On The Conflicts Between Teachers And Students In School Education

The relationship between teachers and students is the most basic, the most important and the most active interpersonal relationship system in education. The contacts between teachers and students directly influence the background and circumstances of the educational activities, and ultimately determine their effectiveness. Along with the transformation of our society from the traditional mode to the modern one, the individuality, worth, dignity, creativity and free will of the human being obtain more and more attention, respect and promotion. In the school education, the trend is embodied not only in the vacillation of the teachers' authoritative status but also in the promotion of the students' subjective consciousness. In the interactive process, the students begin to turn to the positive initiative from the negative passivity. They no longer obey the teachers blindly and will resist them for their own rights. If the teachers still hold their authoritative role, regardless of the students' psychology and demands, the conflicts and resistance will most possibly occur between them.This research mainly uses the methods that combine quantity research and qualitative research. Through the field work conducted in school B in Shanghai and school S in Huangchuan County, Henan Province, with the ways of observation, questionnaires, and enclosed and semi-enclosed talks with the school leaders, teachers as well as students, it makes the following discoveries:First, the conflicts between teachers and students are commonplace things in the middle school today. And the frequency of the conflicts is higher in school S. However, there is no remarkable difference between school B in Shanghai and school S in Huangchuan County as far as this issue is concerned.Second, the conflicts between teachers and students are mainly the realistic ones. But in school S, the teacher may take the student as a scapegoat when he is not in the mood. Therefore, the unrealistic conflicts also occupy a certain proportion in it.Third, the primary factor that causes the conflicts between teachers and students is the violation of the classroom discipline by students. However, in school S in Huangchuan County, it is also a common thing that the conflicts are precipitated by the after-school misdeeds of students, especially, their surfing the Internet.Fourth, most of the conflicts between teachers and students are of the general type. But the antagonistic conflicts also hold a certain proportion. Fifth, the conflicts have a certain influence upon teaches as well as students. But it is the student who suffers a greater negative influence, and who experiences more negative emotions such as depression and regret. Compared with the teacher, the student is more likely to consider that the conflicts have a destructive effect on their relationship.Sixth, both teachers and students think that it is the student that causes the conflicts. And most of the teachers do not think they are the leading factor to the conflicts. The teachers in Shanghai generally think that the family is another important reason for the conflicts.The main reasons for the conflicts between teachers and students seem to be that teachers do not understand students and adopt a simple way of education. In fact, the basic reason for the conflicts lies in the struggle for power between teachers and students, in the de-validation of teachers' authority by students. In the modern democratic and pluralistic society, the authority of teachers needs shifting from the "traditional mode" to the "legal-rational mode" and "charismatic mode". However, teachers today still stick to the traditional idea of authority, relying much on the power inherent in the teachers' role to discipline students. Thus, it inevitably results in their discontent and resistance. On the other hand, the managerialistic tendency in the school system and the value orientation that over-emphasizes the students' academic achievements intensify these conflicts.Objectively speaking, the occurrence of conflicts is not totally bad. It at least demonstrates the interaction between teachers and students. And it embodies the teachers' responsibilities and the students' active participation in the school life. Therefore, the teacher should adopt an open mind toward the conflicts, accepting them, making use of them, and changing them into the useful resources of education.But not all the conflicts have the positive function. Their constructive role depends on the nature of the initiative event and the treatment it receives. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to avoid destructive conflicts.The school should improve the appraisal mechanism, stepping out of the one-dimension world which is oriented toward the goal quantification , and establishing an appraisal system which can improve the students' comprehensive development. At the same time, the school should revise the unreasonable standards, implementing Humanistic management, carrying out colorful cultural activities so that the students obtain self-respect and self-confidence and establish reasonable self-concept in the activities. The students can initiatively coordinate and adjust the contradiction between the societal requests and individual psychological demand, and realize rationally their difference from the teachers. Therefore, the contradictions between teachers and students are reduced. In addition, the school should manage to broaden the channels for the communications between teachers and students, and establish stable communication for them.A new type of teacher authority should be established and a democratic and equal relationship between the teacher and student should be constructed. The teacher should become a guidance of the student's life and study. In the contact with the student, the teacher should respect for, understand, and launch an equal dialogue with the students so that the teacher can develop the student' ability of self-discipline, self-control and self-education. When communicating with the student's parents, the teacher should try to give scientific, reasonable proposal with a sincere and equal manner. After the occurrence of conflicts, the teacher should employ the manner of cooperation to deal with them, in light of the principle that calls for the attention on the interests of both sides.In addition, it is also beneficial to take measures to nurture the students' ability to face the conflicts. The teacher can design a curriculum that is related to conflicts, arranging controversial topics in the teaching process, and cultivating students' ability to cope with conflicts through the handling of actual conflicts.