More than Manners: Conflict Resolution in Primary Level Classrooms

Abstract

A diverse sample of kindergarten and 1st grade students participated in a social-emotional literacy and problem solving program. Students and their teachers participated in seven onehour training sessions which included concrete activities designed to increase affective vocabulary and social problem-solving. Effective communication strategies such as I-messages and paraphrasing were also introduced and practiced. Pretest data and responses to the activities revealed that students could easily articulate inappropriate and disrespectful behaviors prior to training; however they were unable to articulate behaviors that would be helpful in resolving conflict. Although students had been extensively exposed to manners curricula which emphasized respectful behavior, the posttest results indicate that the socialemotional problem solving curricula offers a distinct set of skills which enable students to constructively manage conflict, manifested through statistically significant decreases in verbal and physical aggression. Teacher and staff posttest surveys corroborated the student findings.

I understand you feel that way, but I feel this way: the benefits of I-language and communicating perspective during conflict

“…I-language and communicating perspective-taking). This research supports the recommendations made by scholars within communication (Hargie, 2011), developmental (Bloomquist, 2012; Heydenberk & Heydenberk, 2007), business (Whitcomb & Whitcomb, 2013), and legal (Howieson & Priddis, 2015; Kidder, 2017; Moore, 2014) fields of scholarship to make use of communicative strategies such as I-language and communicating perspective during conflict to minimise hostility.…”

“…During conflict, a hostile approach typically produces hostility in return from the other person, potentially creating a negative downward spiral (Bowen, Winczewski & Collins, 2016; Park & Antonioni, 2007; Pike & Sillars, 1985; Wiebe & Zhang, 2017). Therefore, it is not surprising that recommendations abound in the academic and popular literature about specific communication tactics to minimise perceptions of hostility (Bloomquist, 2012; Hargie, 2011; Heydenberk & Heydenberk, 2007; Howieson & Priddis, 2015; Kidder, 2017; Moore, 2014; Whitcomb & Whitcomb, 2013). …”

Temperament and Social Problem Solving Competence in Preschool: Influences on Academic Skills in Early Elementary School

“…Curricula should be introduced into the preschool classroom to teach children how to solve problem situations and, in turn, improve academic skills. For example, one study found that an SPS curriculum program, implemented in kindergarten and first‐grade classrooms, helped decrease aggression, promoted communication, and the skills learned in the program were used by children during SPS situations outside of the classroom (Heydenberk & Heydenberk, 2007). Furthermore, prevention programs may extend to the home, as including a parenting component to an SPS intervention may further improve child behaviors, parent involvement in school, and parent–child relationships (Reid, Webster‐Stratton, & Hammond, 2007).…”

The Effect of Positive Group Psychotherapy on Self-Esteem and State Anger Among Adolescents at Korean Immigrant Churches

“…Here, participants wrote about a recent event that resulted in a heated argument with others, and then re-described the same event using Imessages. Effective communication strategies, such as, I-messages and paraphrasing were found to significantly decrease verbal and physical aggression in 71 children (Heydenberk & Heydenberk, 2007). The seventh session was developed to reduce anger by encouraging the appropriate expression of anger and focus on gratitude.…”