Male and Female Communication Styles

COMMUNICATION STYLE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AMONG M ALE AND FEMALE CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS by Richard Lopez Carolyn Allen, PhD, Faculty Mentor and Chair Joan Durante, PhD, Committee Member Alisha Walker Marciano, PhD, Committee Member John Darland, PsyD, Interim Dean, School of Public Service Leadership A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Capella University July 2014 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 UMI 3631660 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. UMI Number: 3631660 © Richard Lopez, 2014 Abstract The emotional and social competence is associated t o positive classroom outcomes that include the ability to resolve conflict among stude nts. Communication style as well as conflict resolution have been crucial elements in t he research of academic performance However, there is a scarcity of studies about the c ommunication style of teachers and how it affects their responsibilities, which includ es conflict resolution. This study examined the effect of teachers’ communication styl e in resolving conflict in the Catholic school system. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto experimental study is to examine the relationship of communication styles an d conflict resolution skills among male and female elementary school teachers in the C atholic school system. The study used two theoretical models of social ecological th eory as its conceptual framework to answer the research questions of the study. The res earch questions that the study aimed to answer are whether there is a significant differenc e between the communication style domains and conflict resolution skill scores of Cat holic school teachers and whether there a significant difference between communication styl e domains and gender on the conflict resolution skill scores. As a study, an ex post fac to, post-positivist, quantitative approach was used to solicit truth from the research 97 part icipants through data collection, measurement, and analysis. To measure communication style, McCroskey and Richmond’s (1996) Socio Communicative Style Scale ( SCS) was used. To measure skills in conflict resolution, the 5-point Likert type sur vey Conflict Resolution Questionnaire was used. To examine the difference between communi cation style and skills in conflict resolution across grade levels and gender, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test were performed. The results of this study determine d that Catholic elementary school teachers are more adept in handling conflicts withi n the school because of their proclivity for responsive communication. The results of this s tudy, although not conclusive in every aspect, contribute to the educational institution i n adding more knowledge in terms of conflict resolution and how it can be applied by te achers when conflict arises among students. iii Dedication My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because without Hi m, I could not complete this journey. iv Acknowledgments I want to express sincere appreciation to my family , mentor, committee members, and fellow researchers, and friends who supported a nd encouraged me through this process. Thank you, Elizabeth A. Lopez, my wife, yo ur love, support and assistance during this dissertation process will never be forg otten. Thank you, Amber N. Lopez, my daughter; I know this endeavor took a lot of time a way from you, but I am thankful that you always encouraged me to not give up. I would li ke to thank my parents, Richard and America Lopez for all the sacrifices that they made on my behalf. I love all of you dearly. Thank you, Dr. Carolyn Allen, my mentor and chairpe rson. Without your supervision and constant help this dissertation wou ld not have been possible. Thank you for your patience and support, from the start of my coursework, through the completion of this research. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Wal ker Marciano and Dr. Joan Durante, whose work demonstrated willingness to sha re knowledge and expertise during my coursework. Your professional competencies are m atched only by your infectious enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring. Thank you fo r your expert advice and generously investing your time. I am forever grateful for the confidence and encouragement that you continuously gave me throughout this journey. v Table of Contents Acknowledgments.................................... ................................................... ....................... iv List of Tables .................................... ................................................... ............................ viii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................... ................................................... ......... 1 Introduction to the Problem ....................... ................................................... .......... 1 Background ........................................ ................................................... .................. 2 Conceptual Framework .............................. ................................................... .......... 5 Statement of the Problem .......................... ................................................... ........... 6 Purpose of the Study .............................. ................................................... .............. 7 Research Questions ................................ ................................................... .............. 8 Rationale of the Study ............................ ................................................... .............. 9 Nature of the Study ............................... ................................................... ............. 11 Definition of Terms................................ ................................................... ............ 12 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ....... ................................................ 13 Organization of the Remainder of the Study ........ ................................................ 15 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ...................... ................................................... . 17 Introduction to the Literature Review ............. ................................................... ... 17 Classroom Management............................... ................................................... ...... 18 Conceptual Definition of Conflict ................. ................................................... .... 21 Conflict and Conflict Resolution in the Classroom L earning Environment ......... 25 Communication Style................................ ................................................... ......... 29 Teachers’ Communication Styles and Students’ Learni ng Style .......................... 33 Chapter Summary ................................... ................................................... ........... 37 vi CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY ............................ ................................................... ..... 40 Introduction ...................................... ................................................... .................. 40 Researcher’s Philosophy ........................... ................................................... ......... 41 Restatement of Research Questions/Hypothesis Statem ents ................................ 41 Research Design Model ............................. ................................................... ........ 42 Sampling Design ................................... ................................................... ............. 44 Measures .......................................... ................................................... .................. 45 Data Collection Procedure ......................... ................................................... ........ 46 Pilot Testing ..................................... ................................................... .................. 47 Data Analysis Procedure ........................... ................................................... ......... 48 Limitations of Methodology ........................ ................................................... ...... 49 Ethical Issues .................................... ................................................... ................. 49 Internal Validity ................................. ................................................... ................ 50 External Validity ................................. ................................................... ............... 51 Expected Findings ................................. ................................................... ............. 51 Conclusion ........................................ ................................................... ................. 52 CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................. ............................................... 53 Introduction ...................................... ................................................... .................. 53 Description of the Sample ......................... ................................................... ......... 53 Research Questions and Hypotheses ................. ................................................... 54 Statement of Results .............................. ................................................... ............ 56 Details of Analysis ............................... ................................................... .............. 57 Research Questions and Hypotheses Relationships ... ........................................... 62 vii Research Question 1 and Hypothesis 1 .............. ....................................... 62 Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 2 .............. ....................................... 64 Summary ........................................... ................................................... ................. 68 CHAPTER 5. IMPLICATIONS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDA TIONS ....... 70 Introduction ...................................... ................................................... .................. 70 Discussion ........................................ ................................................... .................. 71 Implications for practice ......................... ................................................... ........... 72 Limitations ....................................... ................................................... .................. 73 Recommendations ................................... ................................................... ........... 74 Recommendations Based on Results of the Study ..... ............................... 74 Recommendations for Future Research ............... ..................................... 74 Conclusions ....................................... ................................................... ................. 76 REFERENCES ........................................ ................................................... ...................... 78 APPENDIX A. STATEMENT OF ORIGINAL WORK ............ ..................................... 87 APPENDIX B. CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUESTIONNAIRE ..... ............................. 89 viii List of Tables Table 1. Descriptive Statistics for Demographics of Elementary School Teachers ......... 54 Table 2. Descriptive Statistics for Communication S tyles Scores .................................... 5 8 Table 3. Descriptive Statistics for Conflict Resolu tion Skills Scores ............................... 60 Table 4. Correlation Matrix for the Communication S tyles and Conflict Resolution Skills Scores ............................................ ................................................... ..................... 63 Table 5. High / Low Levels of Communication Styles Differences on Conflict Resolution Skills Score ...................................... ................................................... .................. 64 Table 6. Cross-Tabulation of Conflict Resolution Sk ills Mean Scores by Gender and Grade Levels ...................................... ................................................... ................ 65 Table 7. Two-Way ANOVA for Effect of Gender and Gra de Level of Conflict Resolution Skills ............................................ ................................................... ...................... 66 Table 8. Cross-Tabulation of Assertiveness Communic ation Mean Scores by Gender and Grade Levels ...................................... ................................................... ................ 66 Table 10. Cross-Tabulation of Responsiveness Commun ication Mean Scores by Gender and Grade Levels .................................. ................................................... ............. 68 Table 11. Two-Way ANOVA for Effect of Gender and Gr ade Level of Responsiveness Communication ..................................... ................................................... ............. 68 1 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Problem The emotional and social competence of teachers is related to positive classroom outcomes such as the ability to resolve conflicts a mong students (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Previous researchers have studied how teache rs resolve conflicts in problem behaviors among students (Jenkins, Ritblatt, & McDo nald, 2008; Roseth et al., 2008). Majority of the theoretical understandings concerni ng conflict resolution have associated conflict to violence and behavior of an individual towards management of differences such that most of the studies on conflict resolutio n of teachers focused on the different behavior problems such as aggression or social prob lems with peers or the competence of teachers in handling classroom conflicts (Karimi, Y ektayar, Nazari, & Mohammadi, 2013; Reilly, 2013; Tapper, 2013; Zembylas, Charala mbous, Charalambous, & Kendeou, 2011). Among the crucial elements of academic performance within the school setting are the communication styles and conflict resolutio n skills of educators (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011). Communication style has been primari ly studied in terms of how the different communication styles affect student achie vement (Brock, 2011). There is a scarcity of studies on the relationship of communic ation style to other responsibilities of teachers inside the classroom, which includes confl ict resolution (Sallinen-Kuparinen, 2009). While assertiveness, responsiveness, and ver satility constitute the styles of communication (McCroskey & Richmond, 1996), little studies have been conducted to 2 relate these styles to conflict resolution in an ac ademic setting (Vries, Bakker-Pieper, Konings, & Schouten, 2011). As communication styles and conflict resolution ski lls of educators has been associated to positive academic performance of stud ents (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011), religious education organization promote the welfar e of students to effectively motivate them to perform in school ( Ghaffar , Zaman , & Naz, 2012). The destructive consequences of harassment and intimidation results in the presence of bullying and violence, which affects the growth and development of students (Ike , 2008). Educators in the Catholic school emphasized strategic Christian values by fos tering compassionate actions in communicating with students and managing conflict ( Ike, 2008). This study examines the effect of teachers’ communication style in resolvin g conflict in the Catholic school system. Background Effective teaching constitutes the competent knowle dge of teachers over the subject matter (Allen, 2010). Scholars also argued that effective teaching also requires competency of teachers in relationship building, co mmunication, and in the execution of teacher-student communicative exchange process (All en, 2010; Karimi, Yektayar, Nazari, & Mohammadi, 2013). The neglect of these co mpetencies in a learning environment results in students’ negative experienc e with teachers in particular and academic performance of students in general (Allen, 2010; Chen, Wei, & Liu, 2011). Early studies show evidence concerning the influenc e of teachers in the success of students in school (Branan, 2009). Various studies reported classroom situations where students felt humiliation and destruction of self-c onfidence as an impact of teachers’ 3 inability to provide discipline and resolve issues of students in the classroom setting (Euzet, Durand, Bertone, & Jacques, 2003; Jenkins, Ritblatt, & McDonald, 2008). Decades of the studies confirm that conflict manage ment abilities of school leaders are an important element in conflict-free classroom (Willi ams & O'Reilly, 1988). Theories of the conflict management suggests that the process o f managing conflict reduces any negative impact and restores fairness, process effe ctiveness, resource efficiency, working relationships, and/or satisfaction of parties (Thom as, 1992). Further literature supports the relationship of conflict management to positive classroom outcome particularly on the students’ discipline (Reilly, 2013). Classroom conf licts often manifest in various forms of aggressive behaviors such as tardiness, power plays , and bullying (Tapper, 2013). These behavior manifestations affect students’ satisfacti on and their willingness to learn (Behfar, Peterson, Mannix, & Trochim, 2010). In sum mary, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that, over time, the actions an d reactions of the students evolving classroom dynamics leave students prone to conflict , conflict spirals, and/or rigidity in the classroom management (Behfar et al., 2010; Reil ly, 2013). Previous researchers have already examined conflict resolution skills of teachers in addressing problem behaviors of students (Jenkin s et al., 2008; Roseth et al., 2008). The ability of teachers to successfully learn and a dapt strategies to meet desired performance even when there is conflict is closely intertwined with the motivation as well as the academic performance of the students (J enkins et al., 2008; Roseth et al., 2008). If teachers are unable to adapt the processe s required to effectively manage conflict, classroom conflict is likely to be prone to continuous, escalating conflicts as students spend time reacting to provocative conflic t behaviors of other students rather 4 than focusing on the task at hand (Jenkins et al., 2008). When teachers can handle conflict management, the teachers can create an ena bling learning environment for students’ learning and teachers’ teaching (Jenkins et al., 2008; Roseth et al., 2008). An effective classroom teaching suggests positive communicative behavior of teachers (Jenkins et al., 2008). The teachers’ posi tive communicative behavior is related with the development of positive student affective orientation and behavioral commitment toward the course, the teachers, and the learning content (Dincol et al., 2011). The teachers with positive communicative beh avior eliminate students’ communication apprehension thereby providing the st udents more opportunity to communicate their learning difficulties and needs. In summary, communication styles of teachers influence student achievement (Fletcher & Vaughn, 2009). While both communication style and conflict resolut ion skills are critical elements in effective teaching, the difference between commu nication style (assertiveness, responsiveness, versatility) and conflict resolutio n has been empirically unexamined (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). The two decades of sc holarly work focused on teaching style and conflict resolution but not with teachers ’ communication styles to effect learning (Forcey & Rainforth, 2002; Jennings & Gree nberg, 2009; Meyers, Bender, Hill, & Thomas, 2006). An investigation of the teaching s tyles, communication styles, and conflict resolution are significant in the context of the students’ academic performance. Studies have found that these factors are positivel y affects classroom outcomes (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011; Jennings & Greenberg, 20 09). For instance, teachers’ assertiveness in resolving issues of students’ aggr essiveness indicates ability to engage students in class work (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009) . An investigation of the relationship 5 of teachers’ communication style and level of confl ict resolution provides empirical guidance in the design of teachers training activit ies. While Vogt study (2002) implicated the possible rol e of gender in handling conflicts in classroom and delivery of information, a review of literature revealed that gender has not been studied as an independent varia ble in relation to conflict resolution (Mahon, 2009). As gender is associated to care, the re is a possible assumption that women could provide higher advantage in terms of ha ndling conflict than (Vogt, 2002). The present study expands the literature by examini ng how assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility communication style s differ with skills in conflict resolution of problem behaviors in classrooms. Spec ifically, this study determined if a particular communication style is significantly dif ferent to skills in conflict resolutions across gender-related variable. The results of the study can be instrumental in expanding the literature on conflict resolution and communica tion styles as it relates to effective teaching and students’ academic performance. Conceptual Framework The present study is based on two theoretical model s of social ecological theory, which operates under the assumption that all indivi duals are part of interrelated systems (Espelage & Swearer, 2004). This means that behavio rs of teachers and students in classrooms depend on the response of the individual within the learning environment. The behaviors of students in classrooms can be infl uenced by the classroom management process of teachers, which includes their skills in managing conflict (Allen, 2010). Teachers’ effectiveness in conflict resolution is f urther shaped by their environment and learned experiences (Allen, 2010). The students’ be haviors within the class are further 6 influenced by the teacher through the ways and proc ess the teacher provided to the students (Allen, 2010). The social ecological theory is rooted in the broad er behaviorist theory, which asserts that free will is illusory, and that all be havior is determined by the environment either through association or reinforcement (Sweare r et al., 2004). From this perspective, the behaviors of teachers can influence the behavio rs of children (Swearer et al., 2004). Teachers can reinforce positive behaviors or discou rage negative behaviors based on the actions of teachers (Mahon, 2009). Behaviorism emph asizes that conflict resolution skills of teachers could influence students’ behaviors (Ma hon, 2009). For instance, the aggressive behaviors of teachers towards the studen ts’ bullying behavior will not resolve conflicts in the classroom (Allen, 2010). Furthermore, the present study posits that these se t skills in teaching and managing classroom conflict are influenced by socia l demographic factors such as gender. Gender, as an operant variable, has an asso ciated role in society such that opportunities for more authority to implement disci plinary actions can be observed among male than female (Mahon, 2009). Statement of the Problem Communication style has been primarily studied in t erms of how the different communication styles affect student achievement (Br ock, 2011). This study examines the communication styles and the effectiveness of confl ict resolution in influencing students with behavioral issues. Specifically, this study te sts if there is a significant difference between the communication style of Catholic element ary school teachers and conflict resolution skill scores across genders. 7 Purpose of the Study The purpose of this quantitative study is to exami ne the relationship of communication styles and conflict resolution skills among male and female elementary public school teachers in the Catholic school syste m. Studies show that effective teaching requires knowledge of the subject matter and skills in communication and conflict resolution to manage the delivery of information ev en among students with behavioral issues (Allen, 2010; Karimi et al., 2013). The teac hers with no to limited skills in effective communication and conflict resolution aff ect the academic performance of the students (Chen et al., 2011; Reilly, 2013). The tea chers who deliver the lesson in a manner that builds positive relationship promotes s tudents’ engagement and commitment to pursue classroom tasks (Reilly, 2013) and foster s discipline (Euzet et al., 2003; Jenkins et al., 2008). While these factors have been found as one of the elements of an effective teacher, the differences between the communicative style and conflict resolution skills among male and female teachers to affect learning h ave been unexplored. An examination of teachers’ communication styles and c onflict resolution scores among male and female elementary teachers provides an emp irical basis in the design of teachers’ training courses concerning communication styles and resolution skills that affect students’ learning. The examination of the different communication styl es and their differences among conflict resolution skills may provide inform ation that could be helpful for school leaders. A publication of the results of the study provides the school leaders with empirical evidence regarding the different teacher communication styles to increase the 8 likelihood that teachers are adopting effective com munication styles in addressing conflicts in the classroom. Research Questions The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto expe rimental study is to examine the relationship of communication styles to conflic t resolution of Catholic male and female teachers. This study also addresses the foll owing questions and research hypothesis: RQ1. Is there a significant difference between the communication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers? RQ2. Is there a significant difference between comm unication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary scho ol teachers? The hypothesis corresponding to these questions are as follows: HA1: There is a significant difference between the co mmunication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers. H01: There is not a significant difference between th e communication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers. HA2 There is a significant difference between communi cation style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary scho ol teachers. 9 H02: There is not a significant difference between co mmunication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary scho ol teachers. Rationale of the Study This study expands the literature on communication style by examining the concept in relation to conflict resolution, which c ould be a significant skill in addressing conflict behaviors in class. Various scholars have examined the effectiveness of communication styles in terms of the learning of st udents (Dincol et al., 2011; Vries et al., 2011). This study expands the relevance of com munication styles to include conflict resolution. This is significant because of the huge role that teachers play in conflict resolution of problem behaviors in schools (Reilly, 2013; Tapper, 2013). The process of managing conflict covers activities such as communication, problem solving, dealing with emotion, and understa nding positions (Dincol et al., 2011; Vries et al., 2011). Early studies of conflict mana gement and the behaviors of the players involved in conflict focused on the individual styl es and that traits of an individual in conflict are either types of behavior or as a behav ioral orientations of a group (Blake & Mouton, 1964; De Dreu, 1997; Morrill & Thomas, 1992 ; Putnam & Poole, 1987; Rahim, 1983; Ruble & Thomas, 1976). The former includes th e threats and compromises of the individual while the latter covers behaviors of avo idance, accommodation, compromises and competition (Blake & Mouton, 1964; De Dreu, 199 7). Early researchers of conflict management orientations postulated the influence of an individual conflict management skill to the performance of an individual and group s (Blake & Mouton, 1964; De Dreu, 1997; Morrill & Thomas, 1992; Putnam & Poole, 1987; Rahim, 1983; Ruble & Thomas, 10 1976). For instance, a task-orientation that promot es collaborations results in high task performance (De Dreu, 2006; Tjosvold, Hui, & Yu, 20 03). On the other hand, avoidance as a result of the relationship conflict results in negative emotion (De Dreu & VanVianen, 2001; Desivilya & Yagil, 2005). In sum, there is an empirical basis to relate conflict management skills to the performance of an individu al. As communication has been shown as an activity with in the conflict resolution process (Pondy, 1992; Putnam & Poole, 1987), none f rom the existing studies relate the styles of communication to the competency of an ind ividual in resolving conflicts. An investigation of the relationship between conflict resolution and styles of communication among teachers in Catholic elementary schools provi des empirical evidence regarding the advantages in the adoption of effective communicati on styles in addressing conflicts in classroom. Conflict resolution skills can be partic ularly significant in addressing students’ aggressive behaviors in class (Reilly, 20 13). The results of the study may be instrumental in exp anding the literature on conflict resolution and communication styles as it is applied to learning environment. The study expands the literature by examining how asser tiveness, responsiveness, and versatility communication styles differ with skills in conflict resolution of problem behaviors in classrooms. Specifically, the study de termines if a particular communication style is significantly different to skills in confl ict resolution. The results of the study can identify the type of c ommunication style that is potentially more appropriate in conflict resolution of problem behaviors among students (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011). Based on the results of the present study, future researchers could conduct a more rigorous type of research (suc h as experimentation) to examine 11 further if certain communication styles influence e ffective conflict resolution in the classroom. The present experimental study could be the starting point for the expansion of literature on effective communication styles in addressing problem behaviors in classrooms. The inclusion of gender in the present study provid es more depth to the differences between conflict resolution and communi cation style. Within the conflict resolution literature, males are more assertive and integrative with their ideas while females are more of the opposite (Vogt, 2002). Howe ver, gender interacting with communication style has never been empirically test ed. The present study extends the literature by examining how gender poses difference s among communication styles and conflict resolution skills. Nature of the Study The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto expe rimental study is to examine the relationship of communication styles to conflic t resolution of male and female teachers in public elementary schools in the United States. The present study attempts to investigate if communication style is associated wi th teachers’ conflict resolution in school. It also tests the interactive relationship of gender and communication style on conflict resolution. This study uses a quantitative approach using the experimental study design to solicit perceptions from the research par ticipants through data collection, measurement, and analysis. This is a valid approach to the research questions posed because it uses a post-positivist claim for develop ing knowledge (Bordons & Abbott, 2005). Given the questions under investigation, a q uantitative experimental approach is appropriate for a study that hypothesizes patterns of differences among the study 12 variables. A quantitative ex factor experimental re search is an approach that enables the researcher to manipulate an independent variable (F aul, Erdfelder, Lang, & Buchner, 2007). Experimental research enables the researcher to predict the events that occurs in the experimental setting (Koopman-Boyden & Richards on, 2013). The data is collected, measured, and analyzed quantitatively in order to f orm conclusions about communication styles, skills in conflict resolution and gender. I n this study, the three Socio- Communicative Style Scale postulated by McCroskey a nd Richmond (SCS, 1996) and Conflict Resolution Questionnaire (CRQ) by Weeks (1 994), and Fisher and Ury (1991) will be used. These questionnaires were distributed to 215 Catholic elementary school teachers. The questionnaire was administered electr onically via an internet website. Definition of Terms For the purposes of this study, the following opera tional definitions are used. Assertiveness . In this study, assertiveness can be defined as a teacher who allows students to express their opinions and concerns wit hout allowing them to control or dominate the conversation (Khandaghi & Farasat, 201 1). Communication Style . In this study communication style can be defined a s the unique style that a teacher communicates through se lf-expression with the students in his/her class. Communication style is a way of thin king and behaving (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011). Conflict Resolution . In this study, conflict resolution encompasses th e use of non- violent methods as a means to pursue its goals, on the grounds that such means are more likely than armed struggle to lead to effective res olution of the conflict (Weeks, 1994). 13 The processes of conflict resolution generally incl ude negotiation, mediation, diplomacy and creative peace building. Conflict Resolution Questionnaire . The Conflict Resolution Questionnaire (CRQ) was developed as a measure of the conflict re solution ideas presented by Weeks (1994), and Fisher and Ury (1991). It has been used to measure a person’s ability to create mutually beneficial resolutions to conflict for all participants. In addition, the CRQ items measure respondents’ perceptions regarding ho w often they engage in certain conflict-related behaviors, and their level of awar eness regarding conflict issues. Responsiveness . In this study, responsiveness is described as a co mmunication style used by teachers. This style refers to the de gree that what the teacher says, responds clearly and directly, to what the other person just said ( Vries et al., 2011 ). When a person is being responsive the other person in the convers ation is certain that the other person in the conversation is paying attention and cares abou t what is being said. Socio-Communicative Style Scale . Socio-communicative style refers to others' perception of a communicator's assertiveness and re sponsiveness behaviors (McCroskey & Richmond, 1996). This instrument is designed to m easure the perceptions of socio- communicative behaviors of the teachers. Versatility . In this study, being versatile can be defined as a teacher’s ability to change or adapt their behaviors in a classroom sett ing (Kearney & McCroskey, 1980). Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations The proposed study has several assumptions that may affect the result of the study. First, the study assumes that while social e cological theory (Swearer et al., 2004) has been tested to work in other fields, it is then assumed that the theory can be similarly 14 applied within the context of education particularl y in classroom management. The study assumes that a teacher, through his or her environm ent, influences student behaviors (McCroskey & Richmond, 1996). The researcher assumes that using the social ecolog ical theory perspective will be useful in forming conclusions about communication s tyles, skills in conflict resolution and gender. This model considers the complex interp lay between individual, relationship, community, and societal factors (McCroskey & Richmo nd, 1996). The assumption of this theory is that the likelihood of promoting attitude s, beliefs, and behaviors that ultimately prevent certain behaviors from occurring can be det ermined by forming conclusions about communication styles among teachers (Espelage & Swearer, 2004). The assumptions of the validity of the social ecolo gical theory became the basis for including the proposed variables in the study. Second, the researcher assumes that the participants will be honest with their responses (K oopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). Informed consent forms will be made to ensure that the integrity of the study is communicated to the participants. Participants are more likely to provide honest and open responses when the research is conducted with integ rity (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). A power analysis was conducted t o ensure that the number of participants are sufficient to make generalizations about the results (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). Results of the analysis suggeste d that the researcher should at least generate 64 participants for each communication typ e surveyed. In this case, there were 97 respondents who participated in the study. The study is limited because only association betwe en variables is examined; cause and effect relationships cannot be made (Koop man-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). 