EDUC 746 Conflict Resolution

The effective means of solving conflicts are explored through conceptualizing and practicing interpersonal leadership skills, testing assumptions about other people, taking other people into account by listening and testing the meaning of what they have said.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Conflict is highly complex and various resolution skills are deeply rooted in physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological theories. Educational leaders must be aware of the theories and interconnected nature of the physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological states of all involved parties. As educational institutions reflect cultural issues, school leaders face increasingly complicated challenges related to conflict resolution and the responsibility to provide a learning environment conducive to learning. Leaders need to proactively develop and implement conflict resolution policies and practices appropriate for the culture and needs of learning communities considering biblical principles and best practices. Leaders must continually keep abreast with trends, including the increased role of technology in conflicts. This course will assist candidates in identifying, processing, and resolving personal, spiritual, and professional issues with special attention given to biblical practices that will assist leaders in developing conflict-resolution skills necessary for all educational programs of study.

Textbook readings, online articles, and PowerPoint presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences and will focus on building conflict resolution resources for the class. Each discussion will be completed in 2 parts. First, the candidate will create a 500-word thread in response to the prompt. The thread must include at least one in-text citation from the textbook, scholarly journals, and/or the Bible. Then, you will submit a 200-word reply to 2 peers. Each reply should include at least one in-text citation from the textbook, scholarly journals, and/or the Bible. While differing opinions are expected, professional respect and courtesy are also expected. (CLO: A, B, F)

Biblical Critiques (4)

During this course, the candidate will complete 4 Biblical Critique Assignments. For each critique, the candidate will read, reflect, and respond to the assigned Bible character(s) and verses. Each Bible character(s) and verses correlate to a conflict. Studying these conflicts will help candidates understand how to honor God during conflict and seek reconciliation. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Personal Conflict Project

The candidate will select a personal conflict to work through during the course. Due to the sensitive nature of this assignment, full confidentiality will be maintained. Throughout this course the candidate will be introduced to different theories, strategies, and skills necessary for conflict resolution. This theoretical underpinning is necessary before anyone can practically apply any of the concepts found in this course. This project will allow the candidate to start to identify a current personal conflict and attempt conflict resolution strategies and reconciliation based on the theories, strategies and skills in the course. Please note that while attempting to resolve the conflict, plans may adjust as the situation warrants. The candidate’s final grade is not contingent upon successful reconciliation, but the process by which reconciliation is sought. This project will consist of 3 parts:

Part 1 – Identifying the Dispute

For the first part, the candidate will clearly identify a personal conflict and provide responses to 5 questions with at least one paragraph for each response. This assignment should be between 2 – 4 pages in length and each paragraph should be a minimum of five sentences. No title page, abstract, or reference section is necessary unless the candidate uses citations. If citations are used current APA standards and include a reference section are required. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Part 2 – Reconciliation Plan

For the second part of the project, the candidate will plan a meeting with the purpose of reconciling the identified dispute. The candidate should identify at least two strategies they plan to use during this reconciliation and provide a thorough explanation of the steps they plan to resolve the conflict based on the theories, strategies, and skills gleaned in this course. The candidate will respond to 13 questions with at least one paragraph response for each. This assignment should be between 3 – 5 pages in length and each paragraph should be a minimum of five sentences. No title page, abstract, or reference section is necessary unless the candidate uses citations. If citations are used current APA standards and include a reference section are required. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Part 3 – Reflection

The candidate will reflect on the reconciliation meeting and the project in a 2 – 4 page paper. Each paragraph should be a minimum of five sentences. No title page, abstract, or reference section is necessary unless the candidate uses citations. If citations are used current APA standards and include a reference section are required. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Conflict Styles Assessment and Reflection

The candidate will complete a conflict styles assessment survey and report the results on the Conflicts Styles Assessment and Reflection Template.  The candidate will fully explain the five conflict styles with support from at least five scholarly journal articles published within the last five years and the Bible.  (CLO: A, B, G)

Professional Issue

Candidates will select a current, professional issue directly related to their profession and write an academic paper that provides a clear overview, key issues surrounding the topic, and a strategic plan. Candidates are encouraged to select a professional issue that they are familiar with through observations within the professional or personal settings. This assignment must be between 6 – 10 pages with at least 15 scholarly sources utilized throughout.  Candidates will not be permitted to use direct quotes. (CLO: A, B, E, F)