ABSTRACT
The study examined the relationship between principals’ conflict management techniques and teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. Ten research questions and ten hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study is made up of 24, 657 which consists of 23,269 teachers and 1,388 principals in secondary schools in the five South East, Nigeria. A sample size of 1,232 respondents which comprised of 1,163 teachers and 69 principals was used for the study. The sample was drawn using multi stage approach. Two sets of structured questionnaires titled: Principals’ Conflict Management Technique Questionnaire (PCMTQ) and Teaches’ Job Performance Questionnaire (TJPQ) were used for the data collection. The instruments were validated by five experts; three from Educational Management and two experts from Measurement and Evaluation in Science Education, all in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The reliabilities of the instruments were established using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Cronbach Alpha statistical tool for the internal consistency of the items. Reliability indices of 0.79 and 0.81 were obtained for PCMTQ and TJPQ respectively. Pearson’s product moment correlation co-efficient was used to answer the research questions while linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Results of the analysis revealed on the overall that: principal’s use of arbitration conflict management technique had a positive high relationship with teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools in south East, Nigeria; principals’ use of dialogue conflict management technique had a positive moderate relationship with to teacher’s job performance in government owned secondary schools in south east, Nigeria; Principals use of accommodation conflict management technique had a positive high relationship with to teacher’s job performance in government owned secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended among other things that; the most effective conflict management technique that promotes teachers’ job performance is effective communication and should be adopted always by the principals in conflict resolution; on the other hand, the least effective management technique is boxing the problem and should be rarely employed by the principals in resolving conflict since it has low correlation with the teachers’ job performance.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents viii
List of Tables x
List of Figures xiii
Abstract xiv
CHAPTER
1: INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
1
1.2
Statement of the Problem
17
1.3
Purpose of the Study 18
1.4
Research Questions 20
1.5
Hypotheses 21
1.6
Significance of the Study 23
1.7
Scope of the Study 25
CHAPTER
2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 26
2.1 Conceptual Framework 26
2.1.1 School
principalship 27
2.1.2 Conflict 31
2.1.3 Conflict in
organization 34
2.1.3.1Causes of conflict
in organization 39
2.1.3.2 Types of conflict 44
2.1.4 Conflict management 46
2.1.5 Conflict management
techniques 51
2.1.5.1 Negotiation 52
2.1.5.2 Mediation 53
2.1.5.3 Neglect 56
2.1.5.4 Boxing the
problem 57
2.1.5.5 Effective
communication 58
2.1.5.6 Collaboration 61
2.1.6
Teachers’ job performance 61
2.1.7
Influence of conflict management
techniques
on teachers’ job performance 66
2.2 Theoretical Framework 70
2.2.1 Social theory 70
2.2.2 Goal theory 72
2.3 Empirical Studies 73
2.4 Summary of Related Literature Reviewed 85
CHAPTER
3: METHODOLOGY 89
3.1 Design of the Study 89
3.2 Area of the Study 90
3.3 Population of the Study 91
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 91
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection 92
3.6 Validation of the Instrument 92
3.7 Reliability of the Instrument 93
3.8 Method of Data Collection 93
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 94
CHAPTER
4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 95
4.1 Results 97
4.2 Discussion
of Findings of the Study 115
4.3 Discussion
of the Findings of the Study 116
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS 123
5.1 Summary of the Procedure used for the
Study 124
5.2 Conclusion 124
5.3 Educational
Implications of the Study 125
5.4 Recommendations 127
5.5 Limitations
of the Study 127
5.6 Suggestions for Further Study 128
REFERENCES 72
APPENDICES 78
LIST OF TABLE
4.1: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of arbitration as conflict
management
technique and teachers’ job
performance
in government owned secondary
schools
in South
East,
Nigeria. 95
4.2: Simple
linear regression analysis of principals’
use of
arbitration as conflict management
technique
and teachers’ job performance. 96
4.3: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of dialogue as conflict management
technique
and teachers’ job performance. 97
4.4: Simple
linear regression analysis of principals’
use of
dialogue as conflict management technique
and
teachers’ job performance. 98
4.5: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of accommodation as
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job performance. 99
4.6: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of accommodation as
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job
performance. 100
4.7: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of collective bargaining as
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned
secondary
schools in South East, Nigeria. 101
4.8: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of collective bargaining as
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned
secondary school in South East, Nigeria. 102
4.9: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of effective communication
as
conflict management technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned secondary
schools
in South East, Nigeria. 103
4.10: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of effective communication
as conflict management technique
and
teachers’ job performance in government
owned
secondary school in South East, Nigeria. 104
