=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2524/paper18
|storemode=property
|title=Design methods for training teachers in conflict management within multi-ethnic and multicultural classes: a proposed psychological framework
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2524/paper18.pdf
|volume=Vol-2524
|authors=Federica Vallone,Elena Dell'Aquila,Maria Clelia Zurlo,Davide Marocco
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/psychobit/ValloneDZM19
}}
==Design methods for training teachers in conflict management within multi-ethnic and multicultural classes: a proposed psychological framework==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2524/paper18.pdf
Design Methods for Training Teachers in Conflict
Management Within Multi-Ethnic and Multicultural
Classes: A Proposed Psychological Framework
Federica Vallone1*, Elena Dell’Aquila2, Maria Clelia Zurlo2, Davide Marocco1
1 Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II
Via Porta di Massa 1, 80133 Naples, Italy
{federica.vallone,davide.marocco}@unina.it
2 Department of Political Sciences, University of Naples Federico II
Via Rondinò 22, 80138 Naples, Italy
{elena.dellaquila,zurlo}@unina.it
Abstract. Educational systems play a pivotal role to prevent social exclusion
and discrimination and to promote equity, mutual understanding and respect.
Teachers, in particular, are required to take an active stand in supporting social
inclusion, adapting their practices and developing new skills to successfully
deal with the increasingly diverse range of learners in their classrooms. There-
fore, enhancing teachers’ intercultural skills and competencies represents a key
priority in the contemporary challenging educational context. The present study
aims at describing the psychological framework underpinning the development
of an original e-learning tool created for teachers and educators to self-assess
and to improve their intercultural skills and competencies. In particular, the
study will describe in detail the Dryden and Constantinou’ Model of Effective
Communication and the Rahim’ Model of Conflict Management styles, clarify-
ing their application for the design of a Technologically Enhanced Educational
Role-Playing Game (EduTechRPG), namely ACCORD Game, developed to
train teachers to deal with interethnic conflicts within realistic school context
scenarios.
Keywords: Interethnic Conflict Resolution, Assertive Communication, Virtual
Role-Play, Teaching.
1 Introduction
In recent years, following the important population flows, European countries have
become increasingly interconnected, multi-ethnic and multicultural, requiring people
to be more and more able to effectively deal with cultural differences. In particular,
the growing changes in society have placed increasing demands on the educational
systems, defining the achievement of equity and inclusion as a main concern and a
shared priority at European level as worldwide [1].
Copyright © 2019 for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative Com-
mons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
2
Within this challenging portrait, teachers and educators play a key role, and, there-
fore, they are required to adapt their practices and to develop and enhance new skills
and competences to successfully deal with the increasingly diverse range of learners
in their classrooms. Accordingly, classroom management represents one of their main
challenges, requiring them to be able to adapt the learning environments, to teach
more tailored programs as well as to efficiently manage relational aspects of the edu-
cational duties [1, 2].
From this perspective, the more teachers are skilled and trained in inclusive educa-
tion the more they gain in self-efficacy for teaching diverse students populations, so
engaging students in the learning processes, successfully modelling positive relation-
ships with students and between students, and reducing exclusionary behaviors in the
classroom [3]. Indeed, research highlighted that inclusive education provides excel-
lent gains in terms of students’ academic achievement, also promoting their inclusive
and cooperative attitude and behaviors in class [3, 4]. Teacher-student negative inter-
actions, instead, were demonstrated as having a significant negative impact both for
teachers (i.e., increasing work-related stress and determining leaving intention) and
for students (i.e., decreasing motivation, engagement, and performance) [4-8].
Nevertheless, despite the clear role played by the school systems to prevent social
exclusion and discrimination and to promote mutual understanding and respect,
teachers generally reported some difficulties in adapting their practices to the multiple
cultural backgrounds of their students [1].
Consequently, further efforts should be still made to provide greater support to
teachers and to the school staff by defining interventions aiming at developing and
enhancing their skills and competences to deal with potential conflictual situations
that may emerge in classes, in order to improve the integration of migrant and minori-
ty students in schools.
