A Case Study: Understanding Fifth-Grade Students' Experiences with Conflict Transformation
type: CreativeWork
description: Problem: This study explored the experience of fifth-grade students with conflict transformation. A large body of quantitative research supports the premise that direct instruction in non-violent conflict intervention decreases aggression in elementary schools (Johnson, D., Johnson, R., Dudley, & Acikgoz, 2001) and improves peer relationships (Joshi, 2008). However, there is a dearth of qualitative research literature exploring elementary student experiences with interventions based on conflict transformation. Procedure: The research question guiding this study was “What are the experiences of fifth-grade students as they learn about conflict transformation?” A holistic single case study (Creswell, 2012) was conducted to understand student experiences with a team-taught, 12-lesson, peace education unit based on conflict transformation. The unit was developed collaboratively with the classroom teacher, grounded in the conflict transformation conceptual framework (Lederach, 2003), and integrated with the classroom curriculum. Each of the unit lessons was 60 minutes in length, and designed to build knowledge and skills related to one of the three inquiries within the conflict transformation framework. Participants included twenty 10 and 11-year-old students and one classroom teacher in a rural, Midwest elementary school. Data collection included two transcribed student focus groups and two teacher interviews. Observational field notes were collected. Data from observations included student art, journal entries, and role-play. Triangulation of data included the focus groups, interviews, participant observation field notes, observation field notes, and student work samples. Data analysis included a codification process (Corbin & Strauss, 2007) to elicit themes and commonalities from the data. Findings: Outcomes of this study included overall positive student reception to conflict transformation concepts and skills during classroom activities. Nevertheless, students exper…
abstract: Problem: This study explored the experience of fifth-grade students with conflict transformation. A large body of quantitative research supports the premise that direct instruction in non-violent conflict intervention decreases aggression in elementary schools (Johnson, D., Johnson, R., Dudley, & Acikgoz, 2001) and improves peer relationships (Joshi, 2008). However, there is a dearth of qualitative research literature exploring elementary student experiences with interventions based on conflict transformation. Procedure: The research question guiding this study was “What are the experiences of fifth-grade students as they learn about conflict transformation?” A holistic single case study (Creswell, 2012) was conducted to understand student experiences with a team-taught, 12-lesson, peace education unit based on conflict transformation. The unit was developed collaboratively with the classroom teacher, grounded in the conflict transformation conceptual framework (Lederach, 2003), and integrated with the classroom curriculum. Each of the unit lessons was 60 minutes in length, and designed to build knowledge and skills related to one of the three inquiries within the conflict transformation framework. Participants included twenty 10 and 11-year-old students and one classroom teacher in a rural, Midwest elementary school. Data collection included two transcribed student focus groups and two teacher interviews. Observational field notes were collected. Data from observations included student art, journal entries, and role-play. Triangulation of data included the focus groups, interviews, participant observation field notes, observation field notes, and student work samples. Data analysis included a codification process (Corbin & Strauss, 2007) to elicit themes and commonalities from the data. Findings: Outcomes of this study included overall positive student reception to conflict transformation concepts and skills during classroom activities. Nevertheless, students exper…
author: Frizzell, Margo E.
language: en_US
keywords: Conflict management--Students--Education (Elementary), School children, Conflict transformation--Students--Education (Elementary)
date published: 2015
date modified: 2026-07-27T19:19:04Z
provider: Drake University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Drake University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2092/2099