This course is not currently offered, please contact the school or faculty of your program.

Course description

In this course, students will gain an understanding of the theories, practice and research applied to the range of conflicts which occur in educational settings involving staff, parents, students and administration. The application of conferencing, facilitation, mediation and negotiation are considered in educational settings. Students will explore approaches to conflict management in schools and specific methodologies, skills and strategies will be introduced and practiced. Schools are complex communities of people who may have a common purpose but often very diverse styles. School staff and other members of a school community in their broad interactions are faced daily with conflicting objectives, resultant disputes and other challenging issues. Teachers today need negotiation skills to attain scarce yet rudimentary resources. From classroom behaviour management to handling parental expectations and concerns, dispute resolution and conflict management skills are becoming essential for educational professionals. To engage effectively, educators must see issues clearly, identify the most suitable ways to act and be able to work with everyone involved. This four-day experiential learning workshop offers participants a workable framework, a deeper understanding of issue management and a set of skills to work more effectively with diverse individuals and interest groups in their school community. The course will be conducted in a three-day intensive block of classes (9 am-5 pm) followed by a one-day class approximately six weeks later during which students will present their research-in-progress.