RUAHA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY

This study investigated teachers’ perceptions of the head teachers’ conflict management strategies in solving teachers’ conflict at the workplace in Iringa Municipality. The study employed a mixed-methods research approach with a convergent parallel design. A study sample involved six (6) head teachers and 60 teachers from six public primary schools who were selected by using a simple random sampling technique and purposive sampling technique respectively. Data were collected through interviews and questionnaires. Qualitative data were analysed through thematic analysis, whereas quantitative data were analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The study found that the head teachers used different conflict management strategies in solving teachers’ conflicts including guidance and counselling, avoidance, participatory, warning letters and verbal warnings. In addition, participatory strategy, guidance counselling and collaboration were more effective in solving teachers’ conflicts than warning letters, avoidance and verbal warnings because they bring about negative outcomes when they are applied in solving teachers’ conflicts. Therefore, head teachers should find alternative ways to help teachers understand different conflict management strategies.

Conflicts, Management Strategies, Public Primary Schools