15 No experimentation will be conducted. All data will come from survey questionnaires. Elaboration would not be achieved because the surve y questionnaires are closed-ended in nature (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). The res ults of the study cannot be generalized to all teachers in the United States be cause of the use of a small sample (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). The data of th e study rely on the honesty and candor of the participants in answering the survey questionnaires (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). The population itself is also limiting factor in th at the results cannot necessarily be generalized to other geographic areas (Koopman-B oyden & Richardson, 2013). However, even when generalizability is limited, val id information still can be obtained from a well-designed study that contributes to the body of research pertaining to that subject (Koopman-Boyden & Richardson, 2013). Althou gh comparing other areas would yield more conclusive results, it is beyond the sco pe of this effort to pursue such a comparison, but is an appropriate subsequent step f or future research. Organization of the Remainder of the Study Chapter 1 provided a conceptual overview of the pro posed study. The remaining chapters provide details with regards to the releva nt literature that compel the study , provide detail on how the study was executed, and h ow the data is interpreted. In particular, Chapter 2 will provide a review of the literature underlying the need for the current investigation. Chapter 3 will describe the research methods and procedures used in this study as well as the data analysis and pres entation of the results. Chapter 4 presents the results gathered, as well as providing a discussion of those results. Chapter 5 16 presents the implications of the study, conclusions , and recommendations for further research. 17 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction to the Literature Review A primary purpose of this chapter is to draw upon r esearch to convey the need to study the interaction relationship between communic ation style and conflict resolution skills for Catholic elementary school teachers. To provide the most current review of the literature, a search was conducted using phrases th at commonly are found in current works on the topic. Keywords and phrases used inclu de: communication style, conflict resolution, education, conflict, educational sociol ogy, learning, reconciliation, teaching, teachers, teacher effectiveness, study, quarrel, gr oup work, conflict management, academic motivation, conflict in children, instruct ional techniques, elements of style, college classroom, classroom, college, school, envi ronment, classroom environment, instructional techniques, aggression, intervention, learning styles, and teacher intervention . Using these keywords and phrases, an electronic a nd manual search of the following library databases was conducted: Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, Science Direct, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest. All relevant material was sourced, identified, and reduced to citations which were pur sued to obtain the articles, chapters, and books identified. Finally, in an attempt to cap ture any sources not indexed by the above databases, an additional search was conducted using the same key words via the internet engines, Google and Yahoo. The chapter is divided into two sections: (a) a rev iew of the studies done on communication styles, and (b) a review of studies p ertaining to conflict resolution in the context of communication styles. The review will al so include discussions on the impact 18 of gender on the relationship to communication styl e and conflict resolution. A synthesis of all the concepts and insights gathered from the related literature will conclude the chapter. Classroom Management Attempts to improve the academic performance as we ll as the students’ learning experiences in school had led educators and researc hers to reexamine the attitude and practices of teachers in the management of the clas sroom activities (Allen, 2010; Khandaghi & Farasat, 2011; Karimi et al., 2013). Cl assroom management has been an important subject of the educational discourse part icularly in an era where inclusion of students with learning disabilities and behavioral issues are considered in the regular classes (Bhatnagar & Das, 2013). Through years of s tudies, the scope of classroom management evolves from merely discipline practices and behavioral interventions of teachers to holistic actions of teachers in coordin ating and supporting students’ learning within the classroom (Westman, Alerby, & Brown, 201 3). According to Guercio (2011), academic success of s tudents depends on effective classroom management. The author narrated his teach ing experiences and in the implementation of strategies to effect discipline a mong students with behavioral issues. Guercio claimed that teachers who have unorganized classroom activities are expose to conflict and miscommunication with students. Unaddr essed classroom issues of students with teachers often lead to inability of students t o perform in class activities. A great number of studies affirm the relationship o f quality of classroom management to issues concerning learning disruption s (Bekirogullari, Soyturk, & Gulsen, 2011; Hamilton-Jones & Vail, 2013; Loiacono & Valenti, 20 10; Ratcliff et al., 2010). For 19 instance, Ratcliff et al. (2010) conducted a year o f research among teachers and students to determine the classroom dynamic concerning stude nts’ behavior and ability of teachers to manage conflict and other learning disruptions. Using the observational segments and unannounced classroom observations among 34 teacher s in the second and fourth grade levels, the authors found that a great majority of teachers need special training on classroom management particularly in managing instr uctional and noninstructional interactions with the students. Ratcliff et al. cla ssified the effective and less effective teachers to determine and compare the classroom man agement outcome. The authors further found that teachers who were classified as effective in classroom management had more time interacting with students while students on the other hand spent more time in engaging with the learning activities (p-value of 0 .0039). The less effective teachers were found having a learning environment with students e ngaged in more misbehavior and teachers implement more control in the persistent m isbehavior of the students. The findings of Ratcliff et al. (2010) were supported b y Guecio (2011) who stated that the higher the teacher impose discipline in class, the lesser the time the teacher could provide effective instruction (p-value of 0.0042).. Both of these studies conclude that critical skills in communication and conflict resolution are needed to halt students’ wrongful behaviors and that teachers can begin the teaching task for effective instruction. Allen (2010) conducted a review of literature to de termine the variables that explain the occurrence of student misbehavior and b ullying in the learning environment. Allen found that empirical studies claimed the asso ciation of classroom management to students’ misbehavior. After review of studies, All en concluded that “harsh and punitive discipline methods, lower-quality classroom instruc tion, disorganized classroom and 20 school settings, and student social structures char acterized by antisocial behaviors” are variables that could explain the occurrence of bull ying and negative students’ behavior (p. 1). Further, Allen concluded that intention of teachers to generate a positive interaction is impossible with students who have ch allenging behaviors. Teachers who are yet to develop their competency in classroom ma nagement are required to learn conflict management as well as acquire skills in th e positive delivery of communication particularly to those students who have behavioral issues. Other academic studies also found the importance of teachers’ learning conflict management strategies to motivate and engage studen ts in learning. Karimi et al. (2013) examined the effectiveness of conflict management s trategies practiced by physical education teachers in influencing students’ athleti c motivation. Using conflict management and student motivation questionnaires, 6 4 sport teachers and 700 students respectively responded the questionnaires. The corr elation regression results of the study show that different conflict management strategies (oblige, compromise, cooperation, avoidance, dominate) yielded different levels of st udents’ motivation to sports. A significant finding of the study suggests that coop eration as a conflict management strategy can provide higher level of students’ inte rest in sports, and that positive communication of resolving issues in cooperative ac tivities can generate an even higher level of motivation to students. What level of sign ificance was found? Evaluative review of classroom management studies i ndicate that teachers’ knowledge of and competence in the management of em otions and social relations affects classroom outcome (Jennings & Greenberg, 2009). Stu dents’ performance in school depends on the ability of teachers to provide an ap propriate balance of managing 21 students’ misbehavior and instruction (Hart & Malia n, 2013). The higher the competency of teachers to resolve learning disruptions, the hi gher the students perform and engage in positive learning outcome (Loiacono & Valenti, 2010 ). In sum, these studies provide evidence concerning the relationship between the va riables teachers’ competency in conflict resolution, effective classroom management , and positive learning outcome. From these articulations, it is essential to review the basic and germane studies concerning conflict particularly the theoretical un derpinnings of conflict, conflict resolution, and the types of conflict. These sectio ns are relevant in understanding the association of the concepts conflict resolution, co mmunication, and the academic performance of the students. Conceptual Definition of Conflict Conflict has been used as term that describes the d iscordance of two or more individual with opposing values, needs, and beliefs (Basar & Akan, 2013). The phenomenon to which conflict arises in a situation varies (Pluut & Curseu, 2013). It can occur within members of the same group also known a s intragroup conflict or among the member of two or more groups known as intergroup conflict . These conflicts may involve violence, disagreements of personal beliefs , and psychological tensions. According to Pluut and Curseu (2013), group conflic t observes a cyclical process of (a) routine group interaction, (b) initial confl ict, (c) conflict escalation, and (d) conflict resolution stage. The first stage, routine group interaction , follows a regular interaction with the members of the group. The second stage, initial conflict , emerged when opinion of an individual directly oppose the opinion of the other member. The third stage, conflict escalation , affects the unity of the entire group and may res ort to coalition. The fourth 22 stage, conflict resolution , emerged when members of the group reach the settl ement. Conflict then emerges when the group initiates anot her interaction (Pluut & Curseu, 2013). Conflict styles shape the social environment, which affect emotional disposition of the individuals within the environment. The dist urbance inherent in a conflict style affects the work performance of an individual and i n some cases result to physical and emotional stress (De Wit et al., 2012) or instance, organizational conflict involves clash of power and formal authority, which affects perfor mance of the group as well as the overall goals of the organization (Mwangi & Ragui, 2013). At an individual level, conflict can arise as a result of jealousies, rival ries, and struggles for power (De Wit, Greer, & Jehn, 2012). Studies claimed that some con flict motivates an individual to perform better in their responsibilities (Mwangi & Ragui, 2013). These reactive actions are mostly referred in the literature as the confli ct styles (De Wit et al., 2012). The conflicting outcomes associated to conflict styles had brought significant contribution in the emergence of conflict studies to clarify and cl assify conflicts with positive and negative outcome. A study of Jehn and Mannix (2001) conceptualized th ree types of workgroup conflicts based on past conflict scholars. These co nflicts were classified as (a) relationship conflict, (b) task conflict, and (c) p rocess conflict. Relationship conflict relates to the conscious incompatible emotions of a n individual, which creates tension. This type of conflict includes emotional issues of personality dislikes, annoyance, and frustration of group member and the situation. Acco rding to Jehn and Mannix, this type of conflict summarized the past categories of confl ict involving a person to affective and 23 cognitive conflict. The second type of conflict rel ates to differences of ideas pertaining to a completion of a task. In task conflict, the motiv ation of the discord is on the application of cognitive function; however, cognition is negate d with negative emotions such as annoyance of the person who oppose the idea. The th ird conflict relates to the awareness of the process required to accomplish a task. This type of conflict relates to the daily delegations of tasks, which creates disagreement be tween group members. A group of authors applied a similar concept of con flict and found that intragroup conflict is beneficial to the performance of a grou p when the conflict is task-focused (De Wit et al. 2012). The research findings of conflict motivated organizational scholars to focus on the inquiry concerning the type of conflic t that results to positive and negative outcomes. The work of Jehn and Mannix (2001) was th e first to distinguish categories of outcome between the relationship focused and the ta sk-related focused conflicts. While organizational conflicts such as relationship, task , and process have been earlier identified by various scholars (Amason, 1996; Jehn et al. 1999), it was only in the work of Jehn and Mannix (2001) that these classification s of conflict have been empirically tested in a longitudinal study. Scholars on conflic t have since then utilized the work of Jehn and Mannix in expanding other relevant grey ar ea in organizational conflict. Jehn and Mannix (2001) proposed that conflict obser ves an overtime process, which suggests that characterizing a group developm ent effort is possible in a consistent pattern of activities. Using a sample of employees assigned in a team, Jehn and Mannix observed the dynamic interaction of intragroup conf lict to develop a model with elements that encourage productivity as a result of the patt erns of conflict. This quantitative longitudinal research was the first work that confi rms the relevance of teamwork, group 24 performance, and the ideal profile of team members who can deliver positive results even within a conflict situation. Jehn and Mannix highli ghted the importance of group values, trust, respect, and knowledge of the discussion nor ms. The importance of conflict on the performance of an individual in an organization was recently explored in the study of Mwangi and Ra gui (2013) with the Kenyan air transport industry. The authors believed that the n ature of conflict in the organization is intrinsic to the teams operating in the organizatio n. Mwangi and Ragui supported the presence of interpersonal relations, intra-group, a nd inter organizations relations in the organization. These variables affects organizationa l harmony as individuals within the organization strive to work in accordance with acce ptable standard of relationship. However, the presence of dynamical relationship in the organization could create confusions among the managers and conflict between organizational stakeholders. Different views and opinions from several stakehold ers affects the delivery and performance of employees in the organization. Mwang i and Ragui (2013) used the descriptive research design and utilized the survey questionnaire with close and open- ended questions to determine the perceptions of man agers concerning conflict resolution and the organizational relational relationships wit h the employees. As a mixed study, the authors found that managers with poor conflict reso lution skills affect the performance of the organizational employees. The authors recommend that organizations need to invest in conflict resolution training purposely for the m anagers to effectively handle an effective conflict resolution procedure. 