Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 1

Peace Building and Conflict Resolution

in Preschool Children

Anita Vestal, Ph.D. Nancy Aaron Jones, Ph.D.

Eastern Mennonite University Florida Atlantic University

Lancaster Campus John D. MacArthur Campus

Date Submitted: June 17, 2002

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the teachers and children who participated in this project and the Director of

Children’s Services for Palm Beach County, Carmen Nicholas, Ph.D. We would also like to thank

Sean Byrne, Ph.D. and Marcia Sweedler, Ph.D. and the Conflict Analysis and Resolution Department

of Nova Southeastern University for their many contributions to the study. The study was supported

by a grant from the Administration for Children and Families, DHHS. Correspondence may be sent to

Anita Vestal, mvestal@nova.edu

Peace Building and Conflict Resolution

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 2

in Preschool Children

Date Submitted: June 17, 2002

This study was designed to examine whether teacher training facilitates greater conflict resolution

strategies and whether conflict resolution training leads to prosocial solutions by preschoolers who

are at risk for conflict and violence in their environments. Head Start teachers were trained in a 40-

hour college-level course. They were instructed in the theory of conflict, conflict management, and

socio-emotional development and they followed a problem-solving curriculum with their students. 64

children were assessed, ages 4 and 5. Results showed that preschoolers of trained teachers had more

skills in generating solutions to interpersonal problems. Further, children of trained teachers relied on

more relevant solutions and fewer forceful solutions to interpersonal problems. These findings will be

discussed in a framework for teaching conflict resolution and social-emotional skills to preschool

children.
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 3

Peace Building and Conflict Resolution

in Preschool Children

Date Submitted: June 17, 2002

Children learn early in life how to negotiate with one another. Although conflict resolution

programs are finding acceptance in grade schools, most programs in early care and education have

not yet integrated peace building strategies into their preschool setting (Durlak & Wells, 1997;

Henrich, Brown, & Aber, 1999; Weissberg & Bell, 1997). While a growing body of literature on

social and emotional learning points to the advantage of early exposure, empirical assessments of

conflict resolution during preschool education are lacking. Moreover, assessments of children who

are most at risk for experiencing greater conflict-ridden and violent environments are necessary

because these environments have been shown to produce more dysfunctional social skills (Durlak &

Wells, 1997; Henrich et al., 1999). One recent study trained children of middle-income families on

conflict resolution and demonstrated that these preschoolers benefited from the training (Stevahn,

Johnson, Johnson, Overle, & Wahl, 2000).

The present study focused on a training intervention for Head Start teachers designed to build

conflict resolution skills in the teachers and problem solving skills taught to the children in their

classrooms. Environment-based change and a hands-on conflict resolution curriculum experienced by

the teachers were expected to lead to changes in conflict resolution skills in the children of trained

teachers. Specifically, the goal of this study was to assess whether the children of trained teachers

were better able to solve interpersonal problems than their peers whose teachers had not been trained.
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 4

Conflict naturally occurs in human interaction (Simmel, 1955) and, if managed properly, can

be a very constructive avenue for needed change (Coser, 1956). Unfortunately, conflict often

challenges the emotions and communication capacity of most adults and children with the arousal

inherent in conflict decreasing communication skills (Katz & Lawyer, 1985). In these situations,

adults and children need to have a set of strategies that will enable them to manage the situation and

achieve their goals while helping others to achieve their goals as well. Being skilled in social problem

solving provides children with a sense of mastery to meet stressful life events. Researchers have

linked impaired problem-solving in preschool children with a lack of social skills that undermine peer

competence (Rudolph & Heller, 1997). Alternatively, skills for solving problems and resolving

conflict reduce the risk of adjustment difficulties in children, even children from low income and

troubled families (Goodman & Gravitt, 1995).

Historically theories and research has suggested (Buckley, 2000; Nicholls, 1978; Selman,

1980; 1981) that preschoolers would not be able to take the perspective of another within conflict to

come to a mutually satisfying outcome. More recent empirical investigations have challenged this

view (Johnson & Johnson, 1996; Stevahn et al., 1999), arguing instead that children can learn the

building blocks to conflict resolution. The present study seeks to determine whether teacher training,

and curriculum changes can influence children’s responses during conflict situations. Moreover, it

was important to impact Head Start families because these families are not strangers to conflict and

the resultant violence and crime. A better understanding of the risk and protective factors in Head

Start children is essential considering that young children growing up in poverty are being exposed to

dramatic increases in the frequency, intensity and severity of community and family violence. Often

their impoverished neighborhoods provide vivid scenes of violence and crime. The teachers are
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 5

working with children that represent the poorest families in America and their homes are located in

unsafe and crime-ridden neighborhoods (Raden, 1998; Prothrow-Stith, 1991; Zigler & Styfco, 1994).

