Conflict Management Model based on the Professional Experiences of Secondary School Teachers in North Khorasan: A Qualitative Study

The ability to manage conflict plays an important role in the teaching profession. Therefore, the purpose of the current research was to design a conflict management model based on the professional experiences of secondary school teachers in North Khorasan schools.

This was an applied study in terms of its purpose and qualitative in terms of its method. The research population included secondary school teachers of North Khorasan province in the academic year of 2018-2019. A total of 17 people were selected by purposive sampling method and according to the theoretical saturation, and were subjected to semi-structured interviews. Content validity and reliability was 0.86 based on the expert's opinion and 0.93 using inter-rater agreement coefficient. Open, axial and selective coding methods were used for data analysis.

Data analysis led to the emergence of 209 primary concepts and 18 secondary concepts in 5 categories for the conflict management model based on the professional experiences of secondary school teachers in North Khorasan schools. The categories include active coping (with 5 secondary concepts of problem solving, information acquisition, seeking social support, negotiating and technology management), passive coping (with 5 secondary concepts of acceptance, emotional adjustment, keep work and home life separate, reframing and avoidance), reinforcement and management of relationships (with 4 secondary concepts of strengthening interpersonal communication, meeting expectations, paying attention to emotional needs and creating fun and entertainment), strengthening religious beliefs (with 2 secondary concepts of resorting to spirituality and developing morals and values) and developing personal growth (with two secondary concepts of self-analysis and going beyond personal needs). Finally, the conflict management model was designed based on the professional experiences of secondary school teachers in North Khorasan.

According to the concepts and categories identified for the conflict management model based on the professional experiences of secondary school teachers, they can be used to improve conflict management and improve the position of the organization.