secondary schools. In this regard, the teachers are expected to co-operate with other members of staff, the students, principals and members of the community to ensure the needed co-existence, peace and harmonious relationships towards achieving effective teaching and learning. It is likely that most of the conflicts that disrupt activity in schools are as a result of teachers’ lack of involvement in creating peaceful environment in schools.
This situation demands that teachers should be actively involved in preventing and managing conflicts in schools to achieve a harmonious relationship that leads to effective goals achievement. This informs the researcher’s interest to investigate the conflict resolution mechanism in public secondary schools in Ebony State.
Statement of the Problem
There has been an outcry by the public on the fallen standards of education at every educational level and accusing fingers are pointing at conflicts as the root cause of the problem, in Nigerian society generally and the educational sector in particular. Conflict has become major obstacle to personnel productivity and the realization of national objectives; and in particular, educational aims and objectives.
Employees in the education sector have many a time in recent times embarked on strikes to press home their demands for improved conditions of service and regular payments of salaries, professionalization of teaching, establishment of national commission for secondary schools and teaching service commission at state levels. The students are not left out. Students of public secondary schools disrupt school programmes, either by boycotting lectures, writing damaging posters and protests riots, or through clashes by cult groups and others. However, cases of students-related conflict leading to killing of teachers, fellow students and closure of schools are rampant in secondary schools as it is in tertiary institutions. Secondary schools in Ebonyi state are not isolated from these disruptive behaviours.
At times, conflicts in schools are as a result of conflict from the society or the school community, unwillingness on the part of the government to honor agreements jointly entered into by government(s) and unions. For instance, in 1992/93 there was a national strike from October 8, 1992 to January 29, 1993 (114 days) over the demand for teachers’ salary structure (TSS) and professionalization of teaching. Efforts have been made in the past to foster peace by school authorities, the government, unions, and the students, which most often end up in dead luck. All these conflicts either within the educational sector or the society at large have often times paralyzed social, economic and educational activities. No matter how, or the forms they come, they are conflicts since they disrupt activities. Against this background, therefore, the problem of this study is what management strategies can be adopted for the resolution of conflict in public secondary schools.
Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study is to determine various conflict resolution mechanisms applied in resolving conflicts in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Specifically the study seek to:
- Indentify the causes of conflicts in public secondary school in Ebonyi state.
- Indentify the nature of conflicts in public secondary school in Ebonyi state.
- Determine the impact of conflicts on the administration of public secondary schools; and
- Identify the management strategies that can be adopted for resolution of conflict.
Significance of the Study
Theoretically, this study anchored its significance on social conflict theory. Social conflict theory is of the notion that genuine peace or consensus without conflict is hardly possible. However, the social conflict theory sees conflict as naturally emanating from interactions among individuals and groups, and since social interaction is imbued with positive attributes, conflict cannot be totally negative. Therefore conflict is designed to resolve dualism as a way of achieving unity, peace or consensus. This is in consonance with the study since there are various mechanisms which are applied in secondary schools when resolving conflict.
Practically, the findings of this study will be of a great significance to the following set of people: the secondary school principals, teachers, students, educational administrators and planners, state secondary education boards, ministry of education and Governments.
For the secondary school principals, the findings will provide the principals with the appropriate information regarding strategies for conflict resolution which would assist them in the running of their schools. It will also provide principals and teachers alike with the appropriate opportunity to see themselves as partners in progress. The study will illuminate the principals on the proper application of conflict theories in the resolution of conflicts for effective administration.
To the teachers, it is hoped that this study will help the teachers of public secondary schools to realize that they have vital roles to play in the resolution of conflict in their schools, as well provide the greater knowledge and awareness of the need and techniques of fostering life-long cooperation, understanding and friendliness wherever they find themselves the findings of this study are expected to be beneficial to school administrators because when they get to know the strategies to apply in conflicts resolution they can be willing to give teachers free hand and support when such cases arise. As this will give the school administrators time for other administrative works.
To the student, also to benefit from this study is the students of public secondary schools. This study seeks to provide vital information about conflict and its consequences to the students, as this will make them to be morally behaved and obey the rules and regulation governing the school.
To the educational administrators and planners, the findings of this study will be of good significance as it will expose them to understand and appreciate the causes of conflicts in secondary schools and as well put them in consideration and bearing that in mind when planning educational programmes for the schools. Finally the findings of this study are also expected to be most valuable to the state secondary education board, ministries of education and the government at all levels in reducing and averting conflicts that have to do with non-satisfaction of human needs and un-conducive teaching and learning atmosphere by making sure that the teachers’ needs are adequately and timely met. This will help the school management to determine suitable ways of dealing with conflicts in the educational sector and government ministries especially the ministry of education, science and technology in their bid to deal with conflicts in schools and improve the education standards in the country. The study will assist the ministry of education in developing a curriculum that can be used to enhance the capacity of the school administrators. The study is worthy because it addresses the causes consequences of conflicts and will be able to propose solutions to improve stability in educational institutions and secondary schools administration.
Scope of the Study
The scope of the study was delimited to all the public secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study identified the causes of conflicts in public secondary schools, identify the nature of conflicts, determine the impacts of conflicts on the administration of public secondary schools; and find out how principals use known strategies in resolving conflicts in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State, the impacts of conflict in the administration of public secondary schools and also the management strategies that can be adopted for resolution of conflicts.
Research Questions
The study was guided by the following research questions:
- What are the causes of conflicts in public secondary schools?
- What is the nature of conflicts in public secondary schools?
- What are the impacts of conflicts in the administration of secondary schools?
- What management strategies can be adopted for the resolution of conflicts in public secondary schools?
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and teachers on the causes of conflicts in public secondary schools in Ebonyi state.
Ho2: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and teachers with regard to the nature of conflicts in public secondary schools in Ebonyi state.
Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and teachers on the management strategies to be adopted for conflicts resolution in public secondary schools n Ebonyi state.
