conflict resolution strategies among school principals in region xii

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ADMINISTRATORS’ CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES AND

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT IN REGION XII

ERNIE C. CERADOSULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITYACCESS, EJC Montilla, Tacurong City

NATIONAL RESEARCH CONFERENCEPUNTA VILLA, ILOILO CITYOCTOBER 29-31, 2013

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INTRODUCTION

Schools have managers judged with the responsibility of maintaining stability in order to achieve organizational goals.

They are the school administrators who are tasked with the overall management of the school.

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Nevertheless, conflicts in the country’s public secondary schools are on the rise in the recent years. This is mainly due to unresolved conflicts between the students, teachers, and the school administrators. These have had negative impacts on the academic standards and performance of the school and the students (DepEd, 2010).

CONT…

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Pendharkar (1995) reveals that schools with greater number of unsolved conflicts performed poorly compared to those schools with lesser conflicts. Thus, knowledge of conflict resolution strategies by the school administrators is perceived to enhance learning, thereby improving the academic performance of the students.

CONT…

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On the other hand, Martires (2000) stresses out that if a manager wants to keep his team or organization work effectively, then he should have the skills in solving conflicts. Once he has understanding of the different styles, a manager can make use of them to think about the most appropriate approach for the conflict to resolve.

CONT…

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It was on these premises, however, that the researcher thought of undertaking this study among public secondary school administrators in Region XII.

CONT…

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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored on the theories of Thomas and Kilmann (1970), and Martires and Fule (2000) on conflict resolution. Accordingly, conflict may be resolved through accommodation, avoidance, collaboration, competition, compromising, litigation, mediation, problem solving, smoothing, and use of authority.

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Likewise, school development as a concept was coined from the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) School-Based Management Framework which covers curriculum, staff, resources, learning environment, community building, and students’ academic development.

CONT…

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CONT… In this study, the school

administrators’ CRS was presumed to have influence over school development. Moreover, it was also predicted that the way school heads respond to conflicts may also be a factor of his personal circumstances like age, gender, highest educational attainment, length of administrative service, and religion.

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FIGURE 1. RESEARCH PARADIGM

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS’ PERSONAL FACTORS

Age

Gender

Highest Educational Attainment

Length of Administrative Service

Religion

CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

Accommodation

Avoidance

Collaboration

Competitive

Compromising

Litigation

Mediation

Problem Solving

Smoothing

Use of Authority

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT

Curriculum Development

Staff Development

Resource Development

Learning Environment Development

Community-Building Development

Students’ Academic Development

Antecedent Variable Independent Variable Dependent Variable

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The primary objective of the study was to assess and relate the conflict resolution strategies of public secondary school administrators with school development in the Department of Education (DepEd) Region XII.

General Objective

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1. To describe the profile of the public secondary school administrators in terms of age, gender, highest educational attainment, length of administrative experience, and religion.

In particular, it sought to answer the following objectives:

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2. To describe the respondents’ assessment on the the conflict resolution strategies of public secondary school administrators along with:2.1 accommodation;2.2 avoidance;2.3 collaboration;2.4 competitive;2.5 compromising;2.6 litigation;2.7 mediation;2.8 problem solving;2.9 smoothing; and2.10 use of authority?

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3. To determine the difference between the assessments of administrators themselves and the teachers on the conflict resolution strategies

4. To assess school development in Region XII along with curriculum, staff, resources, learning environment, community-building, and students’ academics achievement

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5. To relate the school administrator’s conflict resolution strategies and school development

6. To determine the effect of the administrators’ personal factors to their conflict resolution strategies

7. To find out the issues and concerns of public secondary school administrators regarding conflict resolution strategies

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RESEARCH METHODOLOG

Y

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RESEARCH DESIGN

This study is descriptive in general and correlational in particular since:

FOREMOST, it assessed the conflict resolution strategies of public secondary school administrators and school development in the nine (9) divisions of DepEd Region XII.

SECONDLY, it considered describing the existing relationships between said variables. For this inquiry, this is the most fitting design suggested by Sevilla et al (1992).

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LOCALE OF THE STUDY

The survey covered the 9 school and city divisions in Region XII, namely; South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Tacurong City, Cotabato City, Kidapawan City, Koronadal City, and General Santos City.

Map of Region XII

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THE RESPONDENTS

The respondents of the study included sixty (60) public secondary school administrators and four hundred fifty-seven (457) randomly selected teachers; those whose length of service in their present school assignment was not less than three years.

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DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENTS

A researcher-made survey instrument was used in assessing CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES of secondary school principals. Each item in the tool was rated based on the following scale:

Rating --- Verbal Description

5 --- Highly Effective

4 --- Very Effective

3 --- Effective

2 --- Fairly Effective

1 --- Less Effective

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CONT…

On the other hand, the respondents rated SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT indicators using the following scale:

Rating --- Verbal Description

5 --- Most Evident

4 --- Moderately Evident

3 --- Evident

2 --- Less Evident

1 --- Least Evident

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STATISTICAL TREATMENT

Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis to include percentage, weighted mean, t-test, F-test, Pearson r, and ranking.

In most computations, the use of Microsoft Excel software was maximized. All hypothesis tests were performed at .05 level of significance.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

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PROFILE OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN REGION XII

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FIGURE 3. THE AGE PROFILE OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Nearly 40% or 4 out of 10 secondary school administrators in Region XII are 40 to 49 years old.

32% or about 3 out of 10 school heads are 50-59 years old.

less than 30

30-39 40-49 50-59 60 years old & above

0

5

10

15

20

25

22%

38%

32%

8%

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FIGURE 4. THE GENDER PROFILE OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Majority of the secondary school administrators is male.

