scholarly journals TRAINING APPROACHES FOR IMPROVING SCHOOL MANAGERS’ CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS: A CASE STUDY

2018 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 720-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nyet Moi Siew ◽  
Scott Jones

This research took a case study approach to researching the common conflicts faced by school managers, their sources, impacts and the approaches used to manage them. The research involved 18 in-service Malaysian school managers who undertook a 16-hour professional development workshop where they engaged with different conflict management tools. Data on participants’ workplace experience in resolving conflicts were captured through written diaries collected before and two months after the workshop, and face-to-face semi-structured interviews during the following months. Intragroup conflicts due to goal incompatibility were the most common conflicts faced. Negative impacts of conflicts on school communities far outweighed the benefits. Participants reported that the most effective approaches to resolving workplace conflicts were sincere efforts in problem-solving coupled with (1) culturally relevant negotiations and coaching (e.g. using a GROW coaching model); (2) stakeholder and conflict analysis, to consider and respond to everyone’s needs and feelings; and (3) reflecting on personal conflict management styles and adopting a positive attitude to personal and professional development. Certain elements in customary approaches such as respectful discussion and consultation were found relevant in resolving several of the participants’ workplace conflicts. It is suggested that practical training courses on conflict management that build on people’s strengths should be included in the curricula of further and higher education institutions and teacher training institutes. Keywords: conflict management, conflict resolution, customary approaches, GROW coaching model, professional development workshop, school managers.

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822098178
Author(s):  
Anisa Cheung

This article reports a case study of an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in Hong Kong who conducted lessons via Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focused on the factors influencing her technology integration in synchronous online teaching mode. Using data from classroom recordings, stimulated-recall and semi-structured interviews, this study uncovered how Zoom functioned as a substitute for face-to-face lessons. The findings revealed that although there were fewer interactions between the teacher and her students, teaching in synchronous online mode provided the teacher with opportunities to utilize certain online features to augment methods of checking student understanding. The study identified the teacher’s pedagogical beliefs, the context and professional development as factors that influenced the level of technology integration in her Zoom classes. The study concludes that embracing process-oriented pedagogies may be necessary for a higher level of technology integration among ESL teachers who have adequate professional development opportunities and school support.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Sobolewski

The important mediating influence of Coach Educators (CEs) delivering a programme of learning has been largely ignored in research seeking to find the key to effective CPD. This paper aims to bring CEs to the fore by reporting the experiences of 7 CEs and 2 Programme Managers delivering a sport National Governing Body coach development programme. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and interpreted through the theoretical lens of relational interdependence (Billett, 2008) using a retroductive research strategy. The findings identified the subjective and idiosyncratic processes through which CEs developed their understanding of the programme resulting in individual differences in construal. The high degree of workplace affordance gave CEs autonomy to deploy their personal agency and intentionality to shape practice leading to wide variations in CPD delivery. The results suggest the subjectivity of CEs can have a potentially significant impact on the fidelity of the programme being delivered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (42) ◽  
pp. 155-167
Author(s):  
Faizahani Ab Rahman ◽  
Nurul Afrahah Hussin ◽  
Sutha Sugumaran

This paper looks at the perceptions of MRSM (Majlis Amanah Rakyat or also known as People’s Trust Council) English teachers on their current professional development and their expectations on in-service training. As teachers, they are often expected to act as a source of motivation to their students apart from being accountable in providing instructions, knowledge, and skills in their respective academic subjects. However, very often, teachers are not provided with sufficient and appropriate training that would prepare them to be the kind of teacher that they are required and expected to be. This prompts this study that determines whether the in-service training provided is sufficient and aptly to help the teachers produce academically excellent students. This case study used a qualitative approach with purposive sampling of seven English teachers at Maktab Rendah Sains MARA, Beseri in Perlis with teaching experiences between 10 to 30 years. Semi-structured interviews and focus group methods were used to answer the research question which dwells on the MRSM English teachers’ expectations of professional development teacher training of their students’ achievement. The findings of the study revealed that teachers expect to have more professional development in terms of pedagogy, proficiency level, technology integration, and stress management. They also believe that improvement in professional development can positively affect their students’ achievement as teaching and learning processes can be done more effectively. It is therefore recommended that MARA should highlight its current in-service training and development policy to be consistent with the needs of teachers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10027
Author(s):  
Petr Scholz ◽  
Ivica Linderová ◽  
Kristýna Konečná