25 Conflict and Conflict Resolution in the Classroom L earning Environment While several studies urge the benefits and disadva ntage of conflicts in human lives, these studies agree on one common research f ocus – the resolution of a conflict (Amason, 1996; Jehn et al., 1999; Jehn & Mannix, 20 01; Mwangi & Ragui, 2013). Available research on conflict resolution suggests that conflicts can be managed at an individual or group level (Jehn & Mannix, 2001; Mwa ngi & Ragui, 2013). Years of empirical research enumerated five conflict resolut ion strategies: (a) avoidance, (b) smoothing, (c) dominance or power interventions, (d ) compromise, and confrontation (Böhm & Rockenbach, 2013; De Wit et al., 2012). Avo idance refers to a conflict management strategy of an individual who refuses to engage in an interaction and separates himself or herself in a conflicting situa tion (Böhm & Rockenbach, 2013). Smoothing, as defined by De Wit et al. (2012), is a technique that attempts to harmonize conflict situations between two groups. Dominance o r use of power to intervene the discord is a technique that involves a person with higher authority in the achievement of settlement. Compromise is a resolution strategy tha t satisfies the demand and needs of each group involve in the conflicting situations. T he final strategy, confrontation , is a technique that engages the parties in a discussion to resolve the issues (De Wit et al., 2012). Conflict resolution is a critical issue in the clas sroom setting (Zembylas, Charalambous, Charalambous, & Kendeou, 2011). As ea rlier discussed, the presence of conflict is indicative of an ineffective classroom management, which affects positive learning experience and environment for students (Z embylas et al, 2011). This conflict could arise from a number of sources. It could be t hat conflict exists between students 26 and teachers (Basar & Akan, 2013; Zembylas, Charala mbous, Charalambous, & Kendeou, 2011), within students (Ayas, Deniz, Ka ğan, & Kenç, 2010; Jenkins, Ritblatt, & McDonald, 2008; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; K ral p, Dincyürek, & Beido ğlu, 2009; Meyers, Bender, Hill, & Thomas, 2006; Roseth et al. , 2008), or between teachers (Westman et al., 2013). Conflict between student and teacher emerged as a result of the shift of power from teacher to students (Basar & Akan, 2013). This gives way to problems for the teachers because despite the fact that their power is diminished they are still expected to be able influence significantly the behavior of the students (Chiu, Lee, & Liang, 2013). The conflict within students on the other hand has to do with students behaving in an unruly manner (Lipovsky, 2013). In extreme cases th is could lead to violence in the campus and in lesser cases will lead to bullying (C hiu et al., 2013). This poses difficulty for both the teacher and school administration (Lip ovsky, 2013). Attempts to examine the source of conflict in the c lassroom led researchers to study favoritism phenomenon among teachers and beha vioral issues of students. Among the recent scholars who explored this research were Chiu, Lee, and Liang (2013). The authors used the quantitative method in confirming a model that causes classroom conflict. The authors justified their study after s everal observation that link teachers’ favoritism with classroom conflict. Using the views of 407 students from 12 schools in Taiwan who are enrolled in 5th through 8th grade, t he authors found that although relationship exists between classroom conflict and favoritism, the latter is not the cause of the former variable. The authors found that student s’ self-adjustment play a role in minimizing classroom issues as well as attempts to reduce escalation of discord (p-value 27 of 0.002). The authors used three samples of studen ts: non-pet students, popular-pet students, and unpopular pet students. These samples were examined to determine the differences of the viewpoints of these samples. The study found that these samples have different path effects, but the “inclusion of popul ar-pet students does not lead to classroom conflict” (p. 13). Meyers et al. (2006) identified several strategies that could be used to manage conflict. Their research revealed that the most use d strategy was that of “communicating with respect, warmth, and interest toward the stude nt” followed by “addressed the student outside of class” (p. 183). Their work made use of quantitative methods to distinguish the effective from the ineffective strategies. They fou nd that when it comes to dealing with inattentive conflict the use an interactive teachin g strategy, such as discussions, resolved the issue ( p = 0.0031). This agrees with the results of Jenning s and Greenberg (2009) that promotes the use of a prosocial strategy in resolvi ng conflict. They found that the prosocial nature of the faculty was able to satisfy the need of the students to feel happy, respected and cared for. Consistent with Meyers et al the satisfied students performed better in school. Similar to the teacher-student conflict resolution approaches, a student-centered approach seems to be the way to go. It is necessary to identify the factors that affect the communication style of the teacher that can lead to its success. Ayas et al. (2010) was able to partially address the issues of the factors involving communication style and conflict resolution. Their work found that conflict resolution strategies vary depending on the gender of the students involved. The work of Ay as et al. however, focused only the strategies that the students employed and not the t eachers. 28 In a study by Westman et al. (2013), the authors u nderstand the nature of student- teacher conflict by examining the perceptions of st udents concerning the supposed roles and responsibilities of teachers towards their stud ents. The authors believed that central to the unresolved conflict of teachers and student despite various researches was the assumption that students have behavioral problems, which causes teachers’ ineffectiveness. Westman et al. (2013) provided a r everse analysis claiming that studies should examine how students’ view the role of teach ers in order to determine the source of conflict at the level of students. The authors u sed phenomenology to examine the lived experiences of students in the classroom with their teachers. The findings of the study show that students view their relationship with the ir teachers as someone who is in control and their presence and participation in the class are something that requires control. The study also found that the teachers are viewed by students as someone with choices that consider management or enjoyment of th e chaos in the classroom. The work of Westman et al. (2013) was among the recent study that advocates teacher-student communication as a variable that can resolve classr oom conflict. Basar and Akan (2013) examined classroom conflict particularly the dispute resolution system that the teachers have adopted to restore justice as well as resolve conflicts. The authors justified their work by stat ing that majority of the conflicts between teacher and students end up in judicial cases becau se disciplinary teachers’ action are mostly inhumane imposing their superiority to their students. Although Basar and Akan acknowledge the investments of school administrator s in building the competency of teachers in conflict resolution using restorative d iscipline applications, assessment of its implementation has not been explored empirically. T he authors used the qualitative 29 research method involving the 50 class teachers and 100 grade four elementary education students in a city outside of the United States. Th e study found that among the traditional disciplinary methods, the teachers impose warning t o students’ behavioral misconduct. However, those teachers who applied restorative jus tice and discipline applications facilitate “in-class friendship, improve student-te acher and student-student communications, stimulate the academic success of t he students, and establish the we- consciousness in the classroom” (Basar & Akan, 2013 , p. 1). Communication Style The inherent nature of an individual shapes his or her communication style (Dincol et al., 2011). Even if communication styles follow the culture and experience of the individual, an individual has cognitive ability that organizes thoughts that can form the basis for communicating information (Smith, 201 1). The cognitive ability of an individual creates theoretical assumptions that com munication styles and skills can be conditioned and improved in a manner that improves interaction of individuals (Vries, et al., 2011). Communication plays a significant role in human interaction in general and resolution of conflict in particular (Basar & Akan, 2013). Harmonious relationship with one another requires active listening, reflection, and discussions of emotions and beliefs (Dincol et al., 2011). The emotions of an individua l motivate communication style (Sallinen-Kuparinen, 2009). Communication style can be defined as how an individual says things or communicates (Smith, 2011). The iden tification of a person’s communication style provides greater self-awareness , which can develop more effective relationships either at work or at home. 30 There are four basic communication styles discusse d in the literature. These styles include: assertive communication, aggressive commun ication, passive communication and passive-aggressive communication (Bider, Johann esson, & Schmidt, 2011). This section will describe the styles of communication. Assertive communication is perceived to be the mos t effective communication style (Dincol et al., 2011). In this communication style, one can see how individuals naturally express themselves when their self-confid ence is high (Khandaghi & Rajaei, 2011). Thus, giving the individual the confidence t o communicate what they want to say without playing games or without taking advantage o f the situation. An assertive communicator is effective at sharing his or her own thoughts and feelings in a courteous manner (Sallinen-Kuparinen, 2009). A person who use s assertive communication does not try to control or manipulate other people (Sall inen-Kuparinen, 2009). When an individual is being assertive, then that individual would work hard in order to create a solution that would benefit everyone especially the mselves (Smith, 2011). When an individual is assertive, the individual can communi cate their needs clearly and without hesitation. People who cultivate assertive communic ation would care about the relationship with the other individual and would wa nt a win-win situation between them (Smith, 2011). People also know their limits and wi ll not be pushed beyond what they want to do just because other people need or want s omething from them (Smith, 2011). Aggressive communication involves manipulation all the time (Vries et al., 2011). This can be done by making people feel guilty or by using intimidation strategies so that the other people will do what another individual wa nts to be done (Vries et al., 2011). While it is true that there are times when aggressi ve behavior is needed such as sports or 31 war, it will not be as effective when using it with relationships of any kind (Naimie et al., 2010). Wars might even be avoided if only people co uld be more assertive when conducting negotiations in solving problems rather than using aggressive communication. Additionally, people who use aggressive communicati on state what they want in a direct but more often than not in a rude way (Naimie et al ., 2010). An aggressive communicator is quick to anger (Vries et al., 2011). For this re ason, people who are aggressive communicators alienate other people. Passive communication is grounded on compliance (Vr ies et al., 2011). People who are passive communicators do not like confronta tions. As such, they do not really talk much, do not ask questions and do very little on the job. Passive communicators think that it is safer not to react to anything (Vr ies et al., 2011). When passive communicators try to express their thoughts and fee lings, they do so in an apologetic way, which can be easily ignored by other people. M ost people take advantage of passive communicators. Passive-aggressive communication is a combination of style. It refers to a communication that is non-confrontational (passive) yet tries to control the other people (aggressive) (Vries et al., 2011). People who are p assive-aggressive communicators do not confront their own problems directly. On the ou tside, the individual appears to have a good relationship with other people (Vries et al., 2011). However, this is not really the case. Passive-aggressive communicators appear to be one’s friend but is actually an enemy (Vries et al., 2011). Trust passive-aggressiv e communicators affect the relationships at the workplace (Vries et al., 2011) . 32 Knowing these four basic types of communication st yle is significant to having effective relationships with other people. Vries et al. (2011) conducted a study that proposes a six-dimensional model of communication s tyles using the Communication Styles Inventory (CSI). The CSI analyzes between si x levels of communicative behavior scales: Preciseness, Emotionality, Expressiveness, Questioning, Impression Manipulativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness. Each of these scales also has four facet- level scales. In this study, aside from proposing a six-dimensional model of communication style, the researchers also concluded that personality and communication style has a significant correlation (Vries et al., 2011). In another study, Smith (2011) stated that there i s evidence that national cultures can be distinguished in terms of communication styl es by means of analyzing the responses from the survey. There is a distinction b etween the average communication style in a specific nation and the dispersion of co mmunication styles at the nationwide level. In addition to that, Smith also studied the tendency of individuals in different nations to disagree or agree with one another that he explained by using the idea of individualism-collectivism. This study is relevant to the current research because it presents another factor, which might influence comm unication styles of different people. The impact of communication style, while not direct , is evident when it comes to resolving conflicts (Ayas et al., 2010; De Wit et a l., 2013). However, while the communication style that gives more value to studen ts (integrating) was seen as favorable in this regard there were not enough details in the research to determine other factors that could be used as determinant of success. Variables such as school level, size, and ethnic class mix did not prove to be significant. The iden tification of the factors and 33 determinants is needed in order to create a replica ble teaching framework (Ayas et al., 2010; De Wit et al., 2013). Among the strategies ex plored to resolve conflict within the learning environment is to match teachers’ communic ation styles with the learning style of students. A detailed review is explored in the s ubsequent section. Teachers’ Communication Styles and Students’ Learni ng Style Various research has been done to study how signif icant the impact of thinking style (Chen, Wei, & Liu, 2011) or learning style of the student is on the type of communication style to be applied (Amira & Jelas, 2 010; Chen et al., 2011; Dinçol, Temel, Oskay, Erdo ğan, & Y lmaz, 2011; Hsieh, Jang, Hwang, & Chen, 201 1; Iurea, Neacsu, Safta, & Suditu, 2011; Naimie, Siraj, Piaw, Shagholi, & Abuzaid, 2010; Tulbure, 2011). Thinking styles could be classified under fi ve dimensions: (a) Function, (b) Form, (c) Level, (d) Scope, and (e) Leaning (Zhang, 2004) . These dimensions explain key characteristics of the different thinking styles of students. For instance, the ‘Scope’ dimension emphasizes that a type of student favors tasks that allows one to work as independent unit. The ‘Function’ dimension likewise could be students that want to work on task that allow them to make creative strategies . The dimension of ‘Form’ on the other hand can be students who need complete focus on one type of work at a time. For students who consider whether to focus on a local o r global task fall under the dimension of ‘Level’. Finally, the fifth dimension asks wheth er students are more liberal or conservative (Zhang, 2004). In order to cover the diverse thinking styles of th e students, it is necessary that both teacher-centered and student-centered teaching styles are used. Students, being versatile learners, find that being constricted to a teacher or student-centered approach 34 limited their learning potential (Tulbure, 2011; Zh ang, 2004, 2005). Zhang (2004) analyzed the relationship between the students’ div erse thinking style and their preferred teaching approaches and found a predictive relation ship. This predictive relationship could be used to evaluate faculties teaching a part icular course especially if it is found that a strong similarity exists within the courses’ students. However, caution should be exercised when using this approach in evaluating fa culty. It is very likely that students’ evaluation will be biased, positively or negatively , towards their preferred teaching approach (Tulbure, 2011). While the predictive rela tionship does exist, it would be difficult to establish a course or class that would lead to the predictability. In fact the use of a balanced communication style, that tries to ac commodate the students’ diversity, in a study did not produce significant results towards i ts superiority (Zhang, 2005). There is fear among instructors that it would not be practic al for them to accommodate or regularly to adapt to the varied learning and think ing styles of the students especially when faced with factors such as the classroom size and lack of resources (Naimie et al., 2010). Other factors such as the students’ age, gen der, and the type of course further complicate the use of a balanced communication styl e (Amira & Jelas, 2010). On the other hand, a research study was done on the implications of a student- centered approach. The research found that this app roach improved the satisfaction that teachers have on their jobs (Opdenakker & Vandamme, 2006). This finding is interesting because it can be linked to the studies done in the service industry, particularly on research pertaining to the satisfaction of the serv ice provider. Researchers have found that if a provider is satisfied with his job, then it is more likely that he will perform better (Gremler & Gwinner, 2000). This means that a positi ve reinforcing cycle could be 35 developed for the student-teacher relationship. Thi s is further supported if it is coupled with Opdenakkaer and Vandamme’s other finding that there has been strong bias towards the teacher-centered approach to teaching because o f the narrow view that learning is simply about delivering the subject matter. The stu dy of Amira and Jelas (2010) supports this claim as well. They found that a participative learning style, which is favored by a communication style that focused on the student, le ads to a better individual and team performance. Moving from the general analysis concerning the re lationship of communication style to learning style, several studies establishe d the links of these styles to the academic success of students (Chen et al., 2011; Dinçol et a l., 2011; Hsieh et al., 2011; Iurea et al., 2011; Khandaghi & Farasat, 2011). Dinçol et al. (20 11) studied whether a teacher candidate that matched the preferred learning style s of the students would have more success. The results of their work showed that matc hing communication style to preferred learning style did not have a significant effect on the success. Critical evaluation of these studies should only consider that communication sty le plays a factor in the academic performance of the students than a causative elemen t that drives academic success. Iurea et al. (2011) considered the impact of the relation of communication style and learning style on the students’ academic conduct. Their resu lts, while not unexpected, showed that is indeed favourable for the students’ academic con duct that a match between the students’ learning style and teachers’ communicatio n style ( p = 0.004). Another study of Hsieh et al. (2011) explored the i mplications of communication to ubiquitous learning. Ubiquitous learning deals w ith learning environments that can be accessed anywhere (Hsieh et al., 2011). The finding s of Hsieh et al. indicate that when 36 there is a matching between the teaching and learni ng style the students showed a higher level of reflection for their ubiquitous learning. Students in this research were able to reconstruct and organize the theories presented to them despite the ubiquitous nature of the environment. These findings support earlier stu dies on the effects of implementing appropriate communication styles of teachers to the students’ learning styles, which are required in ensuring academic success and harmoniou s student-teacher relationship (Williams & O'Reilly, 1988). Chory and McCroskey (1999) examined the relations hip between Teacher Management Communication Style (TMCS) as well as th e affective learning of the students. They found out that TMCS and affective le arning has a significant positive correlation. In addition to that, there were higher frequencies of a student’s class attendance that were associated with an increased a ffective learning in class. Another study from Aino Sallinen-Kuparinen (2009) reviewed empirical research on the teacher communicator style. The researcher aimed to describ e and analyze major issues concerning the teacher communicator style. Norton ( 2006) discussed the significance of the communication style of the teacher. He conclude d that the communicator style of the teacher gives form to the overall content of the le arning. If the teacher is an effective communicator, then it will lead to an increased foc us from the students. Harkin and Turner (1997) wrote an article discussi ng the findings of an Oxford Brookes University project involving communication styles of teachers in English 16-19 education. Both teachers and students completed a C ommunication Styles Questionnaire (CSQ) and after that the communication style of the teachers were profiled. The results of the project depict that most teachers communicate e ffectively in class. However, they rate 37 themselves more highly than the ratings given by th e student on their perceived good qualities. Communication styles are different for d ifferent individuals especially with levels of learner autonomy. The implication of this study would be that there is a need to promote a more open teacher-student discussion when it comes to interactions. The teachers should reflect and be open to a developmen t of wider communication styles that is most appropriate for both students and teachers. In an attempt to bridge this gap and pave the way f or future research, this study will contribute to the body of research done by inv estigating on how communication styles could be used in conflict resolution. It wil l look at the various factors that are significant in making a communication style effecti ve for resolving conflict. Chapter Summary Effective teaching requires the competency of teach ers in teaching strategies as well as knowledge in classroom management particula rly the skills in conflict resolution (Allen, 2010). In addition to the crucial skills in classroom management, teachers are required to develop competency in relationship buil ding, communication, and in the execution of teacher-student communicative exchange process (Allen, 2010; Karimi, Yektayar, Nazari, & Mohammadi, 2013). The neglect o f these competencies in a learning environment results to students’ negative experienc e with teachers in particular and academic performance of students in general (Allen, 2010; Chen, Wei, & Liu, 2011). Studies show that the qualities and characteristic of teachers influence the academic performance of the students (Allen, 2010; Khandaghi & Farasat, 2011; Karimi et al., 2013). The attitude of teachers that humili ates and destructs the self-confidence of students reflects the inability of the teachers to provide discipline and resolves issues of 38 students in the classroom setting (Jenkins et al., 2008). Decades of the studies confirm that conflict management abilities of school leader s are an important element in classroom conflict-performance relationship (Bekiro gullari, Soyturk, & Gulsen, 2011; Hamilton-Jones & Vail, 2013; Loiacono & Valenti, 20 10; Ratcliff et al., 2010). Theories of the conflict management suggests that the proces s of managing conflict reduces any negative impact and restores fairness, process effe ctiveness, resource efficiency, working relationships, and/or satisfaction of parties (e.g. , Basar & Akan, 2013). Studies in the field of education show that conflict management of teachers show positive classroom outcome particularly on the students’ discipline (R eilly, 2013). Review of the studies shows that skill in conflict resolution addresses s tudents’ behavioral issues (Jenkins et al., 2008; Roseth et al., 2008). Teachers who are unable to resolve conflict in classroom will likely escalate in other provocative conflict behav iors that can diminish learning engagement (Jenkins et al., 2008; Roseth et al., 20 08). The student-teacher relationship as it relates to effective teaching associates the communicative skills of the teacher in providing st udents the positive learning experiences (Jenkins et al., 2008). Positive commun icative behavior of teachers is linked to teaching effectiveness due to the presence of af fective and cognitive elements of the students’ learning experience in the classroom with his or her teachers (Dincol et al., 2011). The teachers with positive communicative beh avior eliminate students’ communication apprehension thereby providing the st udents more opportunity to communicate their learning difficulties and needs. In summary, communication styles of teachers influence student achievement (Fletcher & Vaughn, 2009). 39 The review of these studies demonstrated the associ ation of communication style conflict resolution skills in effective teaching. H owever, none from the studies reviewed differentiated the communication style (assertivene ss, responsiveness, versatility) and conflict resolution skills of the teachers (Jenning s & Greenberg, 2009). Several studies were conducted to understand the teaching style and conflict resolution (Forcey & Rainforth, 2002; Jennings & Greenberg, 2009; Meyers , Bender, Hill, & Thomas, 2006). An examination of communication styles and conflict resolution skills of teachers are significant in the context of the students’ academi c performance. An investigation of the relationship of teachers’ communication style and l evel of conflict resolution provides empirical guidance in the design of teachers traini ng activities. The next chapter details the research methodology and data collection techni ques to answer the research questions of the present study. 40 CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to describe the meth odology and statistical procedures to be used in the proposed study. The go al of this study is to investigate if there is a significant difference between the commu nication styles of Catholic elementary school teachers and conflict resolution skills scor es for teachers across genders. In order to meet that goal, the researcher examined if a par ticular communication style is correlated with higher or lower levels of conflict resolution in the classroom for elementary school teachers and across genders. To m easure communication style, McCroskey and Richmonds (1996) and the Socio Commun icative Style Scale (SCS) was used. Written permission was obtained from Dr. McCr oskey to use this instrument. To measure skills in conflict resolution, the 5-point Likert survey Conflicts Resolution Questionnaire, which was designed by members of Joc k McClellan's 1993 class on Conflict Resolution, was used. Both of these instru ments were readily available to the public via the Internet free of charge. This study used an ex post facto, post-positivist, quantitative approach to obtain responses from the research participants through da ta collection, measurement, and analysis. In this chapter, a statement of the probl em will be reiterated, the setting and participants will be described, the methods of data collection (including the survey to be administered) will be detailed, the research questi ons will be delineated and the plans for data analysis will be presented. 41 Researcher’s Philosophy Epistemology is concerned with the nature, sources , and limits of knowledge (Creswell, 2003). This study will use a correlation al, post-positivist, ex post facto, quantitative approach to obtain responses from the research participants through data collection, measurement, and analysis. This approac h is a valid approach to the research questions posed because it uses a post-positivist c laim for developing knowledge. According to Creswell, knowledge is objective and q uantifiable. Given the questions under investigation, the post-positivist, descripti ve, quantitative approach is an appropriate approach to describing hypothesized pat terns of relationships among the study variables. The data was collected, measured, and analyzed quantitatively in order to form conclusions about communication styles, skills in conflict resolution and gender. Restatement of Research Questions/Hypothesis Statem ents This study addressed the following questions and re search hypothesis: RQ1. Is there a significant difference between the communication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility) an d conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers? RQ2. Is there a significant difference between comm unication style domains (assertiveness, responsiveness, versatility) and ge nder on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers ? The hypotheses corresponding to these questions are as follows: HA1: There is a significant difference between assert iveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. 42 H01: There is not a significant difference between as sertiveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers. HA2 There is a significant difference between responsi veness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. H02: There is not a significant difference between re sponsiveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers. HA3: There is a significant difference between versat ility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers. H03: There is not a significant difference between ve rsatility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. The same set of hypotheses was also evaluated by ge nder to allow measurability of gender differences in communication style domains a nd conflict resolution skill scores. Research Design Model The research investigated communication styles by examining the concept in relation to conflict resolution. According to Leedy and Ormrod (2005), this type of research involved either identifying the characteri stics of an observed phenomenon or exploring possible correlations among two or more p henomena. The four descriptive designs identified by Leedy and Ormrod were survey research, observational studies, correlation research and developmental designs. Survey research involves acquiring information abo ut one or more groups of people, perhaps about their characteristics, opinio ns, or previous experiences. One of the most common types of survey research involves askin g questions and tabulating the responses (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). In the present st udy, the Socio Communication Style 43 Scale (SCS) designed by McCroskey and Richmonds (19 96) was used (see Appendix B) to survey teachers from five Catholic elementary sc hools in South Texas. They were also asked to answer the Conflict Resolution Questionnai re. The sample size was derived by the assumption that an initial sample of 215 partic ipants are enough to generate at least 64 participants for each communication type surveye d (taken from G* Power analysis). The sites used in the study were Catholic elementar y schools in South Texas. The researcher is neither employed nor has any affiliat ion with the selected schools. The researcher sent an invitation letter to the Superin tendent of these schools (see Appendix A). This letter detailed the type of study that was conducted, the participants, and schools needed to complete the study, a brief description o f the project and the name of the survey that was used. The Superintendent was reques ted to sign, date, and return the letter to the researcher. This letter served as an acknowledgment that the researcher had permission to conduct the study in the Catholic ele mentary schools in South Texas. An Internet based survey was completed by school te achers. Permission from the Superintendent was secured to solicit teachers from the selected schools to participate in this study (see Appendix A). The superintendent was asked to give the researcher the opportunity to post an invitation for teacher parti cipation in this study on each school’s electronic bulletin board. The invitation addressed the need for the teachers’ participation in the study. None of the schools requested to part icipate in this study have an Institutional Review Board. The teachers were invited to participate by posting an advertisement at the schools’ electronic bulletin board. The purpose of the study was briefly explained in this advertisement. The contact information of the resea rcher was included. An active link to 44 the website housing the questionnaire was included in the online advertisement within this link. Within this link, the participants were able to view the online Informed Consent Forms and answer the brief multiple-choice survey. Sampling Design The population consisted of all teachers in the tar geted Catholic elementary schools (215). When calculating the sample size for the study, several factors were taken into consideration. These factors included the inte nded power of the study, the effect size of the phenomena under study, and the level of sign ificance to be used in rejecting the null hypothesis (alpha; Cohen, 1998). The power of the study was set at 80% and the alpha level was set at 0.05. The effect size was se t at 0.5. Effect size is an estimated measurement of strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables in the study (Cohen, 1988). The effect si ze of the study was characterized as small, medium and large. For this study, a medium e ffect size was employed. Using G*power in the calculation of sample size, the reco mmended minimum sample size is 64. Participants from the sample population (215) were targeted to capture information to compensate for uncompleted questionn aires, missing information, or sample bias such that each teaching style is equall y represented. This study used the convenience sampling technique in generating a set of sample population. Convenience sampling involves the use of subjects whom are the most conveniently available, and not necessarily known, to the researcher (Polit & Hungl er, 1999). For this study, the method of purposive sampling wa s used. Selection criteria included the following: (a) participants must curre ntly teach the 3rd, 4th or 5th grade; (b) must be teaching for at least 2 years in the 3rd, 4 th, or 5th grade; (c) must view an online 45 consent form; and (d) must be willing to complete t he online survey. The sample was purposeful because the entire 3rd, 4th, and 5th gra de population of the selected Catholic elementary schools was solicited. Issac and Michael (1995) stated that purposeful sampling was used to help the researcher learn abou t issues central to the purpose of the research. The exclusion criteria include: (a) students (b) re tired teachers (c) low tenure teachers and (d) teachers not teaching 3 rd, 4 th or 5 th grade. Students were excluded because of the ethical issue of allowing individual s below 18 years old to participate in the study. Retired teachers were excluded to ensure that the sample only includes practicing teachers. Teachers with less than two ye ars’ experience were excluded from the study. Teachers who are not teaching 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade were excluded from the study. Measures A review of the literature revealed that survey re search was used in a variety of studies pertaining to communication styles and conf lict resolution. To measure communication style, McCroskey and Richmond’s (1996 ) Socio Communicative Style Scale (SCS) was used. SCS is a 20-item test that de termines the communication style of teachers in three domains: assertiveness, responsiv eness and versatility. Scales for this inventory are (5) strongly agree that it applies , (4) agree that it applies , (3) are undecided , (2) disagree that it applies or (1) strongly disagree that it applies . Answers range from strongly agree to strongly disagree. No information was available regarding the validity, reliability or the normative data of the instrument. However, the instrument 46 has been widely used in peer-reviewed articles to d ifferentiate the communication styles of teachers. To measure skills in conflict