Journal Screenshot

Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2308-0876

NOTE: THIS JOURNAL IS SHIFTED TO NEW
WEBSITE (www.kwpublications.com)

Primary Teachers’ and Principals’ Attitudes towards Conflict Phenomenon in Schools in Greece

George D. Iordanides, Thomas Bakas, Anna Ch. Saiti, Amalia A. Ifanti

Open access

This paper seeks to explore the views of primary school teachers and principals in Greece and record their suggestions about the conflicts in their work environment, namely the causes, the management and the results of this phenomenon. In particular, an empirical study was conducted during the school year 2010-2011 using anonymously written questionnaires, which were disseminated to teachers and principals at primary schools throughout the thirteen (13) educational regions in Greece. One thousand and forty-three teachers (1043) out of 1400 were responded (response rate: 74.55%) as well as 340 school principals out of 400 (response rate: 85%). Research data revealed the close relationship between the conflict management and the betterment of the work environment conditions at schools and underlined the need for the training of both, principals and teachers, upon issues of organizational behavior. Additionally, it was pointed out that principals should further develop specific skills for the management of human sources in their school. It was also indicated the need for initiating constructive internal regulations in schools in order to ensure their efficiency.

Adams, D. C. (1990). Perceptions of Conflict, Conflict Management, Styles and Commitment in Middle Level School. Ph.D. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50 (7): 1854-A.
Baron, R. A. (1985). Reducing organization conflict: The role of attributions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, 434-441.
Bourandas, D. (2001). Management: Organizational Background, Current Practices (4th ed.). Athens: Benos (in Greek).
Burns, J. (1978). Leadership. New York: Harper & Row.
Chen, G., and Tjosvold, D. (2002). Conflict Management and Team Effectiveness in China: The Mediating Role of Justice. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 19, 557-572.
Chytiris, L. (2001). Diaxeirisi Anthropinou Dynamikou [Human Resources Management]. Athens: Interbooks.
Darra, M., Prokopiadou, A. G., Saitis, C. (2010). Basiki katartisi stelexosis sxolikon monadon kai epimorfosi ekpaideytikon [Basic training staffing of schools and training of teachers]. Nea Paideia, 134, 44-68.
De Drue, C., & De Vliert, E. V. (1997). Introduction: Using conflict in organizations In Using Conflict in Organizations, edited by C. De Drue & E. Van De Vliert, 1-7. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Dean, J. (1995). Managing the Primary School (2nd Ed.). London: Routledge.
Dubrin A. (1998). Principles of Management. Translated and edited by Sarris, N. Athens: Ellin.
Edmonds, R. (1979). Effective schools for the urban poor. Education Leadership, 37(1): 15-24.
Everard, K. B., & Morris, G. (1996). Effective School Management. London: Paul Chapman published Ltd.
Fasoulis, K. (2006). Conflict management in school environment through the use of creative dialectic In Proceedings, edited by The Greek Institute of Applying Pedagogy and Education Conference, 520-525. Athens.
Gaziel, H. H., Cohen-Azaria, Y., & Ifanti, A. A. (2012). The antecedents of primary school principals' management and leadership behaviors. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2(2): 143-153.
Gaziel, H. H., and Ifanti, A. A. (2011). Exploring the relationship between teachers sense of efficacy, locus of control and job related-stress: A case study. In Comparative Education, Teacher Training, Education Policy, Social Inclusion, History of Education, edited by Popov, N., Wolhuter, Ch., Leutwyler, B., Mihova, M., Ogunleye, J. 9: 256-262. Sofia: Bureau of Educational Services, Sofia.