4.11: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of boxing as conflict management
technique
and teachers’ job performance in
government
owned secondary schools in South
East,
Nigeria. 105
4.12: Simple
linear regression analysis of principals’
use of
boxing as conflict management technique
and
teachers’ job performance in government
owned
secondary school in South East, Nigeria. 106
4.13: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of confrontation as conflict
management
technique and teachers’ job
performance
in government owned secondary
schools
in South East, Nigeria. 107
4.14: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of confrontation as
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned
secondary
school in South East, Nigeria. 108
4.15: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of compromise as conflict
management
technique and teachers’ job
performance
in government owned secondary
schools
in South East, Nigeria. 109
4.16: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of compromise as conflict
management
technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned
secondary
school in South East, Nigeria. 110
4.17: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of negotiation as conflict
management
technique and teachers’
job
performance in government owned
secondary
schools in South East, Nigeria. 111
4.18: Simple
linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of negotiation as a
conflict
management technique and teachers’
job performance in government owned
secondary
school in South East, Nigeria. 112
4.19: Correlation
matrix on the relationship between
principals’
use of collaboration as conflict
management
technique and teachers’ job
performance
in government owned secondary
schools
in South East, Nigeria. 113
4.20:
Simple linear regression analysis of
principals’
use of collaboration as conflict
management
technique and teachers’ job
performance
in government owned Secondary
School
in South East, Nigeria. 114
LIST OF FIGURES
2.1: Conceptual Framework 26
2.1: The Diagram Showing various Conflict
Management Techniques 51
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
For a school to function well and
reach out its set out goals there has to be an efficient and effective
principal or an administrator in that school without which the school might
crumble. Ubani (2017) noted that a school without a principal with adequate
knowledge of conflict management techniques is blind, deaf, and mute to world
around it.
Secondary school as a society of its
own is full of events. The school as a formal Educational Organization is made
of different persons with diverse interests, many of which conflict with the
school or institution set goals and objectives. Principals and other managers
while performing their duties may find themselves stepping into the shoes of
their subjects leading to conflict.
Whenever there is conflict, it
affects the educational goals, teachers may be destabilized or provoked which
affect their job performance. Walson (2015) noted that the hall mark of
educational activity is to produce the quality of human beings that possesses
the needed potentials to maintain society and make it develop. Although these
objectives are good but they cannot be achieved in the face of conflict and
without the co-operation of those involved in school management. Furthermore,
he affirms that, the specific individual found in each school environment
include, the principals, teaching staff, non-teaching staff, the students and
sometime members of the community. These people are to work together to create
a conflict free environment that will enable the school to achieve its stated
goals. Benjie, V. L (2016),
defined conflict as a situation involving two or more parties in opposition to
interest, principles, practice or techniques. It reflects a determined action
or struggle over a goal which may be manifest or imaginary. He concluded that
conflict is an attitude or behavior that introduces strains in the relationship
between two or more parties who want to attain a set goal. McNamara (2013)
opined that conflict is usually a product of disagreement over distribution of
resources which is relatively scarce compared to the demand of the individuals
or groups concerned. Furthermore, conflict is inevitable in any human
organization (including schools) because of opinion regarding ideas, or desires
which can rise between individuals or groups in work place. In this study,
conflict is defined as human and social phenomena in school environment which
engenders mutual hostility and hinders teachers’ job performance. Conflict is
unavoidable in the school and is often valuable in contributing to the
formation of high-performing groups. It can take the form of insults,
defamation of character, false accusation, suspension, transfer and
demonstration. In the past, many organizational practitioners operated on the
assumption that any or all conflict was bad and thus should be eliminated. It
is true that too much conflict can have negative consequences, because it
requires time and resource to deal with. Conflicts can be destructive or
constructive, conflicts have had negative impacts on the academic performance
of the school and the students. However, conflict may be beneficial if they are
used as instruments for change or innovation.
Conflict
can improve the quality of decision making and employee relations in
organization. Thus, in dealing with conflict the critical issues are not so
much the conflict itself but how it is managed. Although conflict can foster
innovation, creativity and alteration, it wastes organization’s resources and
energy. According to Cerado (2013), conflicts in the country’s public 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 may occur
at the level of interpersonal, inter-group, organizational or
intra-organizational relationships involving the principal as the chief
executive and the rest of the staff; the staff and the students, students and
students, students and the school authority.
Schools in the urban and rural areas, large and small ones, single sex
or mixed schools, those headed by less experienced or more experienced principals
have at one time or the other experienced conflicts. Whatever the cause of
conflict may be, educators, parents and policy makers have consistently advised
on the need for quick resolution and effective management of organizational
conflicts because of its adverse effect on teachers’ job performance (Muindi,
2016). Conflict in schools need to be properly managed in order to create a
healthy organizational climate that is so important for effective learning and
performance of responsibilities. Conflicts affect teachers’ job performance and
accomplishment of school goals due to their attending stress, hostility and
other undesirable factors when poorly managed (Duze, 2012).
According
to Agenga (2011) teachers’ job performance is the ability and action of the
teacher to discharge the duties officially assigned to him/her in learning
setting. Nurharni (2013) noted that teachers’ job performance is the way in
which a teacher behaves in the process of teaching and is related to teacher’s
effectiveness. Obilade in Mohammadu and Malik (2011) stated that teachers’ job
performance can be described as the duties performed by a teacher at a
particular period in the school system in achieving organizational goals. Such
duties include preparing and delivery of lessons to a range of classes of
different ages and abilities; marking students’ assigned work, giving
appropriate feedback and maintaining records of students’ progress and
development. Other duties include; researching new topic areas, maintaining up
to-date subject knowledge and devising and writing new curriculum materials;
preparing students for qualification and external examinations, participating
in and organizing extra-curricular activities such as outings, social
activities, sporting events and so on.
In
the face of conflict not adequately and effectively managed with appropriate
techniques, teachers will not perform their job effectively. Baumgardner (2012)
harped that inappropriate technique of principals’ conflict management has
resulted in rampart closure of schools, disruption of academic calendar, poor
performance of students, increased government interventions and increased
expenditure. Meanwhile, effective teaching and learning programmes are always
impaired leading to further crisis in schools and government in general. This
therefore calls for good management of conflict with effective technique that
will create enabling environment for teachers to discharge their duties
effectively. According to Ramani (2010) the efforts of teachers can only be
maximized when they function in a conducive work environment.
Oluwaseun
(2020) defined conflict management as a general term used to describe efforts
to prevent, limit, resolve or transform conflict. Consequently, Kaln (2020)
described conflict management as a process that involves programmes and
activities that seek to discover, identify and resolve the fundamental causes
of a given conflict. Conflict management technique is therefore a procedure
used to prevent or resolve conflict. Arop, Owan and Ekpang (2018) opined that
conflict management techniques are those approaches that can be used to
prevent, control or resolve conflicts. Thus, that conflict management
techniques are very important to any school because it is through these
techniques that negative effects resulting from conflicts can be minimized or
controlled. There exist several techniques that could be used to resolve
conflict in schools. These include: dominance, compromise, synergy, culture of
civility, win-lose technique, lose-lose technique, win-win techniques (Anashie
and Kulo, 2014), Ihuarulam (2015) further identified other techniques which
include adjudication, negotiation/collective bargaining, confrontation,
accommodation, problem solving, creation of budget committee, separation device,
neglect or silence, dialogue, effective communication, mediation, arbitration,
clarification of inter dependencies, consultation, boxing the problem,
clarification of goals, and collaboration.
The
focus of this study is on ten conflict management techniques, which are;
i.
Arbitration conflict management technique
ii.
Dialogue conflict management technique
iii.
Accommodation conflict management technique
iv.
Negotiation/collective bargaining conflict management technique
v.
Effective communication conflict management technique
vi.
Boxing the problem conflict management technique
vii. Confrontation conflict management technique
viii.
Compromising conflict management technique
ix.
Neglect or silence conflict management technique and
x.
Collaboration conflict management technique (Akeredolu, 2019).
Arbitration
or mediation conflict management technique is used in a situation where a
neutral party helps groups in conflicts to discuss their difficult issues which
allow disputants to ventilate anger and frustration in a free, open and
therapeutic fashion (Oboegbulem and Onwurah, 2011). It can also be a process in
which a third party, neutral in the matter, after reviewing evidence and
listening to arguments from both sides, issues a decision to settle the case
(Arop, Owan and Ekpang, 2018). Arbitration or mediation conflict management
technique could also be an aspect where an independent person or group of
persons could be appointed to act as judge in the dispute. He decides on the
term of settlement. Both parties must agree on who the arbitrator should be;
because the decision of the arbitrator should bind on both parties for absolute
peace, in absence of arbitration, dialogue could be used.
Dialogue
conflict management technique is a process where groups in conflicts are
brought together (face-to-face) to express their views on the subject matter.
