Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate causes of conflicts and management strategies in
primary schools of Dire Enchini Woreda, West Shoa where different types of conflict widely
impacts academic performance currently. To conduct the study a descriptive survey research
design was employed which aimed at eliciting information from teachers, school principals,
school supervisors, woreda head education office and woreda head teachers’ association
representative. A sample of primary school teachers were selected through simple random
sampling (lottery method) and availability sampling method was used. Questionnaire, Key
informant interview and focused Group discussions were used as data gathering tools. About 63
teachers randomly selected and participated on distributed questionnaires. Both primary and
secondary data were received from relevant sources using different data collection procedures.
Data collected were coded, processed and analyzed using SPSS v.20 Microsoft Office to get result
of the research. The result of the survey reveals that many of the respondents were view conflict as
it is less essential in academic performance. Nevertheless, almost more than average of them view
it as conflict can be opportunity, energizing and resolution to education. According to the survey, it
was found that social interaction of educational stakeholders, poor principal communications,
sense of competition between educational stakeholders, ignorance, institutional and structural
factors as well as loss of different personal benefit are sources of conflict in these schools. Based
on the result of the survey, it is possible to conclude that different types of conflict are occurring at
different magnitudes and directions which needs proper handling and immediate resolutions. Since
conflict is essential and unavoidable to human phenomenon and inevitable, it is recommended for
principals, administrative bodies and school teachers in these schools to make awareness on
creation of conflict to educational stakeholders develop strategic conflict resolution mechanisms in
these schools in sustainable manner to lead academic performance in right directions. Moreover, is
advisable to these bodies to properly identify cause, consequences and types of conflict frequently
occurring in these schools to overcome the challenge in strategic manners.