Hayes, J. (2002). International Skills at Work. London: Routledge.
Hocker, J. I., & Wilmot, W. N. (1998). Interpersonal Conflict (5th ed.). Madison: Brown & Benchmark.
Hoy, W., & Miskel, C. (2005). Educational Administration: Theory, Research and Practice. New York: McGraw Hill.
Hunt, J. (1981). Managing People at work. London: Pan Books.
Ifanti, A. A., & Fotopoulou, V. S. (2010). Undergraduate students' and teachers' perceptions of professional development and identity formation: A case study in Greece. KEDI Journal of Educational Policy, 7 (1): 157-174.
Ifanti, A. A., & Kyriakopoulou, S. (2011). Sxoliki apotelesmatikotita kai sxoliki endynamosi [School effectiveness and school empowerment]. In Educational Policy Issues, edited by Vergidis, D. and Ifanti, A. A. Athens: Ypsilon.
Koontz, H., and O'Donnell. (1984). Organization and Management. Translated and edited by Papazisis, Vol. C, Athens.
Kula, B. (2011). Oi diaprosopikes sxeseis diefthinton sxolikon monadon kai ekpaideftikon: symvoli stin apotelesmatiki leitourgia tis sxolikis monadas [Interpersonal relations, school leaders and teachers: Contribute to the efficient operation of the school unit]. PhD. Diss., Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki.
Lippit, L. G. (1982). Managing conflict in today's Organizations. Training and Development Journal, 36(7): 67-74.
Lymperis, L. (2003). O diefthintis tou ellinikou dimotikou sxoleiou: exousiastikes praktikes [The Director of Greek Primary School: Authoritarian Practices]. Ta ekpaideytika, 99-100, 149-160.
Menon, M. E., and Christou, C. (2002). Perceptions of future and current teacher on the organization of elementary school: a dissomance approach to the investigation of job satisfaction. Education Research, 44, 97-110.
Mullins, L. J. (1996). Management and Organizational Behavior. New York: Pitman Publishing.
Panitsidou, E., & Papastamatis, A. (2010). O rolos tis paragogis koinomikou kai anthropinou kefalaiou: metaxy anagkis kai anagkaiotitas [The role of lifelong learning in the production of social and human capital: between 'need' and 'necessity'”]. Sygxroni koinonia, Ekpaideysi kai Psyxiki Ygeia, 3, 89-95.
Pantopoulou, D. (2010). Apopseis ekpaideftikon protovathmias ekpaidefsis sxetika me to fainomeno ton sygkrouseon sto sxoliko perivallon. H periptosi tou nomou Attikis [Views of primary school teachers on the phenomenon of conflict in the school environment. The case of Attica]. Master Thesis, University of the Aegean, Rhodes.
Papastamatis, A. (1998). Ta oligothesia sxoleia tis ellinikis ypaithrou [The Multigrade Schools of Greek Rural]. Athens: Gregoris.
Papastamatis, A. (2005). Lisi provlimaton, lipsi apofaseon kai diefthetisi sygkrouseon [Problem Solving, Decision Making and Conflict Resolution]. In Management and Administration of School Units, edited by A. Kapsalis, 106-122. Thessaloniki: University of Macedonia.
Paraskevopoulos, T. (2008). Sygkrouseis stous ekpaideftikous sto xoro tou sxoleiou [Conflicts among teachers at schools]. Athens: Gregoris.
Pedagogical Institute. (2008). H poiotita stin ekpaidefsi. Erevna gia tin axiologisi poiotikon charaktisistikon stin protovathmia kai defterovathmia ekpaidefsi [Quality in Education. Research on the evaluation of the qualitative elements of the Primary and Secondary Education System]. Athens: Paidagogiko Institouto.
Prokopiadou, G. (2009). H veltiosi tis dioikitikis leitourgias tou sxoleiou meso tis xrisis Texnologias Pliroforias kai Epikoinonias [The improvement of the administrative operation of the school unit through the use of Information and Communication Technologies]. PhD. Diss., University of Athens, Athens.