The conflict parties share their feelings, and fears are open to listening to
the other parties, needs are willing to be changed by what they hear, and are
open to the idea of being vulnerable (Oboegbulem and Onwurah, 2011). If
dialogue fails, accommodation may come in.
Accommodation
is an aspect of conflict management technique which believes that no amount of
sacrifice is too much to allow peace to reign. Parties should accommodate each
other, as it is said that one should be his or her brother’s keeper. Parties
should bear in mind that conflicts are inevitable, natural factor, therefore,
when it arises let there be an understanding and be able to manage it properly
so that it becomes a positive force, rather than a negative force, if
accommodation could not work, negotiation/collective bargaining could be
applied.
Negotiation
or collective bargaining: This is a process where mandated representatives of
groups in a conflict situation react together in order to solve their
differences and to reach agreement, it is a deliberate process designed to
reconcile differences, for instance, on Labour matters and to reach agreement
by consensus, the outcome is often dependent on the power relationship between
the two groups. It usually involves compromise, a give and take process, if
this fails, effective communication may come in.
Effective
communication conflict management technique involves where all the necessary
information needed by groups are communicated to them in due time, acted upon
and provision of appropriate feedback. It can be used to avoid, minimize and
manage conflicts when they occur, it is used by both parties in the conflict to
say their mind, listen to others, and for apology where necessary. More so,
effective communication could help principals to minimize conflict in schools,
messages should travel up, down, and across the organization, there should be
feedback, teachers and other staff alike should be able to know who, where,
how, what, why and which person and activity to perform at the rightful time.
In absence of effective communication, boxing the problem could be used.
Boxing
the problem conflict management technique: Arop, Owan and Ekpang, (2018) opined
that this aspect of conflict management technique involves authoritative and
assertive behaviours. In this style, the aggressive individual aims to instill
pressure on the other parties to achieve a goal. It includes the use of
whatever means to attain what the individual thinks is right, it may be
appropriate in some situations, but it should not come to a point wherein the
aggressor becomes too unreasonable. Dealing with the conflict with an open mind
is vital for a resolution to be met, if boxing the problem fails, confrontation
should be the next ideal technique to be used.
Confrontation:
this aspect of conflict management technique is where the issues can be
subjected to a debate between those in conflicts or neutral groups in order to
expose the problem and convince combatants of its emptiness. There by
confrontation could not work, compromise may come in.
Compromising
conflict management technique: This aspect of conflict management technique is
where parties to the conflict should be willing to give up something, for
instance, to adopt a free mind in order to settle the problem, they should be
able to shift ground to allow peace to reign, if compromise could not bring an
absolute peace, neglect or silence may likely come in.
Neglect
or silence conflict management techniques; Oboegbulem and Onwurah, (2011)
stated that it is an aspect that involves delay tactics which can disarm in the
combatants emotionally as they wait for days or months on end without any
practical action on the part of the third party. The build-up emotional anger
can dwindle as the delay, neglect or silence continues to end the information
about the issue before acting. If this fails, collaboration technique may come
in.
Collaboration
conflict management; this aspect of conflict management technique involves a
win-win situation where parties to a conflict are prepared, willing and ready
to satisfy each other demands fully, here, all demands are fully met.
It
is imperative that a principal as the manager of conflict must be wise in
monitoring the trends of conflict in order to detect in time when conflict is
about to come up. The principals’ techniques of conflict management will
determine the success of the school administration and teachers’ job
performance. Teachers’ job performance refers to the extent to which teachers
carry out their instructional and pedagogical duties of teaching and behaviour
modification as a means of making learners useful to themselves, and for the
development of the society which they belong. Teachers’ job performance is the
pivot around which teaching and co-curricular activities of the school revolve.
Owan (2012) submits that it offers learners the opportunity to get adapted to
the school environment for improved academic performance.
Some
of the roles of an effective teacher include:
(a)
Strong lesson structuring: The type and length of a lesson plan will depend on
such factors as the particular teacher involved, the nature of the activity and
the adaptive policy. An effective teacher therefore considers critically what
subject matter to teach, which students to teach, what instructional materials
to utilize to achieve desired result and what method to use to ensure
teacher-student participation in the instructional process. To achieve the
above, Enem and Ani (2011) identified the following major features: subject,
date, time, class, age, content/topic, specific objectives, entering behavior,
instructional materials, instructional procedure, evaluation,
summary/conclusion and assignment.
