Training Teacher to Cope with Conflicts Using Emotional Intelligence Strategies Through Artistic Tools

Abstract

Many studies have indicated that people's emotional abilities play a significant role in advancing processes. Studies conducted on teachers have indicated a connection between the educator's emotional abilities and their significant role in managing conflicts in such a way that improves the school climate academically, behaviorally, and socially, and can affect the community itself in the future.

Based on the ABC Model (Activating events, Beliefs, Consequences) that was developed by the psychologist Albert Ellis, a workshop of ten two-hour sessions was conducted with approximately one hundred teachers, coaches, and therapists. The workshop was aimed at acquiring, practicing, and assimilating emotional skills and abilities as part of conflict management (Sahin & Acar, 2019).

The Questionnaires and the interviews completed by the participants of the workshops at the beginning and at the end of the process showed that their self-esteem improved significantly following the use of the four strategies that will be presented.

The research findings indicate an important behavioral change in conflict management in cases in which use of artistic tools was made as a way of creating optimal social and emotional climate by providing the educator and learners creative ways to cope with conflicts.

These findings can be used to improve the way in which schoolteachers manage conflicts or as part of developing innovative intervention programs and enriching the toolbox for conflict management.

The educator's emotional abilities contribute greatly and significantly on developing conflict management abilities in an educational environment that encourages and enables the existence of social and academic processes that emphasize and pay attention to emotional processes, since to create, an enabling educational environment is required to demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence, a high sense of self-efficacy and an empathy ability.

Kinesthetic artistic tools can allow teachers to be creative in building work plans and professional development. The article provides documentation of the changes presented in the conduct and professional development of teachers in training for dealing with and managing conflicts.