ERIC Number: EJ1277662
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0258-2236
EISSN: N/A
Transformative Conflict Mediation in Multi-Faith Schools in South Africa
Perspectives in Education, v38 n2 p303-317 2020
Contradictions and contestations with regard to the implementation of religion policies have become a worldwide phenomenon. Research suggest an increasing number of costly and protracted court and legislative battles between schools and parents over religion in schools. In this article, I aim to highlight some of the conflicting issues that need to transformation while implementing the National Policy on Religion and Education of 2003 in some selected South African schools. Based on mediation theory, the study used individual interviews to gather data from twelve purposively selected school principals to investigate how they implemented the religion policy in their respective schools. The findings show that despite the implementation challenges of this policy, the majority of the school principals displayed the qualities of a transformative mediator by transforming conflicting religious interests of stakeholder groupings in their schools. I therefore recommend that universities should consider training school principals in the use of transformative mediation as a strategy to transform conflicts in schools as it holds potential benefits for fields such as education.
Descriptors: Transformative Learning, Conflict Resolution, Religious Cultural Groups, Conflict, Religion, Educational Environment, Principals, Administrator Attitudes, Educational Policy, Intergroup Relations, Stakeholders, Administrator Education, Foreign Countries, Mediation Theory, Barriers, Educational Legislation, Educational Change, Attitude Change, Behavior Change, Educational Strategies, Elementary Secondary Education, Religious Factors
University of the Free State Faculty of Education. P.O. Box 339, Bioemfontein 9300, South Africa. Tel: +27-51-401-2368; e-mail: PiE@ufs.ac.za; Web site: http://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A