2 The present study
Taking into account the key goal of enhancing teachers’ skills and competencies to
successfully handle conflictual situations that may emerge with students in the con-
temporary educational context, the study aims to describe the psychological frame-
work underpinning the development of an original e-learning tool created for teachers
and educators to self-assess and to improve their intercultural competencies.
Accordingly, the study will describe the psychological models used for the creation
of a Technologically Enhanced Educational Role-Playing Game (EduTechRPG),
namely ACCORD Game, developed in order to train teachers to deal with interethnic
conflicts within realistic school context scenarios.
In line with the Simulation Technology-drama based system, ACCORD game has
been developed by applying three core approaches: technological, pedagogical, and
psychological [9, 10]. More specifically, ACCORD gaming experience is based on
the SimTech technological approach, that allows the creation of “artificial” micro-
worlds based on computer simulated, formal, models about social and psychological
phenomena to which teachers interact with; on the other side, the pedagogical per-
3
spective adopted to build the gaming experience is based on two learning approaches,
namely the Scenario-based learning (SLB; it provides meaningful learning experienc-
es by engaging teachers in authentic school environments to support reflective prac-
tices and active learning in a real-world problem and in a subsequent solution finding
process) and the Game-based learning (GBL; it offers risk-free virtual worlds charac-
terized by freedom of exploration, so allowing a real sense of agency over actions and
the possibility to try out different options without suffering the consequences of fail-
ure in real life) [11-13].
However, the creation of the gaming experience is also underpinned by a relevant
psychological framework. Therefore, this study will specifically focus on the psycho-
logical models used to develop ACCORD game, guiding the creation of the game
scenarios and the self-assessment tool (i.e., the structured feedback provided).
The study was developed as part of the ACCORD Project (Attain Cultural Integra-
tion through COnflict Resolution skill Development; www.accord-project.eu). One of
the key objective of the project is designing constructive interactive virtual learning
environments organized in role-playing scenarios addressing intercultural diversity in
order to: (a) enhance teachers’ awareness of the appropriateness of conflict manage-
ment styles to deal with intercultural conflicts; (b) to support them to effectively han-
dle intercultural conflicts which may arise in the school; (c) to promote effectiveness
in teachers-students intercultural interactions and the inclusion of culturally diverse
students.
3 Psychological Approach: Model Identification and Their
Application in the School Context
3.1 Effective Communication Within Teacher-Student Interactions
The Model of Effective Communication [14] describes the communication process as
represented along a continuum from a passive to an aggressive style, by passing
through an assertive style.
Following this model, people adopting a Passive communication style tend to give
too much regard to the perspectives and the preferences of the others. Accordingly,
they communicate in a way that aims to continuously please others at the expense of
personal opinions, needs and goals. This style is mainly an expression of the need to
avoiding, sidestepping the discomfort of a conflict, as personal disclosure is perceived
as dangerous (i.e., potentially upsetting, disappointing, and offending for the others).
Despite passive people may experience a significant reduction of anxiety and sense of
guilt by adopting this behavior, in the long run, it can result in loss of confidence,
increased frustration, resentment and even in aggressive reactions.
On the opposite side, people adopting an Aggressive communication style mainly
consider their needs as more important than those of the others. Accordingly, they
communicate with a hostile attitude, denigrating other’s opinions and perspectives in
order to protect personal interests. Although the adoption of this communication style
may help to feel possessing power and control, relationships with others are built on
4
fear, resentment and intimidation, so requiring to be in a continuing state of alert from
external attaches.
Finally, people adopting an Assertive communication style are able to directly,
firmly and honestly express their rights, perspectives, needs and feelings, while re-
specting the rights, perspectives, needs and feelings of the others.
In line with this model, being able to successfully negotiate implies adopting an as-
sertive style, since both passive and aggressive behaviors may hinder the possibility
of creating positive and constructive relationship through mutual, reciprocal and bal-
anced processes.
