Exploring the Sources of Conflict in Zimbabwean Teachers’ Colleges

Abstract

Conflict is inevitable in all organizations including learning institutions. The occurrence of conflict demands a management strategy that will minimise its impact on interpersonal relationships and the teaching and learning processes. Zimbabwean teachers’ colleges encounter various conflicts that involve management, staff and students. The focus of this study was to explore the sources of conflict at teachers’ colleges in Zimbabwe and provide recommendations on how to minimise their impact on teaching and learning processes. The study employed an interpretivist paradigm undergirded by qualitative approaches. A multiple case study design was used to capture and synthesise the responses of 30 lecturers who were purposively selected from six teachers’ colleges. Data were collected through focus group discussions which were arranged and conducted with six lecturers from each college. The major findings revealed that conflict was prevalent in colleges owing to poor communication processes, gender stereotyping, language differences, unclear policies, political issues and interactional patterns. The study proposed recommendations such as the need for all stakeholders in teachers’ colleges to undergo capacity development in conflict management through workshops and short courses to enable them to identify sources of conflict and manage it before it becomes destructive. Further recommendations included the empowerment of college management in inclusive and transformational leadership skills to assist college management to identify diverse skills within their subordinates and ensure all stakeholders’ involvement in decision-making.