Abstract

Session presented on: Thursday, July 25, 2013:

Purpose: To describe a meta-synthesis of research conducted on educators' lived experience of aggression in the workplace in South Africa and guidelines to manage aggression and facilitate mental health.

Methods: Qualitative phenomenological interviews, observation and fieldnotes were utilised to collect data from purposefully sampled educators. Data were analysed by means of open coding and re-contexualised within the literature. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were applied through implementation of the strategies of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Ethical principles were applied throughout the research process namely autonomy, non-maleficience, benificience and justice.

Results: Educators experience aggression on a personal level as expressed in negative emotions. Educators also experience aggression interpersonally as expressed in: experiencing learners being physically aggressive towards each other in class, disrespectful behaviour from learners and educators. Guidelines were described to manage aggression and facilitate mental health. Intrapersonal guidelines focused on facilitating awareness and value clarification by educators. Interpersonal guidelines focused on facilitating constructive communication, constructive conflict management and resilence of educators.

Conclusion: Experienced aggression by educators demonstrate challenges to educators' mental health. Guidelines can be utilised to facilitate educators' awareness, respect, constructive communication and conflict management.

Author Details

Marie Poggenpoel, BArtetSci, MSocSc, PhD; Chris P. H. Myburgh, PhD

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Phenomenology

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Educators Guidelines, Mental Health, Managing Aggression

Conference Name

24th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Prague, Czech Republic

Conference Year

2013

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Proxy-submission

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Guidelines to manage aggression and facilitate the mental health of educators in the workplace

Prague, Czech Republic

Session presented on: Thursday, July 25, 2013:

Purpose: To describe a meta-synthesis of research conducted on educators' lived experience of aggression in the workplace in South Africa and guidelines to manage aggression and facilitate mental health.

Methods: Qualitative phenomenological interviews, observation and fieldnotes were utilised to collect data from purposefully sampled educators. Data were analysed by means of open coding and re-contexualised within the literature. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were applied through implementation of the strategies of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Ethical principles were applied throughout the research process namely autonomy, non-maleficience, benificience and justice.

Results: Educators experience aggression on a personal level as expressed in negative emotions. Educators also experience aggression interpersonally as expressed in: experiencing learners being physically aggressive towards each other in class, disrespectful behaviour from learners and educators. Guidelines were described to manage aggression and facilitate mental health. Intrapersonal guidelines focused on facilitating awareness and value clarification by educators. Interpersonal guidelines focused on facilitating constructive communication, constructive conflict management and resilence of educators.

Conclusion: Experienced aggression by educators demonstrate challenges to educators' mental health. Guidelines can be utilised to facilitate educators' awareness, respect, constructive communication and conflict management.