The importance of examining the effects of conflict resolution training for Head Start students is

essential because learning to deal with conflict promotes more socially competent behaviors.

Exposure to Violence in Children

Researchers who have studied violence and its effects on children have consistently reported

that there is a cycle of violence that becomes perpetual in areas affected by higher levels of

community violence (Byrne, 1997; Emde, 1993; Garbarino, Dubrow, Kostelny, & Perdo, 1992). It is

clear that in violent communities, children and their parents begin to accept violence and to expect it

(Cairns, 1996). When they are continually exposed to aggression and violence, whether in the

neighborhood, at school, in the home, or on television, children begin to model it (Huesmann & Eron,

1986; Prothrow-Stith, 1991). When a child feels victimized by his or her environment or feels that the

environment instigates aggression, the child is likely to act out aggression. Exposure to violence

increases the risk that children will engage in future violence and other antisocial acts (Cairns, 1996).

Children are more vulnerable to the effect of violent environments when it occurs at an early

age. Osofsky and her colleagues (Osofsky, Wewers, Hann, & Fick, 1993) studied distress symptoms

in children that were associated with exposure to violence. They found that exposed children had

greater difficulty concentrating in school, memory impairments, anxious attachments with their

parents, aggressive play patterns, uncaring behaviors, and self-imposed limitations in their activities

due to fear of violence. Antisocial behaviors in these children are demonstrated in the toddler and

preschool years (Zahn-Waxler, Cole, Richardson, & Friedman, 1994). In order to break the cycle of

violence, new ways of handling anger and resolving conflict must be introduced early. School-age
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 6

may be too late to introduce conflict resolution skills, especially in children who are exposed to

violent environments.

New skills need to be taught to the very youngest children. One of the critical challenges of

educators and communities must be to develop emotional and social competence in our children. The

American Psychological Association has issued several reports which outline remedies to this

national dilemma; two of the most critical of these remedies are covered in this study: 1) Early

childhood interventions directed toward child care providers (among others) to build the critical

foundation of attitudes, knowledge and behavior related to aggression, and 2) School based

interventions to provide effective programs to prevent violence (APA, 1997; Commission on

Violence and Youth, 1993). Moreover, Eisenberg (1992) points out that past research has clearly

demonstrated that school-based intervention can enhance prosocial responding and cooperation and

that interpersonal problem solving skills can be learned by preschoolers (Greenberg & Kusche, 1998;

Spivak & Shure, 1973; Youngstrom, Wolpaw, Kogos, Scoff, Acherman, & Izard, 2000). What is

needed now are research studies to identify the elements that are effective for at risk students, and the

elements that are effective under situational conditions, so that programs can be implemented

expeditiously (Eisenberg, 1992; Zins, Weissberg, Wang & Walverg, 2001).

This project was designed to assess the impact of teacher training on conflict resolution, peace

education, and child-directed problem solving methods on the classroom interactions in Head Start

centers. The teacher training and the subsequent impact on children’s conflict resolution practices in

the Head Start center were examined to determine whether changes in attitudes and behavior of the

participating teachers can affect conflict resolution strategies in the children exposed to the trained

teachers. This project examined whether conflict resolution skills can be effectively introduced to
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 7

preschool children through a teacher training model that focuses on instructing teachers on how to

resolve conflict and promote problem solving in young children. Can intensive teacher training and

curriculum changes affect the preschoolers the teachers are instructing? Specifically, we wanted to

determine whether the children in the trained teachers’ classrooms 1) exhibit more alternatives to

conflict situations and 2) report more relevant and less forceful responses to conflict situations related

to peers than children in classrooms of non-trained teachers.

Method

Participants

64 children from 11 classrooms in Head Start Centers participated. 37 children were

randomly selected from students in the classrooms of the 6 trained-teachers and 27 were matched

control children from the classrooms of 5 untrained teachers. Gender was equally distributed between

groups. Parental consent was required for child participation. All children were from lower-income

backgrounds and were homogeneous in academic skills. All children were between 3 to 5 years of

age and were racially similar to the entire Head Start program children in this community.

