Collaboration conflict management strategy: A solution to secondary schools‟ Unrests in Kenya.

Abstract

The study assessed strategies for effective management of conflicts in public secondary schools and averting school unrest amongst students as perceived by principals, school board of management and students in Kenya. A total of 26 school principals, 104 Board of Management members, 183 teachers and 370 students participated in the study. Random and purposive sampling techniques were used to obtain the sample for the study. Data collection was done using self-made questionnaire which had been validated by experts and subjected to a pilot study and an overall Cronbach " s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.876 was obtained. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. The findings of the study revealed that collaboration conflict management strategy was rated the best strategy of solving and averting conflicts in secondary schools in Kenya. Schools which employed this strategy had not experienced any unrest for the last 10 years and revealed progressive academic performance. The method allows the students together with the administration to work together, sacrifice time, energies and resources.