From this perspective, considering the school context, teachers should be supported
in the adoption of Assertive communication strategies to be able to involve students
and the whole group class in constructive and generative negotiation processes, en-
couraging open discussions in which both teachers and students can express perspec-
tives, needs and feelings, not at the expense of the others.
Therefore, the development of ACCORD game addressed the necessity to target
this aim, supporting effective communication strategies among teachers. Assertive
behavior, indeed, can be discovered, developed, learnt and improved through dedicat-
ed training programs [15].
3.2 Teachers’ Conflict Management Styles Within Teacher-Student
Interactions
In the field of organizational behavior and management, the Rahim’ Model of Con-
flict Management Styles for interpersonal conflicts represents one of the most adopted
model for investigating conflict management within different work contexts [16].
The model analyses the negotiation processes referring to two basic dimensions:
concern for self (i.e., the degree to which individuals aim at satisfying their own con-
cern in conflict management processes) and concern for others (i.e., the degree to
which individuals attempt to accomplish with the concern of the other party involved
in a conflict). On the basis of the different combinations of these two dimensions, five
styles of handling interpersonal conflict have been proposed (i.e., Integrating, Oblig-
ing, Dominating, Avoiding, and Compromising).
Integrating style (i.e., high concern for self and for others) is considered as a “Win-
Win” strategy of conflict management. People adopting this style, indeed, are willing
to optimize rather than sacrifice themselves for the other party, trying to reach a mu-
tual and acceptable solution that overwhelms the personal vision of the problem
through openness, exchange of information, examination and exploration of differ-
ences.
Obliging style (i.e., low concern for self and high concern for others) reflects the
attitude to adopt a non-confronting behaviors. People adopting this style try to mini-
mize differences and to emphasize commonalities with the other party involved into
the conflict, even sacrificing personal concern to safeguard the relationship.
Dominating style (i.e., high concern for self and low concern for others) is consid-
ered a “Win-Lose” strategy. People adopting this style are willing to win/defend their
5
position, even if it means adopting forcing behaviors and ignoring needs and perspec-
tives of the other party.
Avoiding style (i.e., low concern for self and for others) is characterized by the
tendency to withdrawal, buck-passing, sidestepping situations. People adopting this
style display an attitude to refuse to openly face conflicts.
Compromising style (i.e., intermediate concern for self and for others) is character-
ized by attempts to splitting the difference, exchanging concession, or seeking a
quick, middle ground position to reach mutually acceptable decisions. However, both
parties involved in the conflict need to agree giving up something to solve the con-
flict.
With respect to the school context, the application of the Rahim’ Model is of par-
ticular relevance. Indeed, teachers are constantly involved into negotiation processes,
and, nowadays, conflicts with students from the new generation have become increas-
ingly complex as they may arise also due to perceived differences in worldviews,
ideologies, and cultures [17, 18]. Nevertheless, conflicts could be considered not only
a source of pressure but also a significant opportunity for development and enhance-
ment of skills, critical reflection, and growth both for teachers and for students.
Therefore, particular attention should be given to teachers’ ability to effectively han-
dle conflicts, rather than avoiding their emergence, by adopting constructive and crea-
tive management strategies [17].
However, teachers’ adoption of specific strategies to manage conflicts with stu-
dents is always influenced by the teachers’ role as accountable for classroom man-
agement, and, therefore, the appropriateness of the use of the different styles is
strongly influenced by their duties and goals, as well as by the specific characteristics
of the conflictual situation. Teachers, indeed, need to address the necessity to handle
conflicts while simultaneously targeting the educational goals and safeguarding the
relationship with students and a satisfactory group climate in the classroom.
