SCHOOL TEACHERS’ VIEWS TOWARDS THE EFFECTS OF A CRISIS ON CONFLICTS: THE CASE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Nikolaos Skoulidas, Melpomeni Arkoudea, Nikolaos Alexopoulos

Abstract


The investigation of conflicts and their management in primary school units emerges as extremely important, given that the educational process must be conducted within a positive working environment. This paper examines the phenomenon of conflict in primary schools at a time of crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. This is for the reason that the above period is likely to have reshaped the relationships of cooperation and, by extension, the number, intensity and impact of the inevitable conflicts in social organizations such as schools. According to the research results, the school conflicts were found to concern existing issues prior to the pandemic and to a lesser extent reflected problems that arose as a result of health protection measures against the new coronavirus, the extensive use of ICT, distance teaching and the new conditions of organization and operation to which schools had to adapt. Also, they contributed decisively to the tackling of issues that emerged regarding the operation of the school as a consequence of the new health and social conditions. This finding demonstrates to school management that the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, just like any other crisis, in fact, takes on both negative and positive qualities.

 

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school conflicts, conflicts resolution, crisis management, COVID-19 pandemic, school management

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v9i8.4430

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