resolution, the 5-poi nt Likert type survey Conflict Resolution Questionnaire was used. The survey was c reated by McClellan's 1993 class on Conflict Resolution. The questions are based primar ily on the works of Weeks (Los Angeles: Jeremy Tarcher, 1992) and Fishers and Ury (Penguin Books, 1991). The answers range from almost always to almost never . The survey contains 40 questions with 10 sub-scales: view conflict as natural and po sitive, atmosphere, clarify perceptions, needs, power, future, options, doables, mutual-bene fit agreements, and extra considerations. The scale will result with a single conflict resolution score. The score range is 55 to 220 points in which the higher the s core, the higher the skills in conflict resolution. Data Collection Procedure The superintendent of the sample population was co ntacted and permission was requested to conduct this study in several Catholic elementary schools in South Texas. Once permission had been granted, elementary school teachers of the selected schools were solicited via the schools’ electronic bulletin board to participate in the study. The advertisement introduced the researcher, explained the purpose and scope of the study, and invited the teachers to participate. A flyer wa s placed in all the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers in boxes at the selected schools (Se e Attachment G). All potential participants were schoolteachers in selected Catholic elementary schools. The study was viewed by logging into a web site that was included in the flyer. The web address (www.dissertation2013.us) was inclu ded in the invitation. Those 47 teachers who participated were provided with a summ ary of the nature and purpose of the study. At the conclusion of the survey, the participants were provided with an opportunity to select a “Finish Survey” option on t he survey, which exported their responses to an account only accessible, by the res earcher. Each participant’s response data generated a new message to the researcher, whi ch excluded any identifiable information, such as the participant’s name or e-ma il address. The researcher possessed the only access to participant responses or data; h owever, the attached database system prevented the researcher to determine from whom the responses or data was received, protecting the participant’s anonymity. Once all th e data were collected, the researcher exported the data into The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 17.0 for analysis. A copy of the original data will be saved on a disk maintained by the researcher in a locked cabinet for a minimum of seven years in ac cordance with 45 CFR 46.115(b). All data in the e-mail account hosted on the secure ser ver will be deleted and the account closed at the conclusion of the study. All empirica l information and findings of the study may be published in a reputable research journal an d stored in research databases. Pilot Testing Pilot testing serves the purpose of working out pro blems that might occur before the researcher embarks on an actual project (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005). Due to the fact that McCroskey and Richmond’s (1996) SCS questionnaire a nd Jock McClellan's 1993 class on Conflict Resolution Questionnaire are establishe d survey and were used in a similar 48 setting, as the current study, the conduct a pilot test of the survey instrument has not been necessary. Data Analysis Procedure To examine the difference between communication sty le and skills in conflict resolution across grade levels and gender, Pearson’ s r correlation coefficient, independent samples t-test, and two-way full-factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were performed. The analysis looked at any significant d ifferences of communication style across grade level and gender. Descriptive statisti cs was used to analyze and classify data according to the teachers’ responses to the survey questions. The data were coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Soci al Sciences (SPSS). Statistical analysis was conducted to make comparisons on survey questio ns across grade levels (i.e., third, fourth, and fifth grades), and between genders (i.e ., male and female). Analysis employed both the Pearson’s r and t-test, with a significance level set at .05 f or each hypothesis tested. The variables in the study were communicati on styles (assertiveness, responsiveness, and versatility), gender (male / fe male), and conflict resolutions (high skills/ low skills). A two-way ANOVA was used to as sess any significant differences between participants. Levene’s test was used in con junction with the t-test and ANOVA to assess equality of variances. Pearson’s r correlation coefficients were used to assess relat ionships between conflict resolution skill scores and assertiveness and responsiveness scores. This is justified by the fact that the variables involved w ere quantitative in nature and one desire’s to measure the degree of association betwe en them. An independent samples t- test was used to comparatively analyze high and low communication styles scores with 49 respect to conflict resolution skills scores. The t-test is the most appropriate statistical test to use because it determines whether two means are statistically significantly different at a selected probability level (Gay, 1996). ANOVA is an appropriate test to use when there are two or more levels of an independent variable ( in which case, this study involved gender and grade level). Like the t-test, it is used to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference across two or more means at a selected probability level (Gay, 1996). Limitations of Methodology Several limitations should be noted. First, the goa l of descriptive research is to provide data about a certain population (Leedy & Or mrod, 2005). Descriptive research results only provide information on the “who, what, where and when” of particular occurrences. Causal inferences cannot be made from descriptive research designs. Perhaps the greatest limitation of this study is th e sample to be surveyed. On the one hand, more research on conflict resolution in the s chool system is needed. On the other hand, surveying only one school district raises que stions about the potential generalizability of the results to other schools in the region, as there may be characteristics of the school to be sampled that ar e idiosyncratic enough to reduce its similarity (with regard to teaching styles) to othe r schools. Lastly, this study was limited to specific teachers in a Catholic school system. C ertainly, this study could be replicated in the future in multiple schools located in differ ent geographical regions. Ethical Issues Careful attention to the ethical treatment of parti cipants and their data must be paid when performing any type of research (Creswell , 2003). This study utilized the 50 Capella’s ethical standard in performing the data c ollection and analysis of the study. All ethical measures were presented to the Institutiona l Review Board (IRB) for the approval of the study. According to Bordens and Abbott (2005 ), the IRB reviews the research plan and materials to ensure that the steps outlined con form to high standards for the ethical treatment of participants. The IRB plays a very imp ortant role because it allows a group of individuals, who do not have a vested interest i n the research, to screen the proposed study (Bordens & Abbott, 2005) and to provide feedb ack to the researcher about any aspects that must be modified before the study can be executed. The adherence to the Capella University IRB provides a system of checks and balances to ensure that the researcher of the study observed ethical standards. In this study, the researcher employed various reso urces to ensure participants are protected. First, teachers in the selected schools viewed the initial flyers on the schools’ electronic bulletin board, which detailed that thei r identity as a participant in the study will be concealed and protected. Additionally, the survey instrument reaffirmed that participation is voluntary, and requires the partic ipant to select “I Consent” before being permitted to proceed with the survey. In this manne r, the researcher ensured that participation in the study is informed and voluntar y. As set forth above, a copy of the original data were saved on a compact disc and main tained in a locked cabinet in the researchers office for a minimum of seven years in accordance with 45 CFR 46.115(b). Internal Validity According to Leedy and Ormrod (2005), findings can suffer from problems of internal invalidity if they may have been affected by factors other than those thought to have caused them or if the interpretation of the da ta by the researcher is not clearly 51 supportable. Factors that may affect the research w ere subject variability, size of subject population, and instrument sensitivity. The researc her was cognizant of this and attempted to eliminate any factors that might reduc e the internal validity of the proposed study. External Validity According to Bryman (2006), findings can suffer fro m external invalidity if they cannot be extended or applied to contexts outside t hose in which the research occurred. Factors that may influence external validity includ e sample characteristics, subject selection, research environment, and data collectio n methods (Lund, 2012). The present study proposes that this study contributes to the l arger body of knowledge about conflict resolution of teachers in elementary schools. It sh ould be noted that prior studies have sought limited sample of all schools in the United States and utilized one or more schools to which they have access (e.g., Bauman & Del Rio, 2006; Dake et al., 2003; Ladd & Profit, 1996; Oman et al., 2005; Unnever & Cornell, 2004; Yoon, 2004). Expected Findings The results of the study can be instrumental in exp anding the literature on conflict resolution and communication styles. The researcher was expecting that the study would be able to expand the literature by examining how a ssertive, responsive, and versatile communication styles differ with skills in conflict resolution of problem behaviors in classrooms. Specifically, the present study determi nes if a particular communication style is significantly different to skills in conflict re solution. 52 Conclusion This section presented the methodology used to dete rmine if there is a significant difference of communication styles on conflict reso lution across genders. Teachers in the targeted Catholic elementary schools were the parti cipants of this study. Two survey instruments were used to measured communication sty le and conflict resolution. For communication style, the Socio Communicative Style Scale was used while for conflict resolution, the Conflict Resolution Questionnaire w as used. Also discussed were the research design and approach, the data-collection p rocedures, and the data analysis that was used to address the goal of this study. Chapter 4 will present the results and findings of this research. Chapter will provide a summary of the analysis and recommendations for further research. 53 CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Introduction The main objective of the study was to examine diff erences among various communication style domains established by McCroske y and Richmond (1996) and the effectiveness of conflict resolution in problem beh aviors in students. This objective was achieved by examining if a particular communication style was correlated with higher or lower levels of conflict resolution in the classroo m for Catholic elementary school teachers and across genders. As a study, an ex post facto, post-positivist, quantitative approach was used to solicit truth from the researc h participants through data collection, measurement, and analysis. In this chapter, a reite ration of the data collection procedure and data analysis and discussion of the results wil l be presented. The chapter also describes the sample used in seeking answers to the research questions. A summary concludes this chapter. Description of the Sample Table 1 provides a summary of the demographic profi le of the 97 respondents, representing 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers. Thes e respondents also include an overall impression of themselves in handling and resolving conflicts resolving in a way that builds long-term relationships with the other parti es. Due to 14 incomplete surveys and seven ineligible participants, the 118 potential su rvey respondents were reduced to 97 respondents. The reduction of potential participant s in the study is still within the acceptable limit articulated in the results of the power analysis. Majority of the samples 54 were female (73.1%), had more than five years of te aching experience (70.2%), teach grade 4 and 5 students (74.8%), and earned bachelor s’ degree (71.6%). Table 1 Descriptive Statistics for Demographics of Elementa ry School Teachers Demographic Variable Percentage GENDER Male 26.9% Female 73.1% YEARS OF TEACHING 0 – 2 6.7% 2 – 5 23.1% 5 – 8 30.8% 8 – 10 19.2% 10+ 20.2% GRADE TEACHING 3 rd 25.2% 4 th 36.9% 5 th 37.9% EDUCATION BA 71.6% MA 28.4% Note: Total number of participants is 118. However, not all responded to the survey completely. Number s enclosed in parentheses is the total responses for the particular variable (N). Research Questions and Hypotheses Specifically, the study was conducted to determine whether there is a significant difference between the communication styles of elem entary school teachers and conflict resolution skills across genders and grade levels. In line with this, two research questions were formulated, namely: RQ1. Is there a significant difference between the communication style domains and conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers? RQ2. Is there a significant difference between comm unication style domains and gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers? 55 The hypothesis corresponding to these questions are as follows: HA1: There is a significant difference between assert iveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. H01: There is not a significant difference between as sertiveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers. HA2 There is a significant difference between responsi veness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. H02: There is not a significant difference between re sponsiveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers. HA3: There is a significant difference between versat ility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers. H03: There is not a significant difference between ve rsatility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. However, since versatility communication style cann ot be scored, the last two of the aforementioned hypotheses concerning versatilit y were changed. Instead of comparing the versatility communication style score s with conflict resolution skill scores, only conflict resolution skills were compared among elementary school teachers. As such, the hypotheses: H03: There is not a significant difference between vers atility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers and Ha3: There is a significant difference between versatili ty communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers were changed to: 56 H03: There is not a significant difference on the conf lict resolution skill scores among Catholic elementary school teachers. Ha3: There is a significant difference on the conflict r esolution skill scores among Catholic elementary school teachers. To address these questions, McCroskey and Richmond’ s (1996) Socio Communicative Style Scale (SCS) questionnaire and J ock McClellan's 1993 class on Conflict Resolution Questionnaire were administered to gather data from participants currently teaching at 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade for at least 2 years now coming from Catholic elementary schools in the South Texas. Statement of Results Addressing the first research question requires Pea rson’s r correlation coefficients between conflict resolution skill scores and assert iveness and responsiveness scores and a comparative analysis using t-test of high and low c ommunication styles scores to conflict resolution skills scores. A coefficient of r(101) = 0.321, p = 0.01 suggested that the two communication styles directly correlated with one a nother, meaning that higher levels of assertiveness are associated with higher levels of responsiveness. In relation with conflict resolution skills, assertiveness communication styl e was found to be virtually uncorrelated ( r(81) = -0.020, p = 0.86) with such. Results further demonstrated that participants with higher levels of responsiveness c ommunication style had higher conflict resolutions skills score ( t(31) = 2.688, p = 0.02), meaning they were more adept in handling conflicts. With this, the null hypothesis was rejected since there were significant differences found between assertiveness communicati on style and conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers. 57 Addressing the second research question requires t he results of each fitted two- factor full factorial ANOVA model with grade level and gender as fixed-effects for each of assertiveness and responsiveness communication s tyles as well as conflict resolution skill scores. All statistical analyses were perform ed at a significance level of 5% using SPSS. Results indicate that conflict resolution ski ll scores among female teachers increase. With regards to gender, female Catholic e lementary school teachers were found to have higher conflict resolution skills score tha n male Catholic elementary school teachers. Therefore, the study failed to reject the null hypothesis, which states that there are no significant difference between communication style domains and gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers. Details of Analysis Table 2 shows a summary of the assertiveness and re sponsiveness communication style scores of the participants base d on the SCS (McCroskey & Richmond, 1996). In the domain of assertiveness, it em ‘defend one’s own beliefs’ yielded the highest mean score at 4.36 while percep tion on dominance generated the lowest mean score at 2.67. Furthermore, among the s ame items, responses toward independence were least diverse (with the lowest st andard deviation at 0.72) and responses toward having a strong personality were m ost diverse (with the highest standard deviation at 1.39). Overall, mean total as sertiveness score is 36.94, with a standard deviation of 6.13. On the other hand, among the responsiveness items, the participants can be generally viewed as be very helpful (with the highe st mean score at 4.43) while they can also be generally viewed as being least gentle (wit h the lowest mean score at 4.04). 58 Moreover, it is interesting to note that these item s had individually scored very high (all greater than 4.00). Furthermore, among the same ite ms, responses toward helpfulness were least diverse (with the lowest standard deviat ion at 0.72) and responses toward friendliness were most diverse (with the highest st andard deviation at 0.92). Overall, the mean total responsiveness score is 42.50, with a st andard deviation of 6.67. The results intuitively imply that the Catholic elementary scho ol teachers who participated in the study are generally being more responsive in commun icating than being assertive. Table 2 Descriptive Statistics for Communication Styles Sco res Assertiveness Items Mean S.D . Responsiveness Items Mean S.D . Defends own beliefs 4.36 0.73 Helpful 4.43 0.72 Independent 4.31 0.72 Responsiveness to others 4.25 0.81 Forceful 2.83 1.28 Sympathetics 4.29 0.84 Has strong personality 3.46 1.39 Compassionate 4.31 0.87 Assertive 4.02 0.89 Sensitive to the needs of others 4.13 0.81 Dominant 2.67 1.35 Sincere 4.17 0.86 Willing to take a stand 4.24 0.86 Gentle 4.04 0.91 Acts as a leader 4.25 0.89 Warm 4.27 0.87 Aggressive 3.38 1.15 Tender 4.23 0.91 Competitive 3.42 1.13 Friendly 4.34 0.92 Table 3 shows a summary of the individual items as well as the total conflict resolution skills scores based on the Conflicts Res olution Questionnaire (by McClellan, 1993). The maximum mean was found to be 4.49 for th e item “During a conflict I ask questions to clarify a statement that I'm not sure of.” This was followed by a mean of 59 4.41 for the item “I try to make people feel comfor table when meeting with them about a conflict.” The items “I state my true feelings when dealing with conflict, When in a conflict with someone, I ask them to explain their position, I share my positive attitude, hoping they will do the same,” and “I feel that it is okay to agree to disagree on specific issues in a conflict,” had means of 4.28 for the fo rmer two and 4.24 for the latter two. On the other hand, the minimum mean was found to be 1.59 for the item “I bring up old issues from the past during a new conflict.” This was followed by a mean of 1.62 for the item “I find it necessary to overpower othe rs to get my own way.” Rounding out the bottom 5 were the items “In conflict I try to d ominate the other party, I feel that only my needs are important, and If I had my way, I win, you lose,” with means of 1.64, 2.08, and 2.13 respectively. In consideration of the aggregate score, the averag e total conflict resolution skills score of the participants was found to be 139.69, w ith a standard deviation of 14.93. The mean aggregate score of 139.69 is almost midway of 55 and 220 (lowest and highest possible score based on literature), suggesting tha t the conflict resolution skills of the participants were generally average. Making much mo re sense of the standard deviation, a calculated coefficient of variation of 10.69% sug gests that the scores of the individual participants are rather relatively loosely spread a way from the mean. This was highlighted by the findings that the minimum total score was found to be 81 while the maximum total score was found to be 177 (a range of 96). 60 Table 3 Descriptive Statistics for Conflict Resolution Skil ls Scores Item Mean S.D. 1. I feel that conflict is a negative experience. 3.29 1.44 2. When I resolve a conflict, it improves my relations hip. 3.86 0.87 3. I am afraid to enter into confrontations. 2.86 1.31 4. I feel that in conflicts someone will get hurt. 3.38 1.24 5. When I prepare to meet to discuss a conflict, I try to arrange for a mutually acceptable time and setting. 3.90 0.85 6. I feel it is important where a conflict takes place . 3.93 1.09 7. I try to make people feel comfortable when meeting with them about a conflict. 4.41 0.77 8. When I start to discuss a conflict with the other p arty, I choose my opening statement carefully to establish pos itive realistic expectations. 4.20 0.88 9. I state my true feelings when dealing with conflict . 4.28 0.78 10. During a conflict I ask questions to clarify a statement that I'm not sure of. 4.49 0.66 11. I try to be aware of how my negative and positive s elf- perceptions influence the way I deal with a conflic t. 4.20 0.75 12. In conflict my reactions are based on how I think t he other party perceives me. 3.21 0.98 13. I feel that only my needs are important. 2.08 1.18 14. I feel for a relationship to last, the needs of both parties must be considered. 4.19 0.77 15. In a conflict I strive to distinguish between real needs and desires. 4.05 0.82 16. In order not to harm the relationship, I may tempor arily put aside some of my own less important personal wants. 3.84 0.82 17. I share my positive attitude, hoping they will do t he same. 4.24 0.85 18. I find it necessary to overpower others to get my o wn way. 1.62 0.98 19. I am aware of the other person may need to feel in control of the conflict. 3.92 1.00 20. In a conflict, I believe there should be no upper-h and. 3.29 1.53 61 Table 3. (cont.d) Item Mean S.D. 21. I find it easy to forgive. 3.98 22. I bring up old issues from the past during a new conflict. 1.59 23. When dealing with a conflict, I consider the future of the long-term relationship. 4.10 24. In conflict I try to dominate the other party. 1.64 25. I listen with an open mind to alternative options. 4.19 26. I feel there is just one way to solve a problem. 2.41 27. When dealing with a conflict, I have preconceived notions a bout the other party that I am unwilling to let go of. 2.65 28. I can accept criticism from others. 3.81 29. I feel that winning the war is more important than winning the battle. 2.37 30. I strive for a complete and genuine resolution of a conflict rather than settling for a temporary agree ment. 3.84 31. When dealing with a conflict I have a pre- determined solution to the outcome. 3.47 32. I feel the need to control an argument. 2.33 33. If I had my way, I win, you lose. 2.13 34. When in a conflict with someo ne, I ask them to explain their position. 4.28 35. I bargain to resolve conflict. 3.49 36. At the end of a conflict, it matters to me that the other person's needs have been met as well as my own. 3.91 37. I express anger constructively. 4.06 38. In difficult conflicts, I would consider requesting a third party facilitator. 39. I overlook my partners’ anger in order to focus on the real issues to conflict. 3.98 4.01 40. I feel that it is okay to agree to disagree on spec ific issues in a conflict. 4.24 62 Research Questions and Hypotheses Relationships The two research questions and hypotheses focused on examining whether specific communication style is correlated with hig her or lower levels of conflict resolution in the classroom for Catholic elementary school teachers and across genders. Research Question 1 and Hypothesis 1 RQ1. Is there a significant difference between the communication style domains and conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers? HA1: There is a significant difference between assert iveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers. H01: There is not a significant difference between as sertiveness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers. Table 4 gives the inter-correlation between Pearso n’s r coefficients of aggregate assertiveness, responsiveness, and conflict resolut ion skills scores. It is quite interesting to note that assertiveness communication style and responsiveness communication style significantly correlated with one another. A correl ation r(101) = 0.321, p = 0.01 suggested that the two communication styles directl y correlated with one another, meaning that higher levels of assertiveness are ass ociated with higher levels of responsiveness. In relation with conflict resolutio n skills, assertiveness communication style was found to be virtually uncorrelated ( r(81) = -0.020, p = 0.86) with such. On the other hand, responsiveness communication sty le was found to correlate directly with conflict resolution skills, although was not significant at = .05%. This would suggest that there is no significant associat ion between the two. Table 4 63 Correlation Matrix for the Communication Styles and Conflict Resolution Skills Scores (1) (2) (3) (1) Assertiveness 1.000 (2) Responsiveness 0.321* 1.000 (3) Conflict Resolution Skills -0.020 0.175 1.000 Notes: 1Degree of relationship is described by taking the m agnitude and is interpreted as follows: 0.00- 0.20 very weak; 0.20-0.40 weak; 0.40-0.60 moderate; 0.60-0.80 strong; 0.80-1.00 very strong . 2Significant results at = 0.05 are given in italics and marked with asteri sks (*). To further investigate on the first research questi on, participants were classified into either high or low score levels on each of the communication styles, depending on the z-score transformation of the communication sty le scores (i.e., if z-score < 0, then level is low and vice versa). Means of conflict res olution skills scores of the two levels for each communication style were then compared. Ta ble 5 gives the summary of the comparisons using two-sample independent t-tests. E quality of variance assumption was violated for both cases (as evidenced by the Levene ’s test p-values of both less than 0.05); hence, non-equality of variances adjustments for the degrees of freedom was made. Clearly, only levels of responsiveness communicatio n style had significant differences on their respective conflict resolution skills scores. In light of that, it was observed that participants with higher levels of responsiveness c ommunication style had higher conflict resolutions skills score, meaning they were more ad ept in handling conflicts. Therefore, HA1: There is a significant difference between asserti veness communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers is rejected to favor the acceptance of H 01: There is not a significant difference between ass ertiveness communication style and the conflict resolution ski ll scores of Catholic elementary 64 school teachers ( t(73) = -0.511, p = 0.61). This result came from the uncorrelated resul t between assertive communication style and conflict resolution skills. Table 5 High / Low Levels of Communication Styles Differenc es on Conflict Resolution Skills Score Communication Style High Level Low Level 1Difference Assertiveness 138.47 140.16 -1.69 Responsiveness 142.05 132.03 0.026* Notes: 1Differences are obtained by subtracting the low lev el mean score from the high level mean score. 2Differences marked with an asterisk (*) are signifi cant at = 5%. Research Question 2 and Hypothesis 2 RQ2. Is there a significant difference between comm unication style domains and gender on the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elementary school teachers? HA2: There is a significant difference between versat ility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic elemen tary school teachers across gender and grade levels. H02: There is not a significant difference between ve rsatility communication style and the conflict resolution skill scores of Catholic el ementary school teachers across gender and grade levels. Conflict resolution skills by gender and grade leve ls. Table 6 gives a cross- tabulation of conflict resolution skills score mean s by gender and grade levels. All scores were seen to be relatively close with another with the exception of the male grade 3 score. It was interesting to note that conflict res olution skill scores among female teachers increase along with the increase of grade level. Sa me result was observed in general 65 (collapsing on gender). On the other hand, with reg ards to gender, female Catholic elementary school teachers were found to have highe r conflict resolution skills score than male Catholic elementary school teachers. Table 6 Cross-Tabulation of Conflict Resolution Skills Mean Scores by Gender and Grade Levels Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 OVERALL Male 111.00 137.89 137.85 136.70 Female 138.15 140.17 144.32 140.78 OVERALL 136.86 139.55 141.69 139.69 To formally determine significant differences of me an scores of conflict resolution skills induced by gender and grade level , a two-way full factorial fixed-effects ANOVA was performed. Table 7 shows a summary of the ANOVA. First, there was no significant interaction found between gender and gr ade level ( F(2, 80) = 1.18, p = 0.31), i.e., conflict resolution skills score was not affe cted by the interaction between gender and grade level. While a case from Table 6 may be m ade that higher grade levels had higher conflict resolution skills score, the eviden ce to suggest such was not strong enough (F(2, 80) = 2.10, p = 0.13). However, the effect of gender on conflict re solution skill score was found to be significant ( F(1, 80) = 4.40, p = 0.04); hence, based from Table 6, female elementary school teachers were found to be more adept in handling conflicts than male elementary school teachers. H A2: It is accepted that there is a significant differ ence between conflict resolution skill scores of Catholi c elementary school teachers across gender and grade levels; however, the result is onl y significant for the gender of all participants examined. 66 Table 7 Two-Way ANOVA for Effect of Gender and Grade Level of Conflict Resolution Skills Type III Sum of Squares Df F p Gender 967.194 1 4.401 0.039* Grade Level 924.760 2 2.104 0.129 Gender*Grade Level 518.387 2 1.179 0.313 Error 1696985.000 80 Note: P-value marked with an asterisk (*) is signif icant at = 5%. Assertiveness communication style by gender and gra de levels. Table 8 gives a cross-tabulation of assertiveness communication sty le mean scores by gender and grade levels. All scores were seen to be relatively close . Again, conflict resolution skill scores seem to increase along with grade levels in general , although the increases were rather minute. On the other hand, with regard to gender, w hile female Catholic elementary school teachers were found to have higher conflict resolution skills scores than male elementary school teachers, the difference might se em to be negligible (about 1.10). Table 8 Cross-Tabulation of Assertiveness Communication Mea n Scores by Gender and Grade Levels Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 OVERALL Male 38.00 34.70 36.86 36.04 Female 35.90 37.72 37.70 37.14 OVERALL 36.00 36.86 37.35 36.84 Table 9 shows a summary of the ANOVA. Again, there was no significant interaction found between gender and grade level ( F(2, 85) = 0.42, p = 0.66). Moreover, 67 neither gender ( F(1, 85) = 0.06, p = 0.80) nor grade level ( F(2, 85) = 0.23, p = 0.79) was found to exert a significant effect on assertivenes s communication style score. H 03: It is accepted that there is no significant difference be tween communication style of Catholic elementary school teachers across gender and grade levels. Table 9 Two-Way ANOVA for Effect of Gender and Grade Level of Assertiveness Communication Type III Sum of Squares Degrees of Freedom F-statistic p -value Gender 2.387 1 0.063 0.803 Grade Level 17.575 2 0.231 0.794 Gender*Grade Level 32.149 2 0.422 0.657 Error 3234.864 85 Responsiveness communication by gender and grade le vels. Table 10 gives a cross-tabulation of responsiveness communication me an style scores by gender and grade levels. Again, all scores were seen to be relative. Moreover, no apparent trend was visible for scores across grade levels. With gender, there was virtually no difference between responsiveness communication style scores between m ale and female teachers. It is accepted that there is no significant difference be tween communication style of Catholic elementary school teachers across gender and grade levels. 68 Table 10 Cross-Tabulation of Responsiveness Communication Me an Scores by Gender and Grade Levels Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 OVERALL Male 46.00 41.40 44.36 43.24 Female 44.29 42.22 43.47 43.22 OVERALL 44.36 42.00 43.85 43.23 Table 11 shows a summary of the ANOVA. Again, ther e was no significant interaction found between gender and grade level ( F(2, 86) = 0.08, p = 0.78). Moreover, neither gender ( F(1, 86) = 0.08, p = 0.78) nor grade level ( F(2, 86) = 1.40, p = 0.25) was found to exert a significant effect on responsivene ss communication style score. H 03: It is accepted that there is no significant difference be tween communication style of Catholic elementary school teachers across gender and grade levels. Table 11 Two-Way ANOVA for Effect of Gender and Grade Level of Responsiveness Communication Type III Sum of Squares Degrees of Freedom F p Gender 2.409 1 0.079 0.780 Grade Level 85.671 2 1.401 0.252 Gender*Grade Level 13.564 2 0.222 0.802 Error 2629.304 86 Summary The main objective of the study was to examine dif ferences among various communication style domains established by McCroske y and Richmond (1996) and the effectiveness of conflict resolution in problem beh aviour in students. Specifically, the 69 study was conducted to determine whether there was a significant difference between the communication styles of Catholic elementary school teachers and conflict resolution skills across genders and grade levels. First, it was found that the conflict resolution s kills scores had the tendency to be directly affected by responsiveness communication s tyle alone. This meant that increases in responsiveness communication style scores will g enerally result to increases in conflict resolution skills score in general, although insign ificantly. However, there was a significant difference calculated between conflict resolution skills scores for high and low responsive communication style groups thereby rejec ting the null hypothesis for research question 1. Consistently, it was found that teacher s with higher levels of responsiveness were more adept in handling conflicts. Additionally , it was quite interesting to note that assertiveness communication style and responsivenes s communication style significantly correlated with one another, i.e., higher levels of assertiveness are associated with higher levels of responsiveness.

