Conflict strategies and resolutions: Peer conflict in an integrated early childhood classroom

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the peer conflicts of nine typically developing children and eight children with disabilities in an integrated preschool. A number of conflict constructs were examined including goals, oppositions, strategies, and outcomes. As part of a comprehensive ethnography of the classroom, data were collected through the use of field notes and videotaping. These data were gathered to develop categories surrounding the conflicts that emerged in the integrated classroom. Results indicated that: (a) children with disabilities were in more conflicts than typically developing children, (b) conflicts were more likely to occur between children with disabilities than between typically developing children, (c) the majority of conflicts involved a teacher intervention, and (d) the most frequent outcomes resulted in a win-lose situation where children separated. The findings demonstrate the need for active teacher involvement when children with disabilities participate in conflicts in integrated early childhood classrooms.