| Peaceful possibilities: three years of evaluative research of school based conflict resolution programs, is a dissertation which has two literature reviews. The first is a theoretical review which reveals the fragmentation of the theories informing school based conflict resolution program development. The second review, an empirical review, found that conflict resolution programs do improve one's knowledge of alternatives in resolving conflict. Three school based conflict resolution programs, The Students' Creative Response to Conflict, Cooperative Discipline and Peer Mediation, were evaluated in twelve public schools over a three year period, 1992-1995. The programs were delivered by the Center for Peace Education (CPE), Cincinnati, Ohio. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the evaluations. Data analysis, coupled performance rubrics with triangulation of key statistical and empirical data, to answer research questions relevant to a wide audience. What theories informed the CPE's school based conflict resolution programs? How should the CPE's conflict resolution programs be evaluated? Did the CPE's conflict resolution programs reduce classroom discipline problems? Did the CPE's conflict resolution programs prevent or reduce violence? Were the conflict resolution skills integrated into the day to day academic curriculum? What did the CPEs conflict resolution programs teach? Life skills to help people resolve their differences nonviolently, or a new form of obedience training? Results of the research indicate that conflict resolution programs do have limited but positive effects. Such effects are dependent upon the quality and type of the conflict resolution training. The discussion addresses lessons learned and new directions. The bibliography contains over two hundred citations. |