(b)
Proper classroom sitting arrangement: Classroom management is one of the
greatest concerns of the teacher. For the classroom not to pose a difficult
tool in the hand of the teacher to manage, he tries to arrange his class
properly before teaching. It is expected that the number of students in a class
should not exceed thirty students, but where it does, it becomes the onus of
the teacher to handle professionally for a soft landing. The climate of a
classroom is a critical variable which affect the students. Where people work together for the
achievement of set objectives, there is a need for management that is charged
with the responsibilities of ensuring that the aims and objectives of the
organization are realized. This implies that good or effective classroom
management is the key to academic success of the students.
(c)
Effective Communication: One of the greatest tools that guide the efforts of
the teacher is a well-developed communication process. Communication in the
words of Obi in Olugbenga (2018) involves a transmission, transfer or exchange
of ideas, feelings, views, messages and issues. In the struggle to achieve high
level of an atmosphere free of rancor and teachers’ job performance. The
teacher strive to improve the classroom by bridging some of the barriers to
effective communication such as noise, filtration, language difference, lack of
clear channels, personal biases and information overload. Where effective
communication is lacking, performance of functions may overlap thereby causing
confusion which will give rise to wastage of human and material resources in
primary secondary schools.
(d)
Good Chalkboard management: Chalkboard is a device which an effective teacher
uses to convey a visual message in the classroom. It serves as a vehicle of
communication and instruction. To buttress the above, Ojonma (2017) averred
that it is a mirror through which students visualize the teacher’s mind, for
example, the way of explaining, illustrating and teaching as a whole. For
effective teaching and learning which is the major aim of teaching to take
place, the teacher makes use of the chalkboard to define, explain and record
new words, ideas, terms and concepts. He equally highlights and summarizes
class discussions sequentially during teaching-learning process. For clarity in
the classroom, an effective teacher present symbols, diagrams, charts, graphs
and other useful illustrations on the chalkboard. The above message is passed
to the students by writing eligibly. In other words, all works on the
chalkboard should be neatly presented and tidy, properly organized and unwanted
materials erased from the chalkboard.
(e)
High expectation of what the students can achieve: An effective teacher while
preparing his lesson states clearly the objective of the lesson. He equally
works towards attaining the stated objectives within the time allocated for the
lesson. Evaluation at the end of the lesson stands as a testimony to the
achievement of the objectives else he repeats the topic for better
understanding of the students and satisfaction of the teacher.
(f)
Lesson clarity: The duty of the teacher is to provide a welcoming environment necessary
for effective teaching and learning, for example, good entry behavior, mastery
of the subject matter, clarity of explanation and good communication skill (Okeze,
2014). The vocabulary of the lesson in question should be made clear and
understandable for the students to comprehend. Concepts should be clearly
defined by the classroom teacher in a simple and well organized term to show
direction on what the students should know and be able to do. The interaction
in the classroom will add greatly to the purpose of learning and equally make
the classroom activity an interesting one by displaying relevant practice,
sequence lessons and learning activities and clear explanations.
(g)
The use of different teaching methods: The teachers’ behaviourin the classroom
determines the effectiveness of the instruction. Teachers’ movement, use of
gestures, change in voice, verbal focusing and gesture, change in interaction
pattern will greatly increase the quality and quantity of teaching and
learning. An effective teachers’ behavior will consist of many types of skills
that will showcase the action designed to influence the learner in a
pre-determined direction. Some of these skills include set induction, planned
repetition, illustration (use of examples), stimulus variation, questioning
method and the skill of closure. A classroom teacher cannot be likened to a
statue mounted at a place. Teachers’ demonstration, recitation, memorization
and the opportunity for class participation is connected with different
teaching methods that will continuously measure students learning during
teaching.
(h)
Effective time management: Time is a part of measuring system used to sequence
events, to compare the direction of the events and the intervals between them
and to quantify rates of change as we live and carryout daily activities.
Planning a lesson involves adequate patterning of time according to activities
in order to enhance role performance and accomplishing tasks within a set out
period. Planning helps to avoid conflict among use of resources based on the
fact that resources are limited including time. Planned classroom lesson
therefore means a designed way by the teacher to arrange all its activities for
efficient teaching in realization of his targeted objectives. One of the
greatest importance of time in the classroom is creation of space for
simultaneous activities which helps activities to be implemented without
conflicts like classroom allocation to various periods and subjects.
Implemented time ensures complete mobilization of all planned activities
according to schedule.
(i)
Good record keeping attitude: Record keeping enhances administrative
effectiveness in secondary schools. Administrative functions of planning,
controlling, organizing, coordinating and directing are not effectively carried
out without proper documentation. For example, every plan and decision
undertaken by the teacher must be properly documented for record purposes. Such
records as admission/withdrawal register, attendance register, and punishment
book are vital information about a student activity during his stay in a
particular school. Record keeping is very important because it serve as major
information tool that sustain the school and aid in achieving educational goals
and objectives. It indicates the progress or failure of the student and even
the school. It assists parents with particular information about performance
and general behavior of their children (report sheet, punishment book). It
equally aids ex-students to get reports and recommendations for job or further
studies (progress reports).
Good
health practices within and outside the classroom environment, and other good
personal characteristics such as honesty, politeness, flexibility, simplicity,
trustworthiness, firm and fairness and so on remains the roles of an effective
teacher for quality delivery.
Teachers
job performance that will be studied include: adequate preparation for all
lessons, effective instructional delivery, effective classroom management,
assessment of student learning, ability to be resourceful, skillful in the use
of chalkboard, appropriate use of instructional materials, adequate coverage of
curriculum content, effective in time management, adequate counseling of
students, effective discipline of students and adequate feedback. Arop, Owan
andEkpang, (2018) opined that teachers’ job performance has been a major issue
of concern to the government and other relevant stakeholders, this is seen
through the regular workshops, seminars, and other retaining programmes
organized for teachers as means of enabling them to adjust to the dynamic needs
of the society. In the past, teachers’ job performance in the school system had
been hindered by a lot of factors, which resulted in teachers embarking on
strikes at various times to draw the attention of the Government to their
plight (Arop et al., 2018). The situation in the past was so bad
that teachers’ job called for sympathy from other professions, it was
considered a reproach to take up teaching as a profession; parents were finding
it very difficult to release or give their daughters in marriage to teachers.
Teachers’ effectiveness was also hindered by the problem of poor salaries. Salaries
were not paid, and as when due, teachers were deprived of their promotion and
lack of good working environment which affected most teachers’ attitude to
work.
Presently,
the above conditions has slightly improved as it is no longer considered a
reproach to become a teacher, this is evident in the sudden influx of people to
the teaching profession including those not suitably qualified for the job, for
example, the Federal Government N-power initiative attracted a lot of graduates
from various disciplines such as law, engineering, medicine and so on, who were
not suitably qualified for the job. According to Avwerosuo (2017), this sudden
influx of people into the profession is as a result of slight improvement in
the condition of service for teachers; this include relatively prompt payment
of teachers’ salaries, increment of teachers’ salaries following the recent
minimum wage pronouncement, promotion of teachers in some quarters and building
of classroom blocks and few offices being a project recently embarked upon by
the state Government, all notwithstanding, the effectiveness of teachers
anchors on integrated conflict management.
Management
as conceptualized by Arop and Bassey (2017) is a process of working with and
through people, using available human and material resources to achieve
predetermined objectives. Management involves forecasting and planning,
organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Management therefore,
according to Anashie and Kulo (2014) consists of all organizational activities
that involve formation of goals; attainment of the goals; appraisal of
performance and development of mechanisms that will ensure the success and the
survival of the organization within the social system. Management of school conflict bothers around
the principal and as the manager of conflict should be wise in monitoring the
trends of conflict in order to detect in time when conflict is about to come
up. He should also be aware of actual or potential conflict, diagnosing its
nature and scope and employing appropriate techniques to diffuse the emotional
energy involved and enable the disputing parties to understand and resolve
their differences (Boniface, 2012). It is therefore the duty of the principal
to counteract, control, detect or stop the conflict before its violent
eruption.
The
implication is that the principal is at the centre of school management; he
enforces standards and resolves conflicts arising from the school. In our
contemporary society, educational managers are more likely to encounter
conflicts in secondary schools than they were ten years ago because of the
increasing students’ population, competition for scarce resources, poor
catering and poor welfare service and inadequate teaching and learning
facilities. Ihuarulam (2015) addressing the issue of conflict among school
managers, stated that those who will administer schools must have both adequate
experience and proper administrative training in order to cope with the
challenging tasks of school administration. This may be due to the impacts of
advancement in education; research and societal changes in our school system.
Therefore, the principals’ techniques of conflict management will determine the
success of the school administration and teacher’s job performance.
Many
authors have made attempts to uncover the relationship that exist between the
variables of this study with other dependent variables. Offodile (2009)
researched on level of effectiveness of conflict resolution methods used by
principals in Aba and Umuahia education zones in Abia State as perceived by
principals, teachers and students. He found divergent views on conflict
management techniques used by principals. Similarly, Ogbajie (2010) studied
principals’ conflict management techniques in secondary schools in Umuahia
education zone of Abia state, and found out that dialogue and democratic
techniques of conflict management were generally accepted by the respondents as
best in managing conflicts. In same vein, Oshionebo and Ashang (2017) examined
the administrative techniques for the resolution of principal-teacher conflicts
among secondary schools in Lagos state, Nigeria. The study favoured the use of
dialogue for principal-teacher conflict resolution among other administrative
techniques such as dominance, compromise, smoothing, synergy, culture of
civility, mediation, negotiation, and communication. Furthermore, Owan (2018),
investigated principals’ conflict management techniques in secondary schools in
Ado-EkitiEducation Zone of Ekiti State, Nigeria and found out that arbitration,
dialogue and effective communication technique of conflict management were as
well accepted generally by the respondents as best in managing conflicts.
It
is noteworthy to mention that various studies have been carried out on conflict
management, (Offodile, 2009; Ogbajie, 2010; Oshionebo & Ashang, 2017; Owan,
2018), particularly in the aspect of conflict management techniques and
indifferent locations. However, the aspect of linking principals’ conflict
management technique to teachers’ job performance in South-East geopolitical
zone within the limits of accessible literature by the researcher has not been
greatly explored. Therefore, researcher tends to find out the extent principals
use arbitration, dialogue, accommodation, negotiation/collective bargaining,
effective communication, boxing the problem, confrontation, compromising,
neglect or silence, and collaboration in managing conflicts as well as
determining its relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South-East, Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The importance of principals’ conflict management
technique and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in South East,
Nigeria cannot be underestimated. The ideal situation of teachers’ job
performance should constitute adequate preparation for all lessons, effective
instructional delivery, effective classroom management, assessment of student
learning, ability to be resourceful, skillful in the use of chalkboard,
appropriate use of instructional materials, adequate coverage of curriculum
content, effective in time management, adequate counseling of students,
effective discipline of students and adequate feedback.
On the contrary, it is disturbing that all these
variables appear to be completely lacking or barely existing in school system
as a result of conflict in secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. Conflicts
seem to be parts and parcel of human endeavours. It is a human social problem
which involves mutual hostility, differences, disagreements, opposition, use of
violence, turning point or crises which can lead to psychological warfare or
physical or naked war. It comes into school administration when the need of the
teachers or students varies from that of the administrator and policy makers as
well as their management technique. One of the major causes of conflict in
school system today is inequitable distribution of resources and partiality on
the side of the principals in delegation of responsibilities, supervision and
motivation of staff, opportunity for professional growth among others due to
lack of exposure to conflict management techniques. These ugly situations could
be responsible to the poor teaching and learning in secondary schools which has
led to low productive academic achievement and teachers’ job performance.
Though many studies have been carried out in the past
on conflict resolution strategies and teachers’ job performance, yet no study
to the best of the researcher’s knowledge focused on conflict management technique
and teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. If
so, the relationship between principals’ conflict management techniques and
teachers’ job performance may be considered necessary as other studies have
shown that friendly environment devoid of conflict relate to teachers’ job
performance. To this end, the problem of this study put in question form is:
what is the relationship between principals’ conflict management technique and
teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
1.3 PURPOSE OF
THE STUDY.
The
study determined the relationship between principals’ conflict management
techniques and teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools
in South East, Nigeria.
Specifically,
the study sought to:
1.
determine the relationship between principals’ use of arbitration
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
2.
examine the relationship between principals’ use of dialogue conflict
management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
3.
investigate the relationship between principals’ use of accommodation as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
4.
Determine the relationship between principals’ use of negotiation/collective
bargaining as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in
government owned secondary schools.
5.
ascertain the relationship between principals’ use of effective
communication as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in
government owned secondary schools.
6.
examine the relationship between principals’ use of boxing the problem
as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
7.
find out the relationship between principals’ use of confrontation as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
8.
investigate the relationship between principals’ use of compromising as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
9.
ascertain the relationship between principals’ use of neglect or silence
as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
10.
determine the relationship between principals’ use of collaboration as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
The following research questions guided the
study.
1.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of arbitration as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
2.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of dialogue as conflict
management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria?
3.
How does principals’ use of accommodation as conflict management
technique relate to teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary
schools in South East Nigeria?
4.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of
negotiation/collective bargaining as conflict management technique and
teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools in South East
Nigeria?
5.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of effective
communication as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in
government owned secondary schools in South East Nigeria?
6.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of boxing the problem
as conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government
owned secondary school in South East Nigeria?
7.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of confrontation as
conflict management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria?
