Abstract

This study was designed to find out Principals‘ Managerial Skills and Conflict Resolution among Staff Members of Secondary Schools in Ngoketunjia Division, North West Region of Cameroon. To achieve the objective of the study, the specific objectives used were: to examine principals‘ human relation skills and conflict resolution among staff members, to assess principals‘ conceptual skills and conflict resolution among staff members and to examine principals‘ technical skills and conflict resolution among staff members. The study adopted a survey researchdesign. Forty (40) open and closed ended questionnaires were used to collect data from principals.

The sample population for the study was forty (40) secondary school principals used to measure Principals‘ Managerial Skills and Conflict Resolution among Staff Members. The principals were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data collection of demographic information with focus on frequency tables, percentages and graphs.

Data gathered from the respondents on principals‘ managerial skills and conflict resolution was statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage counts) while the Pearson product- moment correlation coefficient was used to test the research hypotheses formulated in the study. The findings of the study indicated that: there was a significant positive relationship between principal‘s human relation skill and conflict resolution (p>0.05) with a correlation coefficient value (R=0.412) implying that principals will be more likely to handle or manage conflict resolution among staff members when they portray good human relation skills toward staff members.

Findings equally affirm that there is a significant, moderate and positive relationship between principals‘ conceptual skill and conflict resolution (p>0.05) with a correlation coefficient value of (R=0.342) meaning that principals will be more likely to handle conflict resolution among staff members when their conceptual skill is high. Similar to human relation skill and conceptual skill, the technical skill of a principal was found to have a significant, moderate and positive relationship with conflict resolution (p>0.05) with a correlation coefficient value of (R=0.398) showing that principals will be more likely to handle or manage conflict resolution among staff members when they portray good/high technical skill in their administration.

Based on the findings, some recommendations were made by the researcher to the stakeholders of education on the need to introduce conflict resolution in the curriculum of the Higher Teachers‘ Training Colleges (ENS) so as to prepare young teachers on how to cope with conflicts that may arise within the school milieu. Seminars and workshops should also be organized by the Ministry of Secondary Education to enlighten school principals and teachers on the different conflict resolution strategies and when to use them.

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