Sustainability has long been a buzzword and is also currently one of the major priorities of tourism all over the world. In many places, hotels function as a driving force for socio-economic development, serving as employers for the local population, but also providing space for meetings, conferences, private/family events, and ceremonies. Unfortunately, the hotel industry is also considered an industry characterized by the consumption of considerable amounts of resources. These include mainly energy and water consumption, but also waste production. Emphasis is placed on the role of the communication between the various players involved in the operation of hotels. The article deals with applying elements of green management in a selected hotel in Czechia. It analyses the implementation of green management elements and principles of sustainable development in accommodation services. The primary data were conducted from April 2017 to March 2018 and we used structured and semi-structured interviews with the TOP management of the hotel and by author observation. We used the methods of scientific work, i.e., the analysis, mathematical, and statistical methods. As part of economic and social activities, cooperation with suppliers in the close surroundings of the hotel and the selection of local employees work well. Room for improvement has been observed, e.g., in supporting local infrastructure or promoting environmentally friendly types of transport.


2020 ◽  
pp. 875687052096044
Author(s):  
Canyon Hardesty ◽  
Eric J. Moody ◽  
Shira Kern ◽  
Wendy Warren ◽  
Mary Jo Cooley Hidecker ◽  
...  

Adequately prepared educators are critical to the success of children in rural settings, but many educators receive little training on how to support students with disabilities. Professional development for educators is challenging in rural areas due to the lack of opportunities and travel requirements. Project ECHO™ was originally developed to overcome similar challenges facing physicians. The ECHO Model overcomes these challenges by creating a hub and spoke network that connects local providers with experts. These networks meet regularly over teleconferencing technology to conduct a short professional development workshop, followed by a case-study from one of the local sites. We adapted the ECHO Model for use in education and since 2014 implemented four networks: autism, assistive technology, secondary transitions, and behavioral supports. Educators found ECHO highly acceptable and reported improved skills and knowledge. ECHO for Education is effective and has the potential to improve capacity of education systems in rural settings.


Author(s):  
Rodolfo Alfonso Torregrosa Jiménez ◽  
Norhys Torregrosa Jiménez

ABSTRACTaccess problems and dysfunctions of the judiciary, in all societies there are communal forms of conflict resolution. Community and institutional mechanisms for conflict resolution can provide the ability to handle conflict from the values, habits and customs of the communities and not from the mere formality of state justice inaccessible to the masses. Thus, the Settlement in Equity is one of the alternatives through which the popular sectors can get for themselves and through community leaders, a righteousness that is in accordance with the needs and responsibilities of the direct stakeholders of the community. Thus, the purpose of the research is to investigate the social representations (RS) of the concepts of fairness, justice and coexistence Community Ratings equity conciliation of a town in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. In addition, as we are interested in identifying the point of view of these users, ie, their opinions, attitudes and information, is that the theoretical and methodological approach used RS. So, be described by methods and with the support of the theoretical framework, the cognitive dimension of the RS user. Such representations are interpreted through formalization that conform segmenting in graphic forms (codes), the corpus of semi-structured interviews applied to users, considered as a continuation of separate occurrences among themselves, delimited by several characters. These occurrences are analyzed, both quantitatively and qualitatively.RESUMENPor problemas de acceso y disfunciones del aparato judicial, en todas las sociedades existen formas comunitarias de resolución de conflictos. Los mecanismos comunitarios e institucionales de solución de conflictos pueden brindar la posibilidad de tramitar los conflictos a partir de los valores, los usos y las costumbres de las comunidades y no desde la mera formalidad de la justicia estatal inaccesible para los sectores populares. Así, la Conciliación en Equidad es una de las alternativas a través de la cual los sectores populares pueden obtener por ellos mismos y a través de líderes comunitarios, una justicia que esté de acuerdo con las necesidades y responsabilidades de los actores directos de la comunidad. De este modo, el propósito de la investigación es indagar sobre las representaciones sociales (RS) de los conceptos de equidad, justicia comunitaria y convivencia de los usuarios de la conciliación en equidad de una Localidad en la ciudad de Bogotá-Colombia. Y como lo que interesa es identificar el punto de vista de estos usuarios, es decir, sus opiniones, actitudes e información, es que se usa el enfoque teórico-metodológico de las RS. Así, se describirá, a través de métodos y con el apoyo de los referentes teóricos, la dimensión cognitiva de las RS de los usuarios. Dichas representaciones son interpretadas a través de formalizaciones que se conforman segmentando en formas gráficas (códigos), el corpus de entrevistas semi-dirigidas aplicadas a los usuarios, considerado como una continuación de ocurrencias separadas, entre sí, mediante varios caracteres delimitados. Estas ocurrencias son analizadas, tanto desde el punto de vista cuantitativo como cualitativo.