8.
How does principals’ use of compromise as conflict management technique
relates to teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools in
South East Nigeria?
9.
How does principals’ use of negotiation as conflict management technique
relates to teachers’ job performance in government owned secondary schools in
South East Nigeria?
10.
What is the relationship between principals’ use of collaboration as conflict
management technique and teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The
following null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
1.
Principals’ use of arbitration as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
2.
Principals’ use of dialogue as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria
3.
Principals’ use of accommodation as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
4.
Principals’ use of negotiation/collective bargaining as conflict
management technique has no significant relationship to teachers’ job
performance in government owned secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
5.
Principals’ use of effective communication as conflict management
technique has no significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in
government owned secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
6.
Principals’ use of boxing the problem as conflict management technique
has no significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government
owned secondary school in South East Nigeria.
7.
Principals’ use of confrontation as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
8.
Principals’ use of compromise as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
9.
Principals’ use of negotiation as conflict management technique has no
significant relationship to teachers’ job performance in government owned
secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
10. Principals’ use of collaboration as conflict
management technique has no significant relationship to teachers’ job
performance in government owned secondary schools in South East Nigeria.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY.
It
is hoped that the findings of this study will be useful to government,
Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB), principals, teachers, students and
future researchers if published.
The findings
of this study will be considered valuable to the government who are responsible
for the planning and control of educational programmes for the attainment of
educational goals and objectives. Evidence of role conflict abounds in public
secondary schools as a result of unsatisfactory working condition. Many at
times, school personnel can be in conflict over the imposition of rules,
regulations and assignments, over the amount of interdependence allowed to
teachers and students and over the amount of effort committed to achieve
learning in school. This study will enable the government understand those
areas where there is frequent occurrence of conflict and therefore train
administrators accordingly for a peaceful atmosphere in secondary schools.
The
findings of this study may be useful to SEMB in decision making and planning of
postings of principals and staff to schools. All organizations as business
firms, social clubs, schools and colleges have conflict potentials. Conflict is
an in-built aspect of any organizational system (obi, 2004). This is due to the
individual differences of workers and sometimes the occurrence of role
ambiguity and specifications. The study may reveal to education managers the
need to include conflict management in their result oriented administration in
order to maximize effectiveness and high productivity.
The
identification of conflict and its management techniques will acquaint
secondary school principals with the knowledge of how to resolve conflict as
they discharge their duties in their various schools. Such duties as delegation
of responsibility to staff, orientation of new staff, assignment of teachers to
jobs, appointments of prefects and form masters, supervision and motivation,
encouraging staff professional growth and discipline of staff ought to be
fairly done to reduce conflict to the barest minimum. The study therefore, will
equip principals with conflict management skills in handling conflicts and
however, may promote better interpersonal relationship among teachers.
The
findings of this study may expose to the teachers the dangers of conflicts in
school and the need to avoid conflicting situations to some extent so as to
maintain a conducive atmosphere for learning since there can be no meaningful
development in an atmosphere devoid of peace. It will more importantly improve
teachers’ job performance and ensure quality delivery in secondary schools in
South East, Nigeria.
To
the students, the findings will be of immense help to them in the school
environment. This is because if the principals and staff apply the various
conflict management techniques as x- rayed in this study to prevent and control
conflict in schools, there will be minimal conflict and a conducive atmosphere
for teaching and learning will be ensured. It will equally enhance the
understanding of interaction theory of conflict which argues that the seed of
conflict lie in the process of interaction between parties in conflict and
managers of conflict.
Information
gained as a result of this study may further enrich the library and add to
reference materials. The findings will equally serve as a spring board for any
researcher who may wish to carry out research work on the variables or related
variables.
1.7 SCOPE OF
THE STUDY
The
study is delimited to principals’ conflict management techniques and teachers’
job performance in government owned secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
The
content scope focused on two variables which are; principal’s conflict
management techniques as independent variable and teachers’ job performance as
the dependent variable.
The
components of the independent variables are, arbitration, dialogue,
accommodation, negotiation/collective bargaining, effective communication,
boxing the problem, confrontation, compromising, neglect or silence, and collaboration.
It
also covered teachers’ job performance as the dependent variable which include;
adequate preparation for all lessons, effective instructional delivery, effective
classroom management, assessment of student learning, ability to be
resourceful, skillful in the use of chalkboard, appropriate use of
instructional materials, adequate coverage of curriculum content, effective in
time management, adequate counseling of students, effective discipline of
students and adequate feedback. The study will involve the principals and
teachers in government owned secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
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