Head Teachers' Conflict Management Strategies and Students' Satisfaction with School Climate in Secondary Schools in Uganda

Abstract

Over the last three decades, students' satisfaction with school climate has been a global concern for educationists and scholars. This study investigated the influence of head teachers' conflict management strategies on students' satisfaction with the school climate. A cross-sectional survey design with a sample size of 181 respondents was used. Data obtained using questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics to determine the nature of head teachers' conflict management strategies and the level of student's satisfaction with school climate, while linear regression was used to determine the influence of head teachers' conflict management strategies on students' satisfaction with school climate. Findings revealed that: paying little attention to students' complaints, ignoring students' complaints, and putting emphasis on conflicting parties to continue performing their tasks even if there is conflict were the most commonly used conflict management strategies, while the least commonly used strategies were taking charge in times of conflict and emphasising on areas of agreement between conflicting parties. Furthermore, students' level of satisfaction with the school climate was low. Additionally, giving priority to the views of members in settling conflicts (p = 0.037) and liaising with student leaders to settle conflicts (p = 0.069) were strategies of conflict management that had a significant influence on student's satisfaction with the school climate. In conclusion, head teachers need to consider the views of conflicting members and liaise with student leaders to manage conflicts so as to create a favourable school climate that can enhance teaching and learning. Finally, future studies may need to explore students' satisfaction in primary schools as well as in rural secondary schools.