Community and Family Studies Assessment two : Investigating Conflict
Examining Conflict
An inevitable aspect of humanity, conflict will occur between individuals and within groups. Some forms of conflict may be contructive, resulting in enhanced self esteem, and others may have a negative impact on individuals and groups therefore being destructive. Disruptive conflict is the result of conflict that causes a group to disintegrate or prevent it from continuing in its role or direction.
The predominant concern surrounding my chosen community issue is the claims from students and tutors that their teachers are cheating in the nation wide NAPLAN testing by either placing significant pressure on them or changing their students answers. This cheating is apparently happening so often that 'outside supervisors' are being called in. Also, these incidents are occuring only a couple of weeks after teachers across Australia have tried to boycott the testings.
The conflict evident within this article is between the driving forces behind NAPLAN testing (i.e Australian governments and education ministers) and Australian teachers.
The teachers who are cheating are playing a very disruptive role by preventing a group from continuing its overall goal, which is testing the student's ability in various areas.
However, this may be a form of constructive conflict from the perspective of a teacher, as it enhances self esteem and from cheating they are able to further boycott the testings. NAPLAN officials also play a destructive role, as they are enabling cheating by not comprising a solution with teachers. However, from their perspective, they are engaging in constructive conflict as they are enforcing 'outside supervisors'.
Causes of Conflict
Groups usually form due to similar values, beliefs and standards. Conflict may result from a difference in opinion on these values, beliefs and standards. A common cause of conflict is incompatible goals: this is short term or long term goal indecision. In my article, the NAPLAN officials, whose long term goal is to test and rank schools in accordence to their academic abilities, differ from the goals of the pluarality of teachers who disagree with the ranking system, thus leading to dishonesty and cheating. Other causes include:
Limited resources-
• Schools from rural and disadvantaged areas will most likely not have the same access to resources as private schools; therefore the privileged schools will gain a higher ranking.
• This led to teachers boycotting the testing as they didn’t believe the NAPLAN was a sufficient way to rank schools.
Ineffective communication-
• The teachers aren’t communicating efficiently by cheating and boycotting – only creates more of a conflict
• Although they are rather clear about their concerns.
• The NAPLAN officials however are also not communicating effectively by not compromising with the teachers.
Mapping Conflict
Investigating and reflecting...
