Strategies for resolving conflicts in the multicultural educational environment ( Estrategias de resolución de conflictos en entornos educativos multiculturales )

Abstract

There are some problems, like poor academic performance, adaptation to a new cultural environment and a question of conflict resolution, in today’s multicultural classrooms. This study relied on observation and interviews. It was attended by 275 students and 65 teachers. The teachers involved in the experiment were asked to make reports and were interviewed. The results showed that 86% of teachers have a positive attitude towards multicultural education, versus 2% negative and 12% neutral; 69% of teachers reported that they do not see significant differences between groups that contain foreign students and those that do not. A model to develop basic conflict resolution competencies in teachers to deal with a multicultural student environment has been described in the study. The model consists of three stages: theoretical, practical and real cases. The results of the research can be useful for students, teachers, administrations of universities and schools, psychologists, parents, etc.