Six teachers participated in the training and five participated in the control condition. One

additional teacher volunteered for the control condition but did not obtain sufficient parental consent

forms. Teachers who participated in the experimental and control groups were matched on age,

education, race, and number of years teaching in a Head Start Center (Table 1). All teachers were

female. Although children were randomly assigned to groups, teachers volunteered for the training or

the control condition. All teachers were offered the training, however, the self-selection for the

training resulted in a quasi-experimental design.

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 8

Independent Variable. This study used pre-post measures for the teacher intervention, with

experimental-control group design. For the children, only post-test measures were given, because

earlier studies have determined that children do not have any experience with conflict resolution

training during the preschool period (Stevahn et al., 2000). The independent variable for this study

was the absence or presence of the teacher training experience and the teacher-initiated conflict

resolution curriculum integrated into the classroom.

In the experimental condition, the teachers were exposed to a 40-hour course, were given

instructional materials for teaching conflict resolution in their classrooms and were given college

credit for their training. The teachers in the control group were given the opportunity to participate in

the experimental group but were unable or unwilling to do so. Due to the inability for random

assignment of the teachers in the control condition, only children were tested. An experimental-

control group design was also used for the children with only post-training assessments.

Dependent Variable. The primary dependent variable for this study was the children's

responses on the Preschool Interpersonal Problem-Solving test (PIPS, Shure, 1990). The PIPS is

designed to measure the child’s ability to solve real-life interpersonal problems, using a picture-story

technique. The PIPS measures three dimensions pertinent to this study. The first measure assesses

relevant solutions designed to determine the total number of solutions given by the child that are

relevant to the problems presented. The second dimension assessed the relevancy ratio, which

compares the total number of relevant solutions to the total number of solutions, both relevant and

irrelevant. The third dimension assesses the force ratio, used only in the peer problems, which

assessed the total number of forceful solutions compared to the total number of relevant solutions,

both forceful and non-forceful.

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 9

The PIPS test was used for this study because it measures problem solving gains and

childhood social competence. The PIPS test was designed to accompany the I Can Problem Solve

(ICPS) program, which constituted the conflict resolution curriculum used by the teachers in their

classrooms to train children (Shure, 1990). The validity of the PIPS test as a discriminator of overt

behaviors through the preschool and elementary school period has been confirmed by many research

studies in both low and middle SES levels (Barglow, Contreras, Kavesh, & Vaghn, 1998; Shure,

1992; Turner & Boulter, 1981; Youngstrom et al., 2000). For this study and for previous studies, the

PIPS test has been found to have intercoder reliability of .96 to .97 (Shure, 1990).

Experimental teachers were trained and exposed to a pre- and post-test interview about

conflict resolution skills. The qualitative data are reported in detail in Vestal (2001), however, the

changes in pre- and post-test ICPS dialogue versus non-ICPS dialogue was used as a dependent

variable to determine the effectiveness of the training for influencing the children’s responses.

Procedures

Teacher Training. In previous studies, kindergarten children have been trained by researchers

on conflict resolution skills, resulting in a type of person-centered training. (Stevahn et al., 2000). In

order to create a more naturalistic environment, in this study teachers were extensively trained and

given instructional materials to present to their preschool classroom, resulting in an environment-

centered training (Cook & Campbell, 1979).

The method used to train teachers was pilot tested with 50 Head Start staff members and 24

Head Start teachers. The methods were then refined to establish the training method and curriculum

employed in the present study. Details of these methods and refinements can be found in Vestal

(2001).
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 10

Prior to the training session, teachers were interviewed for their pre-test conflict resolution

strategies approximately 1 to 2 weeks before the training course began. Teachers in the experimental

group were then exposed to a 7-week, 13 session college-level course. Topics presented included

instruction and theories on conflict, conflict resolution, emotional and social development (Table 2).

Teachers participated in lectures, role plays, discussions, and presentations. In addition, teachers were

instructed on the use of the I Can Problem Solve (Shure, 1992) curriculum. Teachers implemented

the ICPS curriculum during a 2-month period in their classrooms. Teachers were interviewed for both

the pre- and post-tests during their breaks at the Head Start Center in which they worked. Each

interview took about 40 minutes and was tape recorded for later analyses. The post-test interview

was conducted between 3 and 5 weeks after the course ended.

Among the wealth of information provided by the teachers during the interview, each

teacher’s dialogue was assessed. Teacher’s interviews were assessed from pre- to post-training for

ICPS dialogue and non-ICPS dialogue. ICPS dialogue included statements asking about feelings,

inquiring about the problem, asking about solutions, and asking about commitment and

consequences. Non-ICPS dialogue included statements about teacher-directed interventions,

prevention of conflict through rules, and through altering the child’s environment.

Assessments of Preschooler’s Conflict Patterns. The ICPS curriculum presented to the

children is developmentally appropriate for preschool and elementary school children and is designed

to teach a problem solving vocabulary and problem solving skills. Within 59 lessons, teachers

instruct children in a problem solving vocabulary and then the children are exposed to alternative

solutions, consequences, and solution-consequence pairs. The lessons are designed to help children

recognize what a problem is, to learn ways to generate many solutions, to think sequentially, and to
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 11

encourage actual consequential thinking. The final section gives children practice in linking a

solution with possible consequences in a one-to-one situation.

The principle dependent variable for this study was the children’s responses on the PIPS test

(Shure, 1992). Before testing began, children’s knowledge of conflict and conflict resolution

strategies was absent which mirrored the population for this community. Children in the experimental

and control groups were tested individually 1 month after the teachers finished their classroom and

curriculum instruction. Children in the control group were tested in the same time period. They were

tested at the Head Start center they attended during the school day by a researcher trained in using the

PIPS test. At least 7 picture-story pairs were given to each child. The testing stopped when children

missed 3 consecutive responses. All children in this study had between 7 to 10 stories presented.

Summary scores were computed for the three dimensions of relevant solutions, relevancy ratio, and

force ratio for each child in the experimental and control groups.

Results

Teacher Training. Qualitative (reported in Vestal, 2001) and quantitative reports confirmed

the usefulness of the teacher training for altering teacher perceptions and practices in relation to

conflict and conflict resolution strategies. In this study, paired t tests were conducted to determine

whether teachers who were exposed to the conflict resolution training changed in their dialogue about

conflict from pre- to post-training sessions. Comparisons between solutions to conflict suggested

before training versus solutions suggested after training showed that teachers used more ICPS dialog

after, t(5) = 3.42, p < .05, and decreased in their non-ICPS dialogue, t(5) = 2.6, p < .05 (Table 3). A

paired t test on the difference score, comparing pre- to post-ICPS versus non-ICPS dialogue also
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 12

showed significance t(5) = 4.0, p < .05, suggesting that the use of ICPS dialogue increased from

pretest to post-test for all teachers who experienced the training.

Child Assessments. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether

differences existed between the experimental and control group children in their problem solving

strategies on the PIPS test. Results showed that children whose teachers were trained and exposed

them to the conflict resolution curriculum had a higher number of relevant solutions suggesting they

were able to think of more ways to solve the interpersonal conflicts than did the children whose

teachers were not trained and were not exposed to the conflict resolution curriculum, F(1,62) = 4.08,

p < .05.

A multivariate ANOVA compared the experimental and control groups on both the relevancy

ratio and the force ratio. Results yielded a significant interaction effect, Wilks’ Λ =.82, F(1,62) =

13.20, p < .05, with the partial η2 = .17, suggesting that children in the conflict resolution intervention

demonstrated lower force ratio scores and higher relevancy ratio scores than children in the control

group (Figure 1).

Subsequent univariate ANOVAs on the children’s responses to the PIPS test were conducted.

The analyses showed significant groups differences for both relevancy ratio, F(1,62) = 5.12, p < .05,

and force ratio scores, F(1,62) = 8.42, p < .05, suggesting that preschool aged children can be taught

to think of more relevant solutions to conflict and alternatives to force when confronted with an

interpersonal conflict.

Discussion

This investigation focused on teaching preschool children about resolving conflicts,

endeavoring to determine whether preschool children, who are already exposed to violence in their
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 13

environment, have the capacity to learn and use conflict resolution strategies. While not directly

instructing the preschoolers, we expected that environment-based changes, via the teacher instruction

and the curriculum, would positively impact the preschoolers’ conflict resolution skills. During recent

years, there has been a rise in the use and evaluation of violence prevention models in schools (Leff,

Power, Manz, Costigan, & Nabors, 2001; Wood, 1999), however, empirical studies of conflict

resolution in preschool are still lacking. Establishing research-based evidence of the significance of

conflict resolution programs in early education has been elusive, perhaps due, in part, to a lack of

assessments appropriate for the preschool populations or due to the theory that children lack the

intellectual capacities for problem-solving behavior (Selman 1980; 1981). This study did

demonstrate significant gains in preschooler’s ability to resolve interpersonal problems when children

were exposed to a conflict resolution curriculum by a teacher trained in socio-emotional skills,

conflict resolution skills, and peace education. Specifically, the children were able to report more

solutions to a conflict situation, they reported more relevant compared to irrelevant solutions and,

most importantly, they conveyed fewer forceful (and therefore more prosocial) solutions to conflict

situations. This study supports other theories and evidence that young children can learn to resolve

their conflicts (Barglow et al., 1998; Shure, 1992; Turner & Boulter, 1981; Youngstrom et al., 2000).

