Article Review: The Impact of Perceptions on Conflict Management by Longaretti and Wilson - Essay Example

The data collected was primarily interviews with staff and students, observations conducted on the playground, and document analysis. The data was verified and tested via triangulation, member checking, and auditing. The most obvious drawback of this study is that it took place in a very small sample, a single primary school. Thus, it would be difficult to generalize the results of this study to primary school populations as a whole.

The literature review is particularly well-balanced. Longaretti and Wilson note that most teachers perceive conflict as negative, but conflict is at the center of learning and development. This focus on the positive side of conflict helps the reader eliminate any personal bias he may have toward conflict before beginning the heart of the study. In addition, the authors use the literature review to briefly examine the types of conflict management that teachers employ with students. After the literature review, the authors begin the discussion of their study.

They note that the sample size for the study was small but explain that this choice was to concentrate in more depth on the issues as “insiders.” While the explanation is valid, it certainly does not rectify the problems that accompany a small sample size, such as skewing of data and limited applicability of conclusions to other populations. In examining the data, the researchers tabulated teacher and student responses to conflict and then the types and frequency of different conflict management strategies.

The research revealed that all students and teachers described the conflict as negative. But, the degree to which they found conflict to be negative governed their actions. Students who described the conflict as very negative often resolved it in a negative manner, i.e. with more conflict. Likewise, teachers who saw conflict in a more negative light often used more aggressive conflict management strategies such as authoritarianism. The authors note that these results match those of several studies conducted in America and New Zealand.

While noting that fact, it is still debatable as to whether this research is productive as the results seem predictable even without study. The authors do note that teachers and students do not utilize complex conflict management skills. They posit that this deficiency is due to the perception of conflict. The most useful part of the study is that it suggests that teachers and students would benefit from training in conflict management and in their perception of conflict. I have always felt that conflict was positive.

While physical conflict is destructive, most conflict leads to learning. Without intellectual conflict, most of the major discoveries we enjoy would not have been made. Our most productive times in history have been when disagreements between two great thinkers have spurred development. The famous political debates between Hamilton and Jefferson immediately spring to mind. In the end, conflict is necessary in the education process. We simply must train teachers to see themselves not as disciplinarians but as facilitators.