PRINCIPALS’ NON-CONFRONTATIONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY AND TEACHERS’ PARTICIPATION IN MEETINGS AND COMMITTEES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between principals’ non-confrontational conflict management strategy and teachers’ participation in meetings and committees in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study was guided by nine research questions and nine null hypotheses were tested. The correlational research design was adopted. The population of the study was made up of 6,815 teachers while the sample of the study was 2,727 teachers sampled using proportionate random sampling technique and 2340 questionaries was collected. Two instruments developed by the researcher were used for data collection. The first instrument is titled “Principals’ Conflict Management Strategies Questionnaire (PCMSQ) while the second one is titled “Teachers’ Engagement in School Activities Questionnaire” (TESAQ). The instruments were validated by three experts who are lecturers, one from Measurement and Evaluation, Department of Educational Foundations and the other two were lecturers in Educational Management and Policy, all in Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The reliability of the instrument was established using cronbach alpha method. Alpha coefficients of 0.78 was obtained in PCMSQ while a coefficient of 0.80 obtained for TESAQ. The researcher administered the copies of the instrument with the help of 5 research assistants each covering the six education zones. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used in data analysis in order to determine the relationship between principals’ conflict management strategies and teachers’ engagement in school activities in public secondary schools in Anambra State. It was found among others that a high positive and significant relationship existed between principals’ conflict management strategies and teachers’ engagement with school activities in secondary schools in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Ministry of Education should periodically organize seminars and workshops for principals on the need to continually adopt effective communication strategy so as to enhance classroom activities, compliance to principals’ directives as well as teachers’ participation in school meetings and committee activities in secondary schools.