From this perspective, research highlighted that teachers may use different strate-
gies to efficiently manage conflicts with students [17, 18]. For example, teachers
mainly recur to Integrating and Compromising strategies (e.g., reasoning and discuss-
ing with the student/s to explore new possible solutions and ways to deal with the
difficulties emerged) due to the importance they attribute to the necessity to under-
stand students’ perspectives. Moreover, they may adopt Obliging (e.g., ignoring mi-
nor disruptions/infringements) and/or Avoiding strategies (e.g., delaying confronta-
tion; sending the student/s to the school head) whenever they evaluate the beginning
of a conflict as hindering the continuity and the quality of the teacher-student educa-
tive relationship and/or for the achievement of the educational goals. Finally, they
may adopt Dominating strategies (e.g., recurring to verbal admonishment; requesting
periods of school suspension) whenever they perceive the necessity to express their
authority to manage students and to quickly regain control over the class.
However, more recently, a broader approach further insights into the Rahim’ Mod-
el, defining teacher’ negotiation process as resulting by the configuration of different
styles, rather than by the recourse to independent styles. In particular, the study con-
ducted by Zurlo, Vallone, Dell’Aquila and Marocco [19] identified four meaningful
patterns of styles of handling conflicts adopted by teachers within teacher-student
6
interactions: i.e., Multi-strategic and Engaged, Multi-strategic and Solution-Oriented,
Control-Oriented and Avoidant, and Mediating.
In particular, Multi-strategic and Engaged pattern groups teachers that, depending
on the situation, show to be able to adopt all the conflict management strategies ex-
cept for avoiding strategy. Therefore, they display the tendency to be constantly en-
gaged in negotiating with their students, always trying to face and solve conflictual
situations outright, rather than retreating from them.
Multi-strategic and Solution-Oriented pattern includes teachers that are potentially
able to successfully handle a wide range of conflictual situations. Indeed, they display
to adopt all the management strategies and, thus, to search for moment-to-moment
solutions depending on the situation.
Control-Oriented and Avoidant pattern groups teachers who mainly handle the
conflicts by adopting dominating and avoiding strategies, also displaying to be less
willing to recur to integrating, compromising and obliging strategies.
Conversely, Mediating pattern includes teachers who mainly adopt integrating,
compromising and obliging strategies, also showing to be less willing to recur to
dominating and avoiding strategies.
Overall, research reported above provided useful information for a greater and
more complex understanding about teachers’ negotiation process, also emphasizing
the different configuration of styles they primarily adopt for handling conflicts with
students. This could allow promoting teachers’ awareness about their conflict man-
agement pattern profile, supporting them in effectively and successfully dealing with
intercultural conflictual interactions.
4 Designing an Original E-Learning Tool for Interethnic
Conflict Management: ACCORD Game Development
Considering research reported above, the Model of Effective Communication [14] and
the Rahim’ Model of handling interpersonal conflict [16] have been identified as the
theoretical foundation for the ACCORD game development.
Furthermore, in order to build a reliable educational virtual game, teachers and ed-
ucators were directly involved in the creation and definition of the interethnic conflict
scenarios. More specifically, National Surveys (to obtain data on teachers’ current
intercultural competences and on the adoption of conflict management styles) and
Focus Groups (to understand teachers’ level of training on intercultural conflict and
their training needs; to identify realistic conflictual situations they may potentially
encounter in their daily work life; and to gain insight on their attitude towards game-
based learning) were organized in the five project countries (i.e., Austria, Belgium,
Germany, Italy and Spain). Teachers’ contribution allowed to understand at a deeper
level how to create meaningful, realistic and engaging scenarios with an accurate
level of information (i.e., clarifying the content of the sentences, body language, facial
expressions) to efficiently promote learning experiences for teachers [10].
7
4.1 ACCORD Game: Main Characteristics
ACCORD game is a single-player educational tool to train intercultural communica-
tion and negotiation skills in realistic scenarios during the interaction with artificial
agents, to be employed by teachers in secondary school contexts. The game focuses
on the simulation of a dialogue between two characters (i.e., an avatar controlled by a
human player, that is the teacher, and a BOT computer-controlled counterpart, that is
the student) (see Fig.1). Both the teacher and the artificial agent with which the user
interacts with during the game are implemented as 3D avatars able to perform a range
of basic expressions using verbal cues and non-verbal indicators (e.g., vocal tone,
shape of the speech bubble, body posture).
