Attitude towards conflict and performance in values education among high school students

Abstract

Conflict is a natural occurrence and an inevitable part of life but then how students handle it makes all the difference. Learning to deal with conflict constructively is a life-skill essential to students. Managing conflict situations do not come naturally therefore initiating a conflict resolution through peer mediation program can be a proactive way to help students handle conflict situations constructively. When students learn to resolve their own conflicts responsibly, the atmosphere at school is more pleasant for everyone. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between attitude towards conflict and performance in Values Education among Peer Mediators. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: 1. What is the attitude towards conflict among Peer Mediators and non-Peer Mediators along the following modes: a. Competing; b. Collaborating; c. Compromising; d. Avoiding; and e. Accommodating? 2. What is the difference on the attitude towards conflict among Peer Mediators and non-Peer Mediators along the identified modes? Hypothesis: There is a significant difference on the attitude towards conflict among Peer Mediators along the identified modes when compared to non-Peer Mediators. 3. What is the performance among Peer Mediators and non-Peer Mediators in the subject, Values Education? Hypothesis: The performance of Peer Mediators in Values Education is Very Satisfactory. 4. What is the correlation between the attitude towards conflict and performance in the subject, Values Education among Peer Mediators and non-Peer Mediators? Hypothesis: There is a significant correlation between the attitude towards conflict and performance in Values Education among Peer Mediators. 5. What enhancement program shall be proposed for full implementation of Peer Mediation? The researcher made use of descriptive research design specifically, descriptive-correlational research to objectively analyse the relationship that exist between the attitude towards conflict and performance in Values Education among peer Mediators of University of Baguio High School. This study also utilized the descriptive-comparative research design to find out the difference on the attitude towards conflict among peer mediators and non-peer mediators. In treating the data, median and mean were used for descriptive problems. t-test for independent samples was used to compare the attitude towards conflict among peer mediators and non-peer mediators and Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation (Pearson's r) was used to verify the degree of relationship that exist between the attitude towards conflict among peer mediators and their grades in Values Education. Computed values were tested against 0.05 level of significance. Based on the analysis of the data gathered, the following are the salient findings: 1. The attitude towards conflict among peer mediators and non-peer mediators vary along the five modes of conflict that were used in the study. Students trained in peer mediation primary utilized accommodating and compromising when faced with conflict situations while non-peer mediators generally preferred accommodating and competing. 2. There is a significant difference on the attitude towards conflict among peer mediators when compared to non-peer mediators along the five modes of conflict. t-test conducted on each mode revealed significant differences at 0.05 level between the groups along the identified modes. 3. The performance of peer mediators in Values Education is Very Satisfactory. 4. There is a moderate positive correlation between the attitude towards conflict and performance in Values Education among peer mediators. In the light of the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1. Training of conflict resolution strategies through peer mediation have positive effects on the attitudes of peer mediators toward conflict as compared to their non-peer mediator counterparts who have inadequate knowledge on how to handle conflict situations constructively. 2. Training in peer mediation and the experiences of serving as peer mediators helped students acquire the skills of constructive conflict resolution as compared to their non-peer mediator counterparts. 3. Topics conducted during the peer mediation training complemented the lessons in the subject, Values Education. This suggests that the peer mediation training was beneficial for peer mediators to enhance their performance in the subject. 4. Peer mediators' conflict resolution skills lead to increased social and academic achievement. This further indicates that improved social skills and attitude towards conflict helped students achieve academic success. Based on the findings and conclusions, the following are recommended: 1. Peer mediation is a developing program in University of Baguio High School. To further discover the influence of peer mediation on the attitude a student has towards conflict, similar studies should be conducted in a variety of settings, urban and rural, with varied populations in the basic education level to verify and extend the findings of this study. 2. It is essential to conduct follow-up, testing and interview sessions with students who participated in the program. This is to validate if the students who were trained as peer mediators retained the knowledge and skills needed to resolve conflict over time. 3. Integration of related lessons in the subject, Values Education, in the succeeding peer mediation and supplementary training sessions. Further, the effects of instruction in conflict resolution skills on student's behavior and on teacher's perception of student behavior need to be examined. 4. Integration of conflict resolution skills into the curriculum to have a better impact on the students' academic performance. Systematic and cumulative practices of resolving conflicts have to take place not only in peer mediation program but in all subject areas. 5. Peer mediation enhancement program has to be evaluated further before it will be presented to the principal and faculty members of UBHS.