Self-assessment of conflict resolution competencies by undergraduate students pursuing an education degree

Abstract

Introduction. The article addresses the issue of developing prospective teachers’ competence in conflict resolution. Despite the fact that the ability to resolve conflicts in the field of education is considered as one of the key competencies, too little attention has been paid to studying the problem of self-evaluating conflict management competencies by students pursuing their undergraduate degrees in Education. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate how students evaluate their conflict resolution skills gained within the framework of initial teacher education course. Materials and Methods. By adopting a systematic approach, the study uses such theoretical methods as systemic analysis and synthesis, comparison, and generalization. In order to collect empirical data, an online survey was conducted. The study involved 287 undergraduate students (63 male and 224 female) doing their initial teacher education degree at a pedagogical university located in Chelyabinsk (Russia). Results. Having examined students' assessment of the need, composition, effectiveness and satisfaction with training in the field of conflict resolution, the authors found that lack of systematic conflict resolution training can lead to the imbalance between students’ theoretical awareness of conflict resolution strategies and practical skills of applying them in work-related situations. The authors conclude that future educators need targeted conflict resolution training, as they consider themselves insufficiently prepared to apply conflict resolution skills at workplace. Conclusions. The study suggests that self-evaluation of professional training in the field of conflict resolution by student teachers has the following attributes: 1) indirect involvement in teaching activities; 2) insufficient subject position of students regarding the fulfillment of their own needs for conflict resolution competencies.