Teaching Students to be Peacemakers

D. W. Johnson & R. T. Johnson

Dr. Franky D’Oosterlinck

The Problem of disruptive students in schools.

The destructiveness with which conflicts are managed increases.

The public pressure for safe and orderly schools grows.

Aggression and poor social skills lead to exclusion.

Twelve steps of Managing Classroom Conflicts

What is a conflict ? A conflict exist whenever incompatible activities

occur. (Deutsch 1973) An activity that is incompatible with another activity

is one that prevents, blocks, or interferes with the occurrence of effectiveness of the second activity.

A Conflict Positive School Is a school where conflicts are encouraged and

managed constructively to maximize their potential in enhancing the quality of teaching, learning, and school life in general.

Conflict are constructive if they… Result in an agreement that allows all

participants to achieve their goals. Strengthen the relationship among

participants by increasing their positive feelings, respect and trust for each other.

Increase participants’ ability to resolve future conflicts with each other constructively.

The peacemaker programme

Cooperative context Negotiation Mediation

What makes Cooperation Work ? Positive Interdependence Individual Accountability Face-To-Face Promotive Interaction Social Skills Group Processing

Four conflict strategies

Mediating End Hostilities Ensure Commitment to Mediation Facilitate Negotiations Help Disputants Present Reasons Help Disputants Reverse Perspectives Help Disputants Invent Options Formalize Agreement When Mediation Fails ?

Evaluation : TSTBP There is a clear and extensive theory. Several experimental-control, pre-

post studies. Results :

Children need to learn social skills Children need to learn conflict

management skills

Research: TSTBP Mediating en negotiating skills

increase, effect on short and long term

More time on task during class Better school results Positive attitude during conflicts Less time of adults solving conflicts