Purkey, S., and Smith, M. (1983). Effectives Schools: A review. The Elementary School Journal, 83(4): 427-452.
Rubin, T., Pruitt, N., & Kim, S. (1999). Compromising Social Conflict. Translated and edited by Filippatos, A., Athens.
Saiti, A. (2005). The Staffing of Small Rural Primary Schools in Greece. Management in Education, 19(4): 32-36.
Saiti, A., and Michopoulos, A. (2005). H anagkaiotita anaptyxis igetikon stelexon stin ekpaidefsi. H periptosi ton ypodiefthinton [Developing leaders in education. The case of deputy heads]. Epistimes tis Agogis, 4, 43-56.
Saiti, A., Saitis, Ch. (2012). O diefthintis sto sygxrono sxoleio [The head teacher in today school], Athens.
Saitis, Ch. (1997). Skepseis gia tin anaptyxi igetikon stelexon stin ekpaidefsi” [Developing leaders in education]. Dimosios Tomeas, 127, 33-38.
Saitis, Ch. (2000). Leitourgika provlimata ton oligothesion sxoleion me vasi ta dedomena tis Aitolias kai Acarnanias [Managing Rural Schools: the case of the prefecture of Aitolia and Acarnania], Athens.
Saitis, Ch. (2001). H leitourgia tou sxoleiou mesa apo tis apofaseis tou syllogou didaskonton [School Management through the decisions of the teaching staff board]. Athens: Atrapos.
Saitis, Ch. (2008). Organosi kai Dioikisi tis Ekpaideysis [Management and Administration in Education], Athens.
Saitis, Ch., Darra, M., & Psarri, K. (1996). Dysleitourgies stis sxolikes organoseis: to organosiako plasio kai o bathmos organosiakis ypostirixis se sxesi me tis sygkrouseis [Problems in school organizations: the organizational context and the organizational support in relation to conflict management]. Nea Paideia, 79, 126-142.
Shaw, M. E. (1981). Group dynamics: The psychology of small group behavior (3rd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Smith, K. G., Smith, K. A., Olian, J. D., Sims, H. P., O’Bannon, D. P., & Scully, J. A. (1994). Top management team demography and process. The role of social integration and communication. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39, 412-438.
Stall, L., and Mortimore, P. (1997). School effectiveness and school improvement In Perspectives on School Effectiveness and School Improvement, edited by J. White and M. Barber, 9-24, London.
Tekos, G., and Iordanidis, G. (2011). Diefthinsi sxoleiou kai diaxeirisi sygkrouseon [Headship and conflict management: teachers’ points of view]. Paidagogiki Epitheorisi, 51, 199-217.
Tjosvold, D., Hui, P., and Law, K. S. (2001). Constructive Conflict in China: Cooperative Conflict as Bridge between East and West. Journal of World Business, 36(2): 166-83.
Toziou, S. (2012). H symvoli tou diefhtinti sti diaxeirisi sygkrouseon metaxi ton ekpaideytikon: oi periptoseis ton perioxon Imathias kai Thessalonikis [The primary headteacher contribution to the teachers’ conflict management: the cases of the prefectures of Imathia and Thessaloniki”. Master Thesis, Aegean University, Rhodes.
Typas, G. (1999). H efarmogi ton sygxronon methodon management stin protovathmia ekpaideysi gia tin askisi apotelesmatikoteris politikis [New management methods application in primary education for the effective educational policy]. PhD. Diss., Panteio University, Athens.
Valsamidis, P. (1996). Koinonikes sygkrouseis sto sxoleio [Social conflicts at school]. Sxoleio & Spiti, 385, 32-41.
Walton, R. (1969). Interpersonal Peace making: Confrontation and Third Party Peacemaking. Reading: Addison – Wesley.
Zavlanos, M. (1981). Analysis of Perceptions of Leadership of Greek secondary School Administrations. Ph.D. Diss., Vanderbilt University.

In-Text Citation: (Iordanides et al., 2014)
To Cite this Article: Iordanides, G. D., Bakas, T., Saiti, A. C., & Ifanti, A. A. (2014). Primary Teachers’ and Principals’ Attitudes towards Conflict Phenomenon in Schools in Greece. Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2(2), 30–52.