Teacher Narratives on the Practice of Conflict Mediation

Abstract

In education policies in Portugal, teacher training must provide a response to the objective of “The Promotion of Schooling Success”. In general, the teachers have revealed difficulties in the domains of interpersonal relations. The study is set in the context of the training of 140 teachers, from various education cycles. It deals with the theme of conflict mediation and was undertaken at 9 Portuguese schools. The purpose of our research was to gain a greater understanding of teachers’ perceptions regarding the praxis of conflict mediation in the school context. A qualitative research study of several cases was carried out. The data was gathered from written narratives and critical reports drafted by teachers at the end of the training programme. Data analysis derived from the content analysis and was supported by webQDA® software. The results observed indicated that mediation is applicable and worthwhile; it is considered to generate positive effects even when it constitutes a challenge for the consolidation of acquired competencies.