Self-reflection of form masters and students’ perception of peer conflict management

Abstract

The form master, as a role-model and a supervisor, is supposed, through their actions, to help students overcome issues that arise in their inter-personal relationships with their peers. These conflicts can be resolved if one is equipped with capabilities of understanding, active listening, and searching for solutions. This paper deals with competences of form masters in terms of managing student counselling, with a view to resolving conflicts among peers, based on accounts of self-reflection of form masters and students’ perception. The sample is comprised of 29 form masters and 721 secondary school students, and the research utilizes the ISKZRVK scales 1 and 2, intended for students and form masters, featuring the following dimensions: understanding conflict; active listening; resolving conflict; emotional reactions. The results show that the form masters have a more positive attitude towards their competences than the students. Furthermore, the variable of years of service has no impact on the process of self-reflection of competences, whereas school achievement and trust established play a major role in students’ perception of their respective form masters’ competences. The better the achievement and the more established trust, the more positive the perception. Consequently, the results point to the need of existence of a critical friend to help the form master develop more objective views, to the need of professional development, with emphasis on developing socio-emotional competences, as well as to the need of greater cooperation with students whose achievements are below standard.