Sources of conflicts in selected secondary schools in Uriri and Nyatike sub-counties, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sources of conflicts that commonly arise in the selected secondary schools in Uriri and Nyatike Sub-Counties, Kenya. The target population was 1960 teachers, 87 principals and 87 senior teachers in 87 secondary schools in Uriri and Nyatike Sub Counties. The study relied on self- administered questionnaires and focus group discussions. The sample consisted of: 392 teachers, 29 principals and 29 senior teachers. The main data collection instruments were questionnaires and focus group discussion. From the research instruments, the researcher sought to elicit information about the sources of conflicts that commonly arise in selected secondary schools. The findings showed that conflicts in the selected secondary schools were both relationship and task related. The study was conducted using a descriptive survey design which can be used to describe aspects of the population which include opinions, attitudes and beliefs. Stratified random sampling was used to improve the representativeness of the sample and to reduce error. To enhance the reliability of the instruments, a pilot was conducted in 3 secondary schools in the Sub Counties-those outside the sample. The research yielded both qualitative and quantitative data. Quantitative data was be analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data was analyzed in form of frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data from open-ended questions were analyzed according to the themes. The findings revealed that conflicts in the selected secondary schools sometimes emanated from work-related disagreements between teachers and the administration, distribution of scarce resources, communication breakdown and different views on the preferred outcome. The study proved to be significant for the following reasons: it adds to the existing knowledge in the area of conflict management, it may be useful in developing guidelines for principals and other stakeholders to enable them to manage schools effectively, it may help the Ministry of Education to formulate training materials for school managers to enable them to manage conflicts effectively and it may enable teachers and educators to improve and to manage conflicts in schools more effectively and efficiently.