The Assertive Resolution of Conflicts in School With a Gamified Emotion Education Program

Abstract

Coexistence in schools inevitably carries a higher risk of conflicts among peers. This fact can be detrimental to the well-being and academic achievement of the students. In many developed countries, about 90% of the pupils in compulsory secondary education report witnessing assaults among peers. In this regard, recognizing, controlling and managing emotions is key to ensure a healthy and effective interaction with others. Negative emotions, such as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if not regulated properly. Interactive tools, such as specialized software’s, have shown high rates of efficacy for the training of different kinds of competences like the regulation of emotions. The aim of the present work is to describe the Happy Emotional Education Program and its effects over a sample of secondary school students. This software focuses in the training of emotional competences of the students with the objective of solving conflicts in a more assertive way. The design employed in the present work was a quasiexperimental design with pretest and posttest with a control group. Results show that Happy Emotional Education Program contributes to the management of emotions and the absence of negative affect or anxiety in a significant way. Additionally, the constant use of this interactive tool enhances motivation and the learning process of students. Results also indicate the importance of assessing the effects of the program in the long term. This would enable researchers to further assess the effects of the program over those emotional competences that are more resistant to change given its stable nature.

Conflict Mediation, Emotional Regulation and Coping Strategies in the Educational Field

“…To address this interaction, knowledge is required to generate resolution and prevention tools for the accelerated growth of conflicts experienced by educational institutions in many countries around the world (Filella et al, 2018), contemplating the different factors involved. This study proposes a model aimed at facilitating the development of resources for teachers that allow them to improve the management of the different conflict situations that arise in the context of the classroom.…”

“…According to the Extended Process Model of Emotional Regulation proposed by Gross (2015), it is indicated that the emergence of emotions -and other affective states-occur as a result of a series of evaluations that individuals perform. For example, negative emotions, such as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if they are not regulated properly (Fritz et al, 2015;Filella et al, 2018). This process begins with a given situation (entry), which is perceived by the person in a subjective way.…”

“…A mediation process must consider the emotional aspects that influence the creation of the conflict, for example, negative emotions, such as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if they are not properly regulated (Filella et al, 2018).…”

“…A mediation process must consider the emotional aspects that influence the creation of the conflict, for example, negative emotions, such, as anger, can trigger conflicts or even episodes of violence if they are not properly regulated (Filella et al, 2018). The inclusion of individual and social aspects in the analysis of conflict situations, broadens the possibilities of obtaining satisfactory solutions for both parties, since elements such as perceptions and behavioral manifestations have been studied in the educational field, such as conflicting agents in the teaching-learning processes (Hargreaves, 2000;;Zembylas, 2002;Frenzel and Goetz, 2007;Frenzel et al, 2009b).…”

“…The accelerated increase of conflicts and acts of violence in the educational field, the deep and lasting damages that these cause in the victims, both in their personal and academic development, and the way in which these situations must be handled, have become issues of interest and attention in many countries of the world, where a high percentage of secondary school students (90%) say they have witnessed cases of aggression (Filella et al, 2018). Teachers and other members of the educational community are negatively affected in their physical-emotional states causing work leaves due to stress, emotional exhaustion and serious health problems (Bush and Pope, 2008).…”