Conflict Prevalence in Primary School and How It Is Understood to Affect Teaching and Learning in Ghana

Verbal and non-verbal interactions that occur daily betweenteachers and headteachers, teachers and pupils, and among pupils can generate conflictthat may adversely affect teaching, learning, and schooling effectiveness. Littleattention is, however, paid to the quality of relationships that exists between teachersand pupils, among teachers, among pupils, between teachers and their school heads, andbetween schools and their local communities. This study sought to investigate conflictprevalence in Ghana’s primary schools, and how relationship conflict is understood toaffect teaching and learning at the level of headteachers as administrators, teachers asclassroom managers, and pupils as learners, and direct beneficiaries of primaryeducation. Using data gathered via interview, questionnaire administration, andobservation in 30 public primary schools in 10 circuits of one district of AshantiRegion, the findings revealed a high prevalence of fighting, heckling, bullying, andother forms of relationship conflict among pupils; strained teacher–pupil relations dueto insolence, indiscipline, and use of offensive language; and teacher–parent argumentsand quarrels due to harsh punishment and verbal assault of pupils. Teacher–pupilconflicts may extend to teachers excluding the affected pupils from teaching andlearning activities, denying them the rights to ask and answer questions, and have theirclass exercises marked, leading to lowered pupil self-esteem, reduced concentrationduring lessons, and passive involvement in learning activities, which could result intruancy and school dropout. Strengthening guidance mechanisms and encouraging peermediation could significantly curb conflict in school environments and thereby raiseeducational standards in the district