Although preschoolers may lack the higher level of cognitive processing ability to take the

perspective of another to come to a mutually satisfying resolution to conflict, early learning theories

(Bandura, 1977; Vygotsky, 1934) have suggested that children can (and strive to) model behaviors of

more competent peers and adults. Within this study, the teachers modeled emotionally competent

behaviors to experimental children and these children used these strategies to resolve conflicts when

interviewed by another adult. These results suggest that an environmental change and a curriculum
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 14

designed to teach adaptive problem solving principles can effectively teach Head Start children to use

and to adopt conflict resolution strategies into their understanding of social interactions. Therefore,

although young children may be limited by their cognitive maturation, theorists and practitioners

should recognize that understanding of conflict and its resolution can occur at different levels of

processing. Preschool children are capable of evaluating the consequences of their choices if taught

foundational skills (Buckley, 2000). Understanding conflict resolution as a socially competent

behavior, with the building blocks based on knowledge of emotions and diversity, may help young

children model and adopt good strategies for dealing with conflict in their environment. Ultimately,

healthy, socially competent development requires knowledge of negotiation and conflict resolution

abilities.

The results of this study also indicate that trained children were better able to come up with

non-forceful solutions to a peer conflict than were the control children who were not trained. It is

essential that children learn prosocial methods for resolving conflict and dealing with hostile

emotions as early in life as possible (Brenner & Salovey, 1997; Eisenberg, 1992; Eisenberg, Fabes, &

Losoya, 1997; Prothrow-Stith, 1991). Researchers recognize the need to diminish the models of

aggression in a child’s environment and to break the cycle of violence that leads children to model

aggressive approaches that they may observe early in life (Byrne, 1997; Emde, 1993; Garbarino et al.,

1992; Huesmann & Eron, 1986). A key finding was that trained children were able to expand

problem solving strategies that significantly reduced the ratio of forceful solutions to interpersonal

problems. Conflict resolution training at an early age can help them expand the realm of prosocial

responses to choose when confronted with interpersonal conflicts (Spivack & Shure, 1973). The ICPS

curriculum used in this study contains of a set of skills consistent with identified components of
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 15

peace education models (Bodine & Crawford, 1998; Bey & Turner, 1996; Lantieri & Patti, 1996;

Rosandic, 2000). This study confirms the suitability of an interpersonal cognitive problem solving

model like ICPS for teaching conflict resolution to Head Start and other preschool children between

the ages of 3 and 6 (Shure, 1992; 1996).

As further evidence of the importance for conflict-resolution training, the untrained children

in the present study and before training in the Stevahn et al. (2000) study, naive children used more

negative types of negotiation skills (i.e., forcing, withdrawing) as the major strategies for managing

conflict. These negative strategies lead to more conflict and violence. Moreover, within a more

comprehensive study of violence, Eron & Tolan (Murray, 1998) demonstrated that violent behaviors

are evident in kindergartners, they tend to persist and intensify, and the violent behaviors are resistant

to change by early school age. Therefore, violence prevention and intervention should begin as soon

as possible.

The choice of a Head Start program as the research site for this study afforded many benefits

and opportunities that have not have been examined previously. First, teachers (and the Head Start

staff who participated in the pilot study) were highly motivated toward learning methods for

resolving conflicts that could be taught to the children. Second, and on a related note, the

participating Head Start centers are located in areas where children and families are most at risk for

experiencing greater conflict-ridden and violent environments. Studies within these environments are

necessary because teachers, children, and families are at greater risk for exposure to violent and

aggressive behaviors in their daily encounters (Raden, 1998; Ziglar & Styfco, 1994). Moreover, prior

research has established that violent and aggressive environments generate more dysfunctional social

skills (Durlak & Wells, 1997; Henrich et al., 1999). Combining the factors of an “at-risk”
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 16

environment with the positive motivation of the teachers to adopt a conflict resolution program in the

classroom offered a unique opportunity to propose and test the theory that teachers should experience

a transformation in understanding about their own attitudes and beliefs about conflict in order to

effectively teach the skills of conflict resolution to children.

