Unraveling Classroom Conflict: How Practitioner-Led Research Can Transform School Culture
"Dive into the world of practitioner-research and discover how one teacher's inquiry into classroom violence led to surprising insights and a more harmonious learning environment."
Classroom conflict can be a persistent challenge for educators. While many factors contribute to these disruptions, understanding the underlying dynamics is crucial for creating a positive and productive learning environment. Traditional approaches often focus on individual behavior, but what if the key to unlocking solutions lies in examining the broader institutional context?
Claire de Saint Martin, a specialized teacher in France, embarked on a journey to explore this question. Working with children with mental disabilities in a specialized elementary school class, she experienced firsthand the challenges of classroom violence. Driven by a desire to understand the root causes, she became a 'practitioner-researcher,' investigating the issue from both an academic and practical perspective.
Saint Martin's research, rooted in institutional analysis, offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between individual actions and institutional forces. Her work highlights how a teacher's dual role as practitioner and researcher can lead to transformative changes in school culture.
Evidence on School Safety
The National Center for Education Statistics' report, "Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools," uses data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety to examine crime, violence, and school safety practices in U.S. public schools. The 26th edition of "Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2023," produced jointly by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and NCES, provides summary statistics on current aspects of crime and safety in schools. Additional reporting on the 2024-2025 school year argues that school safety should be assessed through data-based analysis of threats and violent incidents rather than speculation or anecdotes.
Beyond Narrow Safety Models
Existing reviews examine the prevalence and consequences of violence against children in and around schools, alongