Cause Of Conflict Between Teachers And Principals And Its Management Strategies In Primary Schools Of Dire Enchini Woreda, West Shoa

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to examine the causes of conflict between teachers and school principals and to identify the appropriate methods for conflict managements in primary schools of Dire InchineWoreda. To accomplish this purpose descriptive research design used and both quantitative and qualitative research methods applied in this study. To achieve the purpose of the study the main data and information are collected from both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary sources were teachers, principals, head of woreda education office and head of woreda teachers’ association in sampled area. The secondary sources of data are the different records and relevant document with respect to conflict situations between teachers and principals in primary schools of study area. The study conducted in 9 primary schools selected by using random sampling. Among 126teachersfrom the sampled schools,64 teachers selected by using simple random sampling technique. All 9 school principals, 5 supervisors, 1 head of woreda education office and 1 woreda education teachers’ association were also involved in the study by random sampling method .For the study, questionnaire, interview and document review are used as data gathering tools. Questionnaires of both open and close ended are used. Depending on the nature of the basic question to be addressed and variable treat the quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statics such as frequency count, percentage, mean, standard .The standard deviation is used to measure variability. To comparing the relationships (teacher and principle) between two groups (teachers and leaders, head of woreda education office and head of woreda teachers’ association).The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software would be used to analyze the quantitative data. Questionnaires were distributed to 64 teachers and 9school principals’ and 5 supervisors, totally 78 questionnaires distributed for respondents to elicit information on causes of conflict and management strategies in primary schools of Dire InchineWoreda. The study identified common causes of conflict between teachers and principals as well its management technique. As the study identified the major causes of conflictsin the study area are: loss of different benefit, poor communication, lack each other, lack of participatory decision making and lack of conflict management skill of principals.majortypes of conflictthat are observed in the study areawere: interpersonal conflict, intergroup conflictandintragroup.The recommendations were the administration should build in detail on the creation of conflict concept among teachers by having a mechanism in place to deal with conflicts, the school administration should involve all the education stakeholders in the resolution of conflict management strategies,the government should be including courses such as conflict management and human relation in the curriculum for teachers and principals.