Developing conflict resolution skills among pre-primary children: Views and practices of naturalized refugee parents and teachers in Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined parents and teachers’ strategies to develop conflict resolution skills among naturalized refugee pre-primary children in Tanzania. A total of 8 school principals, 18 teachers, and 15 parents – by then serving in the Parent-School Association – were selected on the virtue of their positions. Findings revealed that pre-primary stakeholders preferred adult intervention, religious and vocational lessons, and establishing children’s government as strategies to develop conflict resolution skills. However, there was no specific strategy suggested by the existing curriculum documents. It was reported that poor parent–school relationship, lack of curriculum guidelines, poverty, and poor mastery of Kiswahili – the language of instruction – were the main challenges in developing naturalized former refugee children’s conflict resolution skills. These findings underline that, given the benefit associated with pre-primary education for children form disadvantaged backgrounds, and in order to ensure naturalized refugee children are developing to their fullest potentials and integrated into a host society, deliberate efforts are much needed to devising appropriate strategies to develop naturalized refugee children’s constructive conflict resolution skills.