Examination of teachers' conflict resolution strategies and spiritual leadership characteristics

This study examined the relationship between teachers' conflict resolution strategies and their perceptions of spiritual leadership. The study was conducted in public schools in the central districts of Izmir province in the 2023-2024 academic year. In the study designed with a quantitative approach, the relational screening model, one of the general screening models, was used. The relationship between teachers' spiritual leadership perceptions and conflict resolution strategies was determined in this context. The study sample consisted of 817 teachers working in public preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools in all districts of Izmir province. While the data on teachers' conflict resolution skills were collected with the Conflict Management Strategies Scale (Bal, 2008), the data on spiritual leadership perceptions were collected with the Spiritual Leadership Scale (Kurtar, 2009). When the data were analyzed, it was determined that teachers most frequently used constructive strategies in conflict management processes, followed by strategies based on getting help from others, avoidance strategies, and destructive strategies. It was concluded that conflict management strategies did not vary by gender within the scope of constructive strategies and strategies based on getting help from other sub-dimensions. However, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference in favor of male participants in terms of destructive strategies and avoidance strategies. It was determined that conflict management strategies did not show a significant difference according to professional seniority. It was determined that teachers with postgraduate education used conflict management strategies more than teachers with undergraduate degrees. It was also determined that teachers working in secondary schools used conflict management strategies more than teachers working at other levels. It was determined that teachers' spiritual leadership perceptions did not differ significantly according to gender and the school level they worked at. It was determined that the spiritual leadership perceptions of teachers with postgraduate education differed significantly compared to those with undergraduate degrees. It was also concluded that the relationship between teachers' spiritual leadership perceptions and conflict resolution strategies was low-level, positive, and statistically significant.