Female45%

Male55%

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FIGURE 5. BAR GRAPH OF THE HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

50% or 5 out of 10 secondary school administrators in the region have completed a Master’s degree

with

MA u

nits

MA G

radu

ate

with

PhD

/EdD

Uni

ts

PhD/E

dD G

radu

ate

33%

50%

8% 8%

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FIGURE 6. BAR GRAPH OF THE LENGTH OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Typically, or 43% of the school administrators have administrative experience of 10 to19 years.

less than 10 years

10-19

20-29

30-39

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

37%

43%

20%

0%

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FIGURE 7. THE RELIGION PROFILE OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Majority or 70% of the secondary school administrators are Roman Catholic.

PROTESTANT,12%

IS-LAM; 18%

RO-MAN CATHOLIC; 70%

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

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FIGURE 8. BAR GRAPH OF THE RESPONDENTS’ ASSESSMENT ON THE CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Accomodation

Avoidance

Collaboration

Competition

Compromising

Litigation

Mediation

Problem Solving

Smoothing

Use of Authority

15%

0%

83%

5%

68%

7%

52%

80%

72%

47%

Mostly of the secondary school principals are employing collaboration, problem solving, smoothing and compromising strategies in resolving conflicts in school.

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RESPONDENTS’ ASSESSMENT ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

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TABLE 1. THE RESPONDENTS’ ASSESSMENT ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Respondents Means Interpretation

Teachers 3.74 Very Effective

School Administrators

3.56 Effective

Overall Mean 3.65 Very Effective

Generally, the assessment of teachers and administrators towards the latter’s conflict

resolution strategies is very effective.

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TABLE 2. THE T-TEST ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONDENTS’ ASSESSMENT ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES OF THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Respondents Means Computed t Interpretation

Teachers 3.74 3.8878 significant

School Administrators 3.56

ttab( 514,.05) = 1.9719

The perception of the teachers on the conflict resolution strategies of their school

administrators is relatively higher than that of the latter.

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EXTENT OF SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT IN REGION XII

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TABLE 3. SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN REGION XII

Variables Mean Verbal Description

Curriculum Development 3.92 Moderately Evident

Staff Development 3.97 Moderately Evident

Resource Development 3.97 Moderately Evident

Learning Environment 4.05 Moderately Evident

Community-building development 4.19 Moderately Evident

Overall Mean 4.02 Moderately Evident

Generally, the school development in the region is moderately evident.

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TABLE 4. STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF REGION XII

School Year

NAT Results Descriptive Rating

2008 - 2009 46.76 Average Mastery



Mean 48.90 Average Mastery

In terms of students’ academic achievement as a measure of school development, its level reaches to

average mastery.

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RELATIONSHIP OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES AND SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT

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TABLE 16. CORRELATIONAL ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS’ CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES AND SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT

Conflict Resolution Strategies

Curriculum Dev’t

Staff Dev’t

Resource

Dev’t

Learning Envi. Dev’t

Community-

building

Academic Dev’t

Accommodation -- -- -- -- -- --

Avoidance -- -- -- -- -- --

Collaboration -- -- -- -- -- --

Competitio

n* * * * * --

Compromising -- -- -- -- -- --

Litigation * * * * * --

Mediation * * * * * --

Problem Solving -- -- -- -- -- --

Smoothing -- -- -- -- -- --

Use of Authority -- -- -- -- -- --* - significant Only the strategies of competition, litigation and

mediation are significantly associated to developments in curriculum, staff, resources, learning environment and

community-building.

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ADMINISTRATORS’ PERSONAL FACTORS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

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TABLE 5. EFFECT OF ADMINISTRATORS’ PERSONAL FACTORS TO THEIR CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

Variables F-ratioF-critical (α.= 05)

Interpretation

Age 0.174211 2.7694 Ns

Gender 0.7175* 2.0017* Ns

Educational Attainment 1.2398 2.7694 Ns

Administrative Experience 0.7660 3.1589 Ns

Religious Affiliation 0.1572 3.1589 Ns

* - t-value Ns – not significant

Consistently, all personal factors of school administrators were found to have no effect on

the kind of conflict resolution strategies that they employed.

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COMMON ISSUES AND CONCERNS RELATED TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

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TABLE 6. COMMON ISSUES AND CONCERNS OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES

Issues and Concerns Rank Lack of adequate/sufficient knowledge on

the different conflict resolution strategies1

Limited knowledge on the conduct of preliminary investigation

2

Inadequate knowledge on the rules of presentation of evidence

3

Attitude of teachers and students on resolution of conflicts

4

Imposition of penalties on the party that is found guilty

5

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CONCLUSIONS

The school administrators predominantly employed the following conflict resolution strategies: COLLABORATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, SMOOTHING, COMPROMISING, AND MEDIATION.

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CONT…

The extent of development of public secondary schools in DepEd XII was substantially observed and sustained for a longer time while the students’ academic development was on “average mastery” level only.

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CONT…

Conflict resolution strategies such as COMPETITION, LITIGATION AND MEDIATION were associated to curriculum, staff, resources, learning environment and community-building development.

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CONT…

Conflict resolution strategies of the secondary school administrators were not affected by personal factors.

The inadequacy of competence on the different conflict resolution strategies and the limited knowledge on the conduct of preliminary investigation were the top concerns of school administrators.

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RECOMMENDATIONS INTENSIVE SEMINARS for school

administrators on the fundamentals, processes, and legal considerations of conflict resolutions and strategies should be organized in the Division level.

Courses or subjects in conflict management should be INTEGRATED IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM CURRICULUM for Educational Management or Administration to prepare potential school administrators for conflict management in school.

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Thank you very much for listening!