Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify the relationships between disagreements and conflicts that surface with respect to gender in educational institutions and the reasons behind them; to expose the relationship between personal variables and conflict management strategies; to determine how individuals adopt a particular attitude in regard to conflict results; and, by using the obtained results, to reveal gender-based teacher attitudes about conflict. The study group comprises 20 primary-class teachers selected by the purposeful sampling method in the province of Canakkale, city center. Face-to-face interviews have been held with these teachers and conclusions have been drawn with content analysis. The study was conducted in the summer term of 2015. In this qualitative research, the participant teachers were asked open-ended questions in line with a semi-structured interview form that had eight questions. Obtained data has been analyzed by employing the qualitative data analysis technique (content analysis). Our findings show that teachers experience conflicts with their managers, colleagues and parents of students. We have found that female teachers generally prefer to adopt a manner in favor of communication and compromise, whereas male teachers adopt an enforcing (oppressive) manner in line with their own opinions. The reasons for these behaviors from the gender perspective have been investigated by conducting a literature review. 

Key words: Gender, conflict, conflict management, conflict management strategies, primary school teachers.