PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate the intervention techniques teachers can use to resolve conflicts in secondary schools of Calabar Education zone. The purpose of this study was to find out the intervention techniques teachers can use to resolve conflicts in secondary schools. The research design was descriptive survey. The population of this study comprised of three hundred and twelve (312) principals and four thousand two hundred and thirty six (4236) teachers. A sample of one hundred and twenty three (123) principals and four hundred and twenty two (422) teachers were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Four research questions and two null hypotheses were used to guide the study. The reliability of the instrument was determined at 0.86 using crombach Alpha test of reliability. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics was used to test the two null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of this study were that the effective intervention techniques, teachers can use to resolve conflict include social intervention techniques, administrative intervention techniques, psychological intervention techniques and moral intervention techniques. Based on the findings, it is recommended that secondary school principals should provide communicative and participative process in which teachers and individual members of staff will have opportunities and freedom to express their views and opinions in any kind of administrative decision making and conflict resolution techniques.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the study

The progress and quality of education is more or less dependent on the performance of teachers in schools. While many opinions abound as to what could be responsible for the much talked about lack of commitment by secondary school teachers, and the seeming fall in their performances, it has often too been suggested that part of the reason for these could be the result of the principals’ methods of managing conflict when they arise in schools. In other words, the assumption is that the way or technique adopted by the principal in resolving misunderstanding between teacher and teacher, student and teaches, student and teacher, inter-departmental squabbles etc can affect the way a teacher teachers, his involvement in student discipline, preparation of instructional materials, classroom management etc.

Conflict, defined by Parkes and Burges (1921:74) as “means of resolving divergent dualism” and Coser (1956:8) as “a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources” is, in the opinion of Krietner, Kinicki and Bueleus (2002:36) “an unavoidable aspect of modern life”. Thus continued the same source “learning to manage it is a critical investment in improving how we, our families and our organizations can take advantage of change”. Borne out of differences as held by D’souza (1989:37) in “perception, priority, expectation, goals, self esteem..” conflicts and the techniques for their management can influence job performance in the schools as well as the open society. Van Slycke and Stern (1991) support this position as they hold that proper knowledge of conflict management skills by principals can positively influence teachers’ job performance.

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PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF SOUTHERN SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA