Estrategias que utilizan las educadoras de párvulos en el aula inicial para abordar los conflictos entre niños y niñas de 4 a 6 años de edad

Abstract

This research aimed at identifying strategies and discursive practices used by pre-school teachers in early classroom environments when addressing conflicts. We conducted a collective case study, six pre-school teacher participants per group, drafted from six municipal schools of the Commune of Talcahuano. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews, direct observation with no involvement, and narrative recording. The analysis of discourse revealed that conflict in the classroom does get recognized, with responsibility blamed on parents and work overload. With respect to conflict resolution, they propose that they must be dealt with by conversation as a means and by applying the coexistence plan. However, the observations evidenced that these strategies do not get executed in the classroom by most pre-school teachers. We discuss the importance of actions taken by teachers in conflict resolution beyond discourse and the need to train them in this area.