The families, the enemies: Chilean principals’ perspectives on school conflicts

Abstract

Being a school principal is a highly stressful and demanding job, particularly due to the number of conflicts that arise as they perform the role. The purpose of this study was to identify the types of conflicts faced by school principals with different actors and to analyze their intensity and frequency. Through an online survey sent to school principals (n=395) working in the municipal sector, it was found that they have much more intense conflicts with other adults than with students. Furthermore, most of the conflicts reported by principals (41.5%) were with families (parents/guardians). The types of conflicts that principals faced with these actors were organized into the following categories: official complaints against the school, opposition to school rules, violence against the school staff, communication issues, lack of family commitment to educational work, and negligence on the part of the school regarding specific situations with the students. The conclusions highlight the need to develop a deeper understanding of the conflicts faced by school principals.