With regards to gender and grade levels, it was fo und that the two do not interact to exert significant effects on conflict resolution , assertiveness, and responsiveness communication styles. The results imply the accepta nce of the null hypotheses; however, the result was only significant across gender of th e participants. It was found that female Catholic elementary school teachers were more adept in handling conflicts than male Catholic elementary school teachers. Finally, neith er gender nor grade level was found to exert a significant effect on responsiveness commun ication style score. 70 CHAPTER 5. IMPLICATIONS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDA TIONS Introduction This chapter comprises of the summary and discussi on of results, conclusions, and recommendations. This quantitative research stu dy sought to examine the relationship of communication styles and conflict r esolution skills among male and female Catholic elementary school teachers in South Texas. This study was conducted in an effort to build empirical evidence regarding the different teacher communication styles in addressing conflict in the classroom. Chapter 5 included the findings and interpretations, recommendations, and suggestions f or further research. A summary and conclusion end the current study. This chapter prov ides substance to the results presented in Chapter 4 in relation to the review of literatur e in Chapter 2. An ex post facto, post positivist, quantitative res earch design was utilized in order to accomplish the purpose in examining the relation ship of communication styles and conflict resolution skills among male and female Ca tholic elementary school teachers in South Texas . Data were collected from five Catholi c elementary schools in South Texas. The participants were purposefully selected to meet the criteria for the target population. For this reason, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students o f the selected Catholic elementary schools was solicited. However, the students, retir ed teachers, low tenure teachers, and other grade level teachers were excluded. The 97 va lid responses met the 67 acceptable responses of parametric normal distribution that ar e reliable and valid for hypothesis testing. The participants from the selected schools were collected, coded and analyzed through the use of SPSS 17.0. 71 The participants were asked to answer two survey q uestionnaires, the Conflicts Resolution Questionnaire created by Jock McClellan in 1993 and the Socio Communicative Style Scale (SCS) in 1996. The respon ses to the survey provided data regarding the participants’ perception on the commu nication styles across grade level and gender. A demographic survey was also a part of the questionnaire to get pertinent details regarding gender, tenure, grade levels taught, educ ation, and perception on effectiveness at resolving conflicts. This information was used t o help in answering the primary questions for this current study. Discussion A survey of the participants’ demographic characte ristics indicated that on the average, the teachers were female with Baccalaureat e degree and had been in the service for 5-8 years. The majority of the teachers were te aching 5 th grade students and agreed that effectiveness at resolving conflicts to buildi ng long-term relationships. The result of the first and second hypotheses confi rmed the claims of Ayas et al. (2010) that the impact of communication styles is e vident when it comes to resolving issues. However, the grade level of the students wa s found to be insignificant in resolving conflicts. The results confirmed the findings of Ay as et al. (2010) who stated that there are significant differences in the factors involvin g communication style and conflict resolution. The authors found that conflict resolut ion strategies vary depending on the gender of the participants. According to Zembylas et al. (2011), the presence o f conflict indicates ineffective classroom management which can affect a positive le arning experience and environment for students. Hence, conflict between students and teacher emerged as a result of a shift 72 of power from teachers to students (Basar & Akan, 2 013) that poses difficulty to both teachers and school administrators. The results of this study supports the study of Meyers et al. (2006) which states that the most used strat egy was communicating with respect, warmth, and interest towards the student. This mean s that in order to resolve conflicts within the campus, teachers must use their ability to communicate with the students. This greatly increases the chances that the student will feel care. Jennings and Greenbergs (2009) agree that students who feel cared by their teachers reflect this positive emotion in their work. The authors explained how the pro-socia l nature of the teacher was able to satisfy the needs of the students to feel happy, re spected, and cared for. Implications for practice The significance of this study is based the gap in the literature specified in the first chapter, which states the need for studies to focus on how communication styles can be used in conflict resolution. Significantly, this study shows the direct relationship of assertiveness communication style to that of the re sponsive communication style. This finding suggest that when teachers are able to enha nce their assertiveness in communicating with students, teachers are more expo se to enhancing his or her responsiveness in communicating with students. This would further suggest that engagement in conflict resolution would enhance the styles of teachers in communication. From these results, this study adds to the body of knowledge on the positive effects on conflict resolution to both Cat holic school teachers and students by confirming the direct relationship of the variables conflict resolution skills and communication styles. The findings of this study al so contribute to the educational 73 institution, by supporting precious findings regard ing the impact of conflict resolution by using different communication styles. The insights gained from this study can also be hel pful for school administrators, teachers, and students in creating a better environ ment. It showed that the female Catholic elementary school teachers are more profic ient in handling student conflicts within the school. This supports the theory of Ayas et al. (2010) which stated that the impact of communication styles among women is evide nt when it comes to resolving conflicts. Identifying the appropriate conflict res olution style is helpful in advocating the development and implementation of a better environm ent that may affect student achievements. The investigation of this quantitativ e study showed that the grade levels of the Catholic elementary school teachers do not make significant differences in managing conflicts in the campus even when communication sty le is considered. Limitations The study revealed significant findings concerning the relationship of communication styles and conflict resolution skills among Catholic school teachers in the United States. While the results answered the resea rch questions posed for this study, the findings of the study may only be applicable to a g roup of school teachers who have similar demographic characteristics and competency on communication and conflict resolution. Furthermore, as this study did not esta blish quota samples in the recruitment of the participants, the actual conduct of the stud y yield more number of females than males. This circumstance limits the findings concer ning gender in relation to communication and conflict resolution skills. In ad dition, the study is also limited to the 74 variables used and there were no experiments conduc ted. The data only relied on the honesty of the participants. Recommendations Recommendations Based on Results of the Study It was evident that based on the results of the stu dy, communication domain styles can help elementary school teachers resolve issues between students. Through the use of different communication domain styles, there is a p robability that conflicts within the school may lessen in time. Moreover, Catholic eleme ntary school teachers must learn how to approach the students in resolving issues wi thin school. This can eventually yield fewer conflicts within the school. It is recommende d that the principals or administrators to develop a program that can teach educators how t o deal with students when conflict arises. It is proposed that the teachers be mentore d by psychologists on how to develop a resolution when problems arise. Special attention m ay be warranted on training of male teachers who may need more time to practice with re sponsiveness communication style tactics versus their female counterparts. Recommendations for Future Research Although the number of participants in this survey is adequate for the analyses that needed to be performed, a larger number of par ticipants particularly male school teachers could be more helpful in drawing generaliz able conclusions for Catholic elementary school teachers in understanding the imp act of communication styles to their conflict resolution skills. As such, the conclusion s made are only applicable to the participants involved in this study. It is recogniz ed that the problems within one particular place may be unique, and the problems identified in this particular context may not 75 necessarily apply to other places. It is then recom mended that the study be replicated in three different forms. First, the study could be re plicated with the same scope but different area. Doing so can identify the conflict resolution styles appropriate within the particular area. Second, the study may be replicate d to include principals and students within the particular area, in addition to Catholic elementary school teachers. Third, an overall case study may be done to compare and contr ast the different conflict resolution styles issues that are common and unique to differe nt geographical locations, in an effort to come up with a general action plan to can help i n resolving problems that occur in multiple areas. In addition, because most of the existing research focuses on the student’s handling and resolving conflicts, there might be a need for research studies that look at the other conflict resolution styles and communicat ion domain styles that are applicable in the same institutions. The limited sample size m ight also be a reason for the study’s inability to draw definitive conclusions regarding the use of conflict resolution styles and communication styles that matter inside the educati onal institution. Future researchers might want to focus on this aspect of the topic to provide more empirical proof for some of the researchers’ interpretation of the results i n the data analysis. Because there is a limited amount of research focus ing on the development of wider communication styles that is most appropriate for students and teachers, additional studies could increase the understanding on how com munication styles can be used in conflict resolution. Moreover, to maximize the pote ntial of the teachers in resolving issues, the increase in understanding on how to dea l with students could be helpful. In addition, a qualitative study can help in knowing w hat communication styles the teachers 76 and students are more comfortable in using. A quali tative study is advised because the participants will not be limited to the options giv en in a multiple choice survey questionnaire. An open-ended face-to-face interview could help the participants explain the difficulties faced in certain conflict resoluti on styles and suggest ways of staying calm and composed in order to resolve conflicts. Future researchers may also conduct surveys on how these conflict resolution styles help the st udents to perform better scholastically. This way, the kind of environment received by the s tudents can help them achieve more in their educational endeavors. Furthermore, future researcher could conduct studies that can examine the effects of the conflict resolution and communication styles to the student’s performance and achievement. Conclusions The general problem examined in this quantitative s tudy is the need for information on how Catholic elementary school teach ers can use communication in resolving conflicts in school. In addition, the cur rent study aims to determine the relationship of communication styles and conflict r esolution skills among male and female Catholic elementary school teachers. The res ults of this study determined that Catholic elementary school teachers particularly th e general population of female are more adept in handling conflicts within the school because of their proclivity for responsive communication. The study is significant in providing evidence that Catholic education institution emphasized the mission of Chr istian values in fostering compassionate actions in communicating and managing conflict with students (Ike, 2008). 77 Chapter 5 presented a synopsis of this study’s resu lts and implications, limitations, recommendations, and conclusions. Prac tical implications were drawn from quantitative analyses conducted. Furthermore, this chapter presented the recommendations for actual practice and for future studies. The results of this study, although not conclusive in every aspect, contribute to the educational institution in adding more knowledge in terms of conflict resoluti on and how it can be applied by teachers when conflict arises among students. 78 REFERENCES Allen, K. P. (2010). Classroom management, bullying , and teacher practices. The Professional Education, 34 (1), 1-15. Amason, A. (1996). 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The following standards for original work and defin ition of plagiarism are discussed in the Policy: Learners are expected to be the sole authors of the ir work and to acknowledge the authorship of others’ work through proper citation and reference. Use of another person’s ideas, including another learner’s, withou t proper reference or citation constitutes plagiarism and academic dishonesty and is prohibited conduct. (p. 1) Plagiarism is one example of academic dishonesty. P lagiarism is presenting someone else’s ideas or work as your own. Plagiaris m also includes copying verbatim or rephrasing ideas without properly ackno wledging the source by author, date, and publication medium. (p. 2) Capella University’s Research Misconduct Policy ( 3.03.06 ) holds learners accountable for research integrity. What constitutes research misco nduct is discussed in the Policy: Research misconduct includes but is not limited to falsification, fabrication, plagiarism, misappropriation, or other practices th at seriously deviate from those that are commonly accepted within the academic comm unity for proposing, conducting, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. (p. 1) Learners failing to abide by these policies are sub ject to consequences, including but not limited to dismissal or revocation of the degree. 88 89 APPENDIX B. CONFLICT RESOLUTION QUESTIONNAIRE How do you Deal with Conflict? Answer the questions below as a way of examining ho w you deal with conflict. The survey was designed by members of Jock McClellan's 1993 class on Conflict Resolution. The questions are based primarily on the methods recommended by Dudle y Weeks in The Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution (Los Angeles: Jeremy Tarcher, 1 992), as well as on principles in Roger Fisher's and William Ury's Getting to Yes (Pe nguin Books, 1991). Rate each of the following statements from 1 - 5 us ing the ratings below to indicate how often you do as the statement says. Answer the ques tions to portray your most usual way of dealing with conflicts like those at home or at work. Do not take a long time on any question. Give your initial reaction. The more hone st your answers, the more useful the results will be. 1. Almost never 2. Occasionally 3. Half the time 4. Usually 5. Almost always 1. ____ / ____ I feel that conflict is a negative e xperience. 2. ____ / ____ When I resolve a conflict, it improv es my relationship. 3. ____ / ____ I am afraid to enter into confrontat ions. 4. ____ / ____ I feel that in conflicts someone wil l get hurt. 5. ____ / ____ When I prepare to meet to discuss a conflict, I try to arrange for a mutually acceptable time and setting. 6. ____ / ____ I feel it is important where a confl ict takes place. 7. ____ / ____ I try to make people feel comfortabl e when meeting with them about a conflict. 8. ____ / ____ When I start to discuss a conflict w ith the other party, I choose 9. ____ / ____ I state my true feelings when dealin g with conflict. 10. ____ / ____ During a conflict I ask questions t o clarify a statement that I'm not sure of.

90 11. ____ / ____ I try to be aware of how my negativ e and positive self-perceptions influence the way I deal with a conflict. 12. ____ / ____ In conflict my reactions are based on how I think the other party perceives me. 13. ____ / ____ I feel that only my needs are impor tant. 14. ____ / ____ I feel for a relationship to last, the needs of both parties must be considered. 15. ____ / ____ In a conflict I strive to distingui sh between real needs and desires. 16. ____ / ____ In order not to harm the relationsh ip, I may temporarily put aside some of my own less important personal wants. 17. ____ / ____ I share my positive attitude, hopin g they will do the same. 18. ____ / ____ I find it necessary to overpower ot hers to get my own way. 19. ____ / ____ I am aware of the other person may need to feel in control of the conflict. 20. ____ / ____ In a conflict, I believe there shou ld be no upper-hand. 21. ____ / ____ I find it easy to forgive.

22. ____ / ____ I bring up old issues from the past during a new conflict. 23. ____ / ____ When dealing with a conflict, I con sider the future of the long-term relationship. 24. ____ / ____ In conflict I try to dominate the o ther party. 25. ____ / ____ I listen with an open mind to alter native options. 26. ____ / ____ I feel there is just one way to sol ve a problem. 27. ____ / ____When dealing with a conflict, I have preconceived notions about the other party that I am unwilling to let go of. 28. ____ / ____ I can accept criticism from others. 29. ____ / ____ I feel that winning the war is more important than winning the battle. 30. ____ / ____ I strive for a complete and genuine resolution of a conflict rather than settling for a temporary agreement. 31. ____ / ____ When dealing with a conflict I have a pre-determined solution to the outcome. 32. ____ / ____ I feel the need to control an argum ent. 33. ____ / ____ If I had my way, I win, you lose.

34. ____ / ____ When in a conflict with someone, I ask them to explain their position. 35. ____ / ____ I bargain to resolve conflict.

36. ____ / ____ At the end of a conflict, it matter s to me that the other person's needs have been met as well as my own. 37. ____ / ____ I express anger constructively.

38. ____ / ____ In difficult conflicts, I would con sider requesting a third party facilitator. 39. ____ / ____ I overlook my partners’ anger in or der to focus on the real issues to conflict. 40. ____ / ____ I feel that it is okay to agree to disagree on specific issues in a conflict. Total ________ 91 Using the same 1-5 scale above, how often do you fe el you are effective at resolving conflicts in a way that builds your long-term relat ionship with the other parties? ___ 1 Almost Never ___ 2 Occasionally ___ 3 Half the Time ___ 4 Usually ___ 5 Almost Always