An important premise in peace education is that self-transformation must occur for lasting

empowerment and change to take hold (Freire, 1997; Lederach, 1997; Woolpert et al., 1998).

Building upon the precept of self-transformation, we were able to demonstrate that teacher

transformation in their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior can effect changes in the classroom

environment and their teaching methods. The presumed transformation is based specifically on

teachers’ associations to conflict resolution, violence prevention, and peace education. This effect

was demonstrated empirically by the teacher change in their dialogue, i.e., after training, teachers

used more dialogue that promoted healthy conflict resolution strategies than before the training.

Moreover, we attempted to impact the efficiency of teachers by imparting that curriculum changes

will affect the future abilities of the children in the trained teachers’ classrooms. This effect

promoted changes in the environment and teaching methods in the classroom.

Despite the strong evidence that preschoolers were able to expand the conflict resolution

abilities learned in the classroom to their responses on the test of interpersonal problem solving, this

study was unable to assess the children’s interactive behaviors within their classroom or their home

environment. Examining these preschoolers naturalistic responses to conflict after the training would

have provided additional evidence of their internalization of the prosocial negotiation strategies;

however, recent research has demonstrated that preschoolers learn and subsequently internalize the

negotiation strategies when exposed to conflict resolution training (Stevahn, 2000).

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 17

The key findings in this study of Head Start teachers and 4 to 5 year old children are that 1)

preschool children from at risk neighborhoods can be taught to think of more ways and particularly

more prosocial ways to resolve interpersonal conflicts than their untrained peers; 2) when taught by

motivated teachers who have undergone transformative training in conflict resolution strategies,

significant problem solving skills can be acquired by preschoolers in approximately two months

exposure to an interpersonal cognitive problem solving model such as ICPS.

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 18

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 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 24

Table 1

Demographic Characteristics for Teachers and Children in Experimental and Control Groups

Measures Experimental Control

Teachers

Age (years) 38.00 (12.00) 43.60 ( 7.54)

Education (years) 12.83 ( 0.75) 13.20 ( 1.09)

Number of Years Teaching 8.73 (10.41) 13.40 ( 8.47)

Race (%)

Black 66.7% 80.0%

Hispanic 16.7% 00.0%

Caucasian 16.7% 20.0%

Children

Age 4.94 ( 0.58) 4.86 ( 0.54)

Gender (% female) 53.6% 46.4%

Race

Black 73.0% 74.1%

Hispanic 21.6% 11.1%

Caucasian 5.4% 14.8%

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 25

Table 2 Topics Presented in Teacher Training Course

____________________________________________________________________________

Topic Issues Presented

______________________________________________________________________________

Conflict Understand conflict as a natural phenomena, explore personal reaction to

conflict situations, and expand knowledge related to conflict and violence

Conflict Resolution Assess personal style of conflict management, learn about various methods and

techniques for resolving conflicts

Diversity Discuss the importance of culture, perception, experience, and personal bias in

understanding the viewpoint of others

Emotional & Social Review developmental trajectory of emotional responses in infants and young

Development children. Relate development of social and emotional responses to the

preschool aged child and review activities to teach emotions with preschool

aged children.
Violence Prevention Present and discuss research on episodes of school violence during the last few

years. Explore why school violence is occurring at alarming rates and

programs for reducing it over the short, medium and long term
Bullying & Examine the research on bullies and bullying behaviors. Discuss the current

Victimization trends toward recognizing and reducing this behavior as a school wide effort.

Present the role of the victim. Explain the research indicating that victims are

often re-victimized and discuss possible causes and cures for this trend.
____________________________________________________________________________
 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 26

Table 3

Teacher Assessments

Measure Pre Post

Teacher

ICPS Dialogue 2.33 (2.66) 8.17 (3.81)**

Non-ICPS Dialogue 11.17 (3.06) 4.50 (4.04)*

ICPS dialogue Non-ICPS dialogue

Difference Scorea 5.83 (4.17) -6.67 (6.43)**

Note: Scores represent mean values and standard deviations are in parentheses.

Number of respondents in each group = 6.

a
Difference scores represents the change from pre to post training, higher scores indicate more ICPS

dialogue compared to non-ICPS dialogue during post training compared to pre training.

* p < .05, ** p < .01.

 Peace and Conflict in Preschool Children 27

Figure 1

0.8

0.7
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Control
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or 0.4
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ag
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er
Av

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0
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