The focus of this study was to investigate the conflict resolution strategies used by fourth grade children in a selected primary school in Umlazi District. The topic of this research is: Conflict resolution strategies used by fourth grade primary school children in Umlazi district.
Methodology
My research contributes data on conflict resolution strategies used by children in Umlazi district and I also explored the reasons for the way they deal with conflicts. To my knowledge, there is no study that focuses on the conflict resolution strategies used by fourth grade children in South Africa.
Chapter delineation
The second chapter discusses the theoretical framework and questions the arguments put forward by scholars in the recent relevant literature. It also presents a comparison of the collected data with the arguments expressed in the reviewed literature and an analysis of the data through the lens of a theoretical framework.
Conclusion
Introduction
Theoretical framework
Since recent research has emphasized sociocultural influences on conflict resolution by children, the social learning theory should provide a solid framework for my study. In social learning theory, the expectation of a person's community is identified as a “barrier to self-.
Sociocultural environment
Churchman (2013, p. 91) states that children first learn how to behave, communicate and socialize from their families. Churchman, (2013, p. 13) assumes that inadequate research methods may have led researchers to avoid studying ethical and moral conflicts.
Development
With increasing age, they found that children become more comfortable disagreeing with their friends and standing up for themselves (Recchia et al., 2013, p. 1471). In my research, I investigated whether fourth grade children's choice of conflict resolution strategies is logical and considerate of others rather than egocentric, and to what extent they are comfortable disagreeing with their friends.
Education and training
Although Kabasakal's (2013) discussion is related to social learning theory, he advocates that learning should be formalized in structured education and training programs to ensure that vital conflict resolution skills are learned and used. in family and school conflicts. His training program includes communication skills that can be used not only to resolve conflict, but also to prevent it.
Personality
2014) used a multi-method approach of vignettes and questionnaires to determine the effects of the personality trait of agreeableness and the cognitive process of social self-efficacy on the choice of conflict resolution strategies by university students. From the aforementioned studies, it can be seen that personality traits can be used to predict choice of conflict resolution strategies, without explaining the reasons for those choices.
Support
The withdrawn youth therefore lack peer confidantes and their "age peers are unaware of their needs" (Ladd et al., 2014, p. 984). Accordingly, peers may exclude withdrawn youth from their social groups, and thus be unaware of their needs and concerns (Ladd et al., 2014, p. 984).
Interaction of influences
Avci and Gucray (2013, p. 2012) argue that adolescents have intense interactions with peers as they enter adolescence, and as a result, they learn violence from their peers' attitudes toward violence. In my research, I sought to evaluate the quality of children's friendships, and to what extent the support of friends, or lack thereof, influences the way they resolve conflict.
Conclusion
Introduction
The research design
The qualitative approach .1 Open-ended data
Contrary to my choice of method, I found that many researchers, researchers, funders and policy makers are biased against qualitative inquiry. Here again I identify hegemony as an influence that affects how qualitative inquiry is viewed in research.
Research paradigm .1 Emancipation
Insights and benefits gained from using the critical worldview have implications not only for theory and research, but also for the real lives of the children involved. Ways in which these shared beliefs influence children's conflict resolution strategies were examined from the social learning framework.
Case study .1 Insight
My answer is that conflict resolution studies can, should, and must be more culturally sensitive. In my research, the instrumental case study design was used because it provided an opportunity to investigate, gain an in-depth insight into and interpret data on which conflict resolution strategies are used by grade 4 children in relation to their school in Umlazi District and explain reasons why the children make these choices.
Context
Context as the foundation
Conflict in the community
Sunshine Primary School
Selection of participants
- Sample universe
- Sample size
- Sampling strategy
- Sourcing the sample
- Sampling validity
When choosing a sampling strategy, I had to ask myself the question "How do I select the cases to include in the sample?" (Robinson, 2014, p. 31). In order to increase inclusivity and diversity, a physically challenged child and a child from a foreign country were included in the sample.
Data production and collection .1 Research sessions
Stimulus materials
Furthermore, the children could tell their stories vicariously, via the characters in the texts. The texts provided a safe, comfortable, non-threatening and non-intimidating medium through which the children expressed themselves.
Data collection tools
I conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with each of the children on different occasions. The use of written and drawn expressions enabled children's different communication strengths to be used.
Data analysis
The interview allowed the children to explain, elaborate and reflect on the data produced by the other two data collection tools used in this study. I gave the children the selected texts to read and asked them to respond to the way in which the conflict in the texts was resolved or to respond to any of the discussions about conflict resolution held during the study.
Validity
- Internal validity
- Sample coverage
- Capturing of data
- Identification and labelling of responses
- Display and documentation
- Constant comparative method
- Triangulation of sources
To overcome this challenge, I asked the children to write down their responses to the questions in both the FGDs and the interviews. In the data analysis I displayed and documented the keywords in their raw form used by the children to allow readers “sufficient access” to check the validity themselves (Ritchie et al. 2013, p. 274).
