Influence of Administrators’ Use of Dialogue and Counseling Strategies on Conflict Management in Public Secondary Schools in Zone C Senatorial District of Benue State

This study examined the influence of administrators’ use of dialogue and counseling strategies on conflict management in public secondary schools in Zone C Senatorial District of Benue State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined how dialogue and counseling strategies employed by school administrators contribute to effective conflict management. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were formulated and tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The study was guided by relevant empirical studies and appropriate theoretical frameworks. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 3,550 respondents (406 principals and 3,144 teachers) drawn from 406 public secondary schools in the study area. A sample of 356 respondents was selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed from related literature and the researcher’s experience. The instrument was validated by an expert in Educational Administration and Planning, and a reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained using Cronbach Alpha, indicating high internal consistency. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Chi-square statistics were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that administrators’ use of dialogue and counseling strategies significantly enhances conflict management in public secondary schools in Zone C Senatorial District of Benue State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that school administrators should consistently adopt dialogue and counseling approaches in managing conflicts to promote a more harmonious school environment and improve overall school effectiveness.