A CRITICAL INCIDENT ANALYSIS OF PARENT-SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS' CONFLICTS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

Examining the disputes that arise between parents, teachers, and students is the goal of this study. The study, which was carried out at the primary school level, where parent-child interaction is high, employed the critical incident analysis method. The typical sampling method was used to select participants for the study, and school principals were required to have at least 5 years of managerial experience. As a part of this research, interviews were conducted with 10 elementary school principals working in the Tuzla district of Istanbul. A semi-structured form, prepared by the researchers in consultation with experts, was used as a data collection tool. As a result of the interviews, themes were identified relating to "reasons of conflict," "conflict resolution methods," "end of conflict," and "impact and change of conflict." Effective communication, active listening, valuing others, seeking support, and displaying a firm stance were identified as conflict resolution methods. The conflicts affected  school principals emotionally and influenced them to behave more professionally. The study's conclusions include that school principals should receive training in communication skills, have their legal standing reinforced, and become more professional. Given the critical importance of managing conflicts in educational settings, recommendations for researchers are offered.

Keywords: Critical incident analysis, conflicts, professionalization, effective communication.

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