Author(s):  
Mary Wahome ◽  
Daniel Ng’ang’a

Colonialism impacted local cultures far beyond their infrastructure, government and geography. In addition to eroding indigenous power structures, the structural violence inflicted during colonialism left native populations with lasting self-doubt and rejection of traditional practices. Among these rejected traditions were informal processes and mechanisms of resolving conflicts. Conflict resolution methods in different cultures often vary greatly in underlying values and perceptions. Western judicial systems reflect individualistic, high uncertainty-avoidant, low-context tendencies, while indigenous conflict resolution methods reflect collectivistic, minimal uncertainty-avoidant and high-context tendencies. Research into the current state of formal courts and informal justice forums in Pokot and Turkana Counties provides case study-based evidence arguing that the transition from restorative justice (Lapai) ffered by indigenous justice mechanisms to retributive justice catalyzed by  colonialism has effectively weakened both the Turkana and Pokot systems of justice. Due to impacted value systems, neither the restorative, socialharmony focus of traditional processes, nor the retributive, compensatory justice focus of the formal judicial system make the available forums wholly appropriate or adequate resources. This has left the two communities torn between two distinct choices - the western and indigenous approaches to conflict management. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effects of colonialism on indigenous conflict management in Pokot and Turkana counties. These were both positive and negative effects. To achieve this objective the overarching question was;“how did colonialism affect the indigenous approaches to conflict management in Pokot and Turkana counties? The study was designed to apply qualitative research methods. Both structured and semi-structured interviews were conducted along the Turkana-Pokot borders. This paper proposes a hybrid model in conflict management, not only for the Pokot and Turkana pastoral communities, but also to other pastoral communities with similar set-ups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (35) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Ramírez Casalvolone

This study proposes an innovative approach for English professors who lack the time to engage in professional development (PD) programs, believe such programs are conducted in a decontextualized manner, or regard them as too expensive. Based on a qualitative case study performed from January to September 2018, this study addresses the following question: How can team teaching promote PD for mid-career English as a foreign language university professors? It investigates the types of PD that emerged when two English professors at the University of Costa Rica engaged in synergistic team teaching. Theparticipants team taught a course for students newly admitted into the English-teaching major. In this study, synergistic team teaching is understood as a method in which two professors share classroom space and teaching practices and engage in planning discussions together. To understand what the participants learned when practicing team teaching, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and coded following Creswell and Poth’s (2018) data analysis spiral. The coding was developed in light of the conceptualization of PD developed by Guskey (2002), Sparks (2002), and Johnson (2006). Accordingly, thisstudy identifies instances (during the interview or during the classroom observation) that can be interpreted as change of the classroom practices, change in the attitudes and beliefs of the professors (Guskey, 2002), continuous improvement of teaching and learning (Sparks, 2002), and teacher’s knowledge transformed into practice (Johnson, 2006). This study shows how team teaching offers professors a community of practice in which they can share, discuss, and implement new teaching knowledge. Through team teaching, teachers receive PD benefits that match their classroom context perfectly, enabling them to engage in authentic, fully contextualized learning opportunities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-38
Author(s):  
Md. Kamrul Islam ◽  
Rezaul Karim

Conflict is one of the major organizational phenomena. Where there is an employee involvement, conflict is obvious to occur. Workplace conflicts happen everywhere and ignoring them can be costly. The objectives of this research are to identify the causes and effects of workplace conflicts and also forecast the ways for the prevention of the occurrence of conflicts in future. A survey was carried out in this regard among the employees of Midland Bank Ltd., Dhanmondi Branch. According to the survey we found that it is the employees’ behavior that causes conflicts in organization. Majority of the participants in the survey agreed that the main causes of workplace conflict are the negative criticism & gossip, denying personal mistakes, jealousy, and moral corruption and using abusive language. The effects that workplace conflicts have in this organization are broken relationship (top most reason), instability and insecurity, loss of commitment to work, voluntary resignation etc. It is recommended that bank should introduce a formal system of information dissemination, manager should learn to practice delegation of authority and there should be adequate interaction and dialogue in conflict resolution.


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