Fig. 1. ACCORD Game: Introduction
Within ACCORD game, the user can choose one among five/seven possible sen-
tences based on the five styles of Rahim’s Model [16] i.e., covering integrating, oblig-
ing, avoiding, dominating and compromising styles (appropriate and/or inappropriate
according to the conflictual situation proposed). Each of the styles is complemented
with gesture and facial expression, and manifests itself in a pattern of observable be-
havioral indicators that we have identified in the communication model of assertive-
ness, passivity and aggression [14] (see Fig.2).
Fig. 2. ACCORD Game: Seven State Sentences
8
However, the most pioneering aspect of ACCORD game is the opportunity for the
user to become aware of personal handling conflict styles and related communication
skills particularly relevant to effectively deal with intercultural conflicts. The tool,
indeed, offers a completely self-sustained assessment and training system through
which teachers can test and enhance their conflict management skills and their inter-
cultural competences with the support of the tutoring system provided (see Fig.3).
Fig. 3. Debriefing system
In this perspective, research findings on the different configuration of styles adopt-
ed by teachers for handling conflict with students [19] provided useful information to
develop more comprehensive and targeted feedback to propose at the end of the game
experience. This allows promoting and supporting teachers in effectively dealing with
conflicts by providing them with a complex debriefing about their negotiation path.
Teachers, indeed, may become aware of their tendency to mainly manage conflicts by
adopting control-oriented strategies, or by consistently recurring to strategies focused
on safeguarding the relationship with the students and a positive class climate. How-
ever, they may also reflect on the possibility to also adopt a wider range of strategies,
whether the specific situation requires a different approach. From this perspective,
also teachers already recurring to different strategies during their pathway of interac-
tion can test and enhance their ability to find the more adequate solution depending on
the careful assessment of the conflictual situation, so achieving an optimal conflict
management strategy within the class according to the specific situation.
5 Conclusions
In conclusion, the present study described in detail the psychological framework
adopted for the design of ACCORD game, an original e-learning tool to be used by
teachers and educators to self-assess and to improve their intercultural skills and
competencies.
Indeed, the use of Technologically Enhanced Educational Role-Playing Games
(EduTechRPG) in educational contexts can lead to the awaited learning goals only
assuring the quality of the methodology sustaining its development.
Accordingly, besides its technological and pedagogical foundations, ACCORD meth-
odology for the game development is enriched by a rigorous psychological frame-
work, that includes the two pivotal theoretical models of Effective Communication
9
[14] and of Conflict Management styles [16]. Their application to the specific field of
teacher-student interactions, as well as their further declination to promote intercul-
tural competences, guided, indeed, the development of ACCORD game scenarios and
of its comprehensive feedback.
Therefore, it is hoped that the robust psychological framework underpinning
ACCORD game development could provide a solid foundation to support the
achievement of the expected learning goals. Furthermore, the direct contribution of
teachers and educators for designing ACCORD game allowed to improve and en-
hance the training experience, as well as the gaming experience, increasing the possi-
bility to provide them with meaningful learning opportunities.
However, future studies will be developed to evaluate and test the adequacy and effi-
cacy of ACCORD game, by assessing teachers’ intercultural competence develop-
ment and enhancement, as well as their attitude toward the proposed gaming and
learning experience. We are confident that in the future testing phase of the game, the
use of the tool will be able to propose enriching learning experiences that are engag-
ing, motivating, and especially transferrable to situations in the real world school
contexts.
Acknowledgments. This research has been supported by the EACEA, project
ACCORD (580362-EPP-1-2016-1-IT-EPPKA3-IPI-SCO-IN) from the Erasmus+.
This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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