Peer Mediators’ Account of the Difficulties Elementary Students Face during Peer-Mediation

Abstract

Background. Interpersonal conflicts are natural and unavoidable in the school context where students with varying backgrounds and different levels of social, psychological and cognitive development are brought together. Conflict resolution and peer mediation approach has been widely used in schools to address the problem of interpersonal conflicts among students.Effectiveness of these programs was extensively studied and reported by many researchers in the field. Very few, if any, of them, however, focus on the peer mediation process itself and/or the difficulties disputing students have during the mediation process. Purpose. Purpose of this study was to analyze the types of difficulties disputing students had during mediation process through peer mediator students' perspective. Method. The study utilized semi-structured interview technique to collect data from a total of 60 (34 females and 26 males; 30 4th-grade and 30 5thgrade) peer mediator students at two elementary schools in İzmir which serve students from low-SES families. Data collected through interviews were, then, transcribed into text and analyzed through content analysis. The interview transcriptions were coded by the same researcher twice, a week apart and intra-rater reliability was found to be 90.90%. Student statements in the interviews were coded under several categories based on the frequency. In addition to frequency and percentage figures, sample student statements were also provided in tables. Findings. In this study, mediation process was carried out in five steps; (1) engaging the disputants in a dialog to explain the nature and reasons of the conflict, their demands and reasons, (2) engaging the disputants in a dialog to explain their emotions and reasons, (3) helping disputants reflect on what they perceive to be the other party's demands, emotions and their reasons, (4) helping disputants to negotiate peaceful and integrative solution alternatives, (5) helping disputants reach a peaceful and integrative agreement. For the first step of mediation, peer-mediator students emphasized such difficulties as “difficulty in expressing oneself”, “inconsistency in statements”, “emotional resistance” and “difficulty in understanding”. Similar difficulties were observed in the second step, as well. “Inadequate communication” and “inability to emphatize” were the most prevalent types of difficulty in the third step. In the fourth step, “incompatible solutions”, “difficulty producing solutions”, “inadequate solution”, and “negative solutions” were the most common types of difficulty disputants had. Finally, in the last step, “self-centered thinking” and “blaming each other” caused the disputants to have difficulty in reaching a peaceful and integrative agreement. Discussion. Disputants seemed to have difficulty expressing themselves during mediation as they hurt each other physically, verbally and psychologically during the conflict. This may also be caused by their inability to effectively communicate. Similarly, disputants were embarrased by what they had said and done and, therefore, displayed a certain level of emotional resistance when asked to deal with the same issue again during negotiation. Disputants were also unable to empathize with the other party due to lack of communicative ability which often resulted in less than desirable agreement types; either sided or temporary. The emerging themes of lack of self-expression skills and empathy skills could be remedied in the long run by sustained training as part of conflict resolution and peer mediation programs.

Keywords

• conflict resolution , peer-mediation , negotiation

Akran Arabulucuların Gözünden İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Arabuluculuk Sürecinde Yaşadıkları Güçlüklerin İncelenmesi

Öz

Okullarda öğrencilerin yaşadığı kişiler arası çatışmaların yapıcı ve barışçıl çözümü konusunda müzakere ve akran arabuluculuk yaklaşımının olumlu sonuçlar verdiği alanyazında birçok çalışma sonuçlarından görülmektedir. Ancak bu çalışmalar genelde verilen eğitimin ve sürecin etkileri ve sonuçları üzerine odaklanmaktadır. Süreç sırasında öğrencilerin yaşadıkları güçlükler hakkında yeterli çalışma bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, akran arabuluculuk sürecinde, çatışan ilköğretim öğrencilerinin yaşadıkları güçlükler, arabulucu öğrencilerin perspektifinden incelenmektedir.Alt sosyo-ekonomik gruptan öğrencilere eğitim veren iki ilköğretim okulunda 4 ve 5. sınıf öğrencilerinin verilen eğitim sonrasında akran arabulucular kolaylaştırıcılığında ortak sorunlarını müzakere ederken yaşadıkları güçlükler arabulucu öğrencilerin anlatımıyla nitel olarak incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğiyle toplanmış ve içerik analizi yapılmıştır.Toplam 60 (34'ü kız, 26'sı erkek, 30'u 4. sınıf ve 30'u 5. sınıf) arabulucu öğrenci ile yapılan görüşmeler sonunda çatışan öğrencilerin arabuluculuk basamaklarında yaşadıkları güçlükler belli kategoriler altında gruplandırılmış ve incelenmiştir. Arabulucu öğrenciler, çatışan tarafların sıklıkla kendilerini ifade etmede güçlük çektiklerini ve duygusal direnç gösterdiklerini, yetersiz iletişim becerileri ve yetersiz empati düzeyi nedeniyle ya yanlı ya da geçiştirme çözümleri ürettiklerini vurgulamışlardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• çatışma çözümü , müzakere , akran arabuluculuk

Kaynakça

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