Influence of headteachers' conflict management styles on teachers' job satisfaction in public primary schools, Gilgil District, Kenya

Abstract

Effective school management depends on collaboration and teamwork among teachers and administrators. Decision making in educational systems is frequently characterized by conflict and disagreement due to differences of interests and opinions among the players. The purpose of this study was to find out whether teachers job satisfaction is influenced by the conflict management strategy employed by the head teacher. A total of 28 primary schools participated in the study, which were selected using stratified sampling. The respondent of the study were 22 headteachers and 184 teachers in the sampled schools.

Analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics using frequency, and percentages and tabulating them appropriately. Results of the study indicated that in schools where the head teacher used control-oriented conflict management strategies, 81 % of teachers tended to be dissatisfied. Teachers reported higher levels of satisfaction at 90.9% when the head teacher used collaborative approach, open communication and a problem solving stance when dealing with conflict situations.

The study findings present a case for a paradigm shift from the traditional, control oriented behaviors and styles of handling conflict in schools to the modem, collegial and solution oriented strategies. Head teachers are challenged to manage conflicts using strategies, which induce teachers to gain a sense of being valued as genuine stakeholders in the school system. From the findings it is imperative that schools may benefit most when individual and group differences are managed through collaborative and integrative problem solving approaches that ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.

Suggestions made for further studies are that the study be replicated in other areas to allow comparison of such results and also to widen the scope by including private primary schools.