Reliability
The questioning technique that I used allowed me to constantly check, compare and confirm that the data collected was accurate. Using different tools led to triangulation, where the different tools increased the validity of the research.
Design strengths and limitations
2013, p. 272) identify five crucial questions to be asked throughout the research process that help the researcher ensure reliability in the study. For example, during data analysis I had to ensure that all perspectives were included and that nothing was missing in the data coverage.
Ethical issues
Confidentiality was guaranteed, as the names of the children and the school will not be mentioned in the thesis. Non-class time would be spent on research and there would be no disruption to the school curriculum.
Conclusion
Introduction
Guiding principles during data collection
Clarification and confirmability
FGDs
- Stimulus material for FGDs
- General questions for the FGDs
- Evaluating the conflict resolution strategies used by Robert, the character in the story The following questions were interspersed with others during the FGDs. Here I have grouped
- Evaluating the conflict resolution strategies that a friend would use
- Evaluating the child’s own conflict resolution strategies
- Concluding questions
The following is a summary of the conflict resolution strategies mentioned and discussed by the children regarding Robert's response to the bully. The following is a summary of the conflict resolution strategies mentioned and discussed by the children about how their friend would respond to the bully.
Interviews
- Stimulus material for interviews
- General questions for the interviews
- Evaluating the conflict resolution strategies used by Ronnie and Thandi, the characters in the play
- Evaluating the conflict resolution strategies that other children use
- Evaluating the conflict resolution strategies that participating children would use In this section the children discussed what they would do if they were involved in an argument
As in the FGDs, the children indicated in the interviews that they use different strategies on different occasions. The following is a summary of the conflict resolution strategies mentioned and discussed by the children regarding Ronnie's response to Thandi during the argument.
Document analysis
Stimulus material for document analysis
One child said that she would ignore the problem to avoid getting her parents into trouble. One child said that she would take it to the adult in charge because she would not handle it on her own.
Analysing written documents and drawings
Ged points out that it's not a good idea to complain all the time because, just like in the story "the boy who cried wolf," people get tired of complaining and don't help. Lucky's first story is about a boy, Blessing, who is bullied at school and tells his parents, who talk to the principal.
What strategies do Grade four children use to resolve conflict and why do they use those strategies?
- Avoidance
- Seeking support
- Verbal strategies
- Fleeing
- Submission
- Use of violence
- Crying
- Escapism
- Proving oneself
- Teaching someone a lesson
Personality factors may be responsible for their feelings of inadequacy, their desperation to be included, and their preference to avoid confrontation. Personality factors may have contributed to a child expressing fear, anger, disappointment over lack of support, and helplessness through tears.
A critical analysis
The child used this non-violent strategy to assert her authority by teaching the perpetrator that he was stronger than her. Lin may be a victim of the hegemony that girls are not strong and that standing up for themselves is not desirable.
A comparison of this study to the literature reviewed
- Sociocultural influences
- Development
- Education and training
- Personality
- Support
- Interaction of influences
The data in this study are consistent with the argument that the sociocultural environment and social learning strongly influence the strategies children use to resolve conflict. The data collected in this study confirm that education and training play a key role in conflict resolution and prevention.
Conclusion
Experts have generally focused on one or two factors that influence why children use these strategies. Based on the data collected in this study, I agree that each factor presented in each scholar's argument contributes to the way in which children resolve conflicts.
Introduction
Summary of findings
- Strategies used
- Reasons for choosing strategies
- Matching strategies to the reasons for their use
- A social learning framework
- A critical view
However, the children's personalities emerged from the rich data produced, contributing to basic patterns in their choice of strategies. I analyzed the conflict resolution strategies used by the children and commented on how these strategies empowered or disempowered them.
Recommendations
- Schools and educational institutions
- The family
- The community
- The medical field
- The commercial world
- Ongoing projects
It would benefit employers to invest in financing and sponsoring conflict resolution awareness campaigns and training programs for children in their towns and cities. Conflict resolution awareness campaigns and training programs for children should be ongoing projects so that knowledge can spread and children are empowered to take charge of their own destiny.
Suggestions for further research
- Case studies
- Direct observation
- Long-term studies
- The feasibility of awareness campaigns and training programmes
It is likely that children who use poor conflict resolution strategies will struggle to resolve conflict later when they enter the workforce. In this chapter, I have recommended that conflict resolution awareness campaigns and training programs for children be developed.
Conclusion
Conflict resolution strategies in young children: Do they do what they say? (Master's thesis, University of North Texas). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database, thesis no. Conflict resolution strategies used by fourth grade children in a primary school in Umlazi District.
Conflict resolution strategies used by Grade four children in a primary school in the Umlazi District
