Teachers-Adolescent Students’ Conflicts Resolutions and their Mental Health Afflictions during Adolescent Development in Arumeru Secondary Schools, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a stormy period marked by conflicts. Studies indicate that teachers and adolescents frequently experience conflicts due to age-related changes. However, little is known about how these conflicts are resolved and about their impact on adolescents' mental health during this period. This study explored teachers' and adolescents' views on teacher-adolescent conflicts and how these conflicts affect adolescents’ mental health during their development in Arumeru secondary schools in the Arusha region of northern Tanzania.

Methods: This qualitative study employed a case study design guided by psychosocial theory. Data saturation was achieved with 44 purposively sampled participants who participated in in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions. The data were analyzed thematically with the assistance of NVivo 14.

Results: The study found that teachers and adolescent students adopt different conflict-resolution styles, which are likely to affect their psychological well-being and mental health. Some choose to live with psychological hostility, leading to stress, depression, and aggression. Positive resolution styles included seeking intervention from a third party for psychological relief; participants also chose either a comforting or a negotiating approach to achieve psychological relief, and, where possible, either ignored the conflict or sided with one side to maintain peace of mind among the conflicting parties.

Conclusion: The study identified several conflict resolution styles and their potential hiccups on adolescents’ psychological health and mental well-being. School management should create a supportive environment where adolescent students can openly discuss their challenges, allowing for appropriate support to promote stable psychological well-being and mental health.