In this thesis I have discussed about conflict management in school, from a teacher´s perspective. Focus has been on Swedish schools, especially on the teachers who are active in primary school. Several perspectives have been given, including an intercultural approach which has been the most recurrent. The importance of teachers’ emotional maturity, knowledge about democracy and values, as well as teacher’s impact by being a sharp leader in different ways are other subjects the essay has touched. Concepts such as discrimination and degrading treatment have been attended too and governing documents and laws have been discussed from different aspects.
My method was to survey the area conflict management. I did this partly by means of literature and research in the field and with the help of a questionnaire survey with seventeen teachers. The result of the questionnaire survey shows that many teachers want tips and practical advice regarding how to handle conflicts that arise in school. Several also pointed out the lack of time for conversation between colleagues. Conflicts regarding gender identity or expression, and ethnicity were the two types of conflicts the teachers stated that most of the seven grounds of discrimination.
After writing this thesis I carry with me the hope that the social part of the teaching assignment, which includes conflict management, will be taken more seriously in future teacher training. The experience provided on the clinical education is not sufficient to form an opinion about ethics and conflicts in reality.
Finally, I conclude that it is still not about to have a conflict-free school, but it's about having professional, skilled and aware teachers who are to take children's side when conflicts arise. With an intercultural approach and a large portion of humanity, I believe that both future and practicing teachers will be able to succeed even better in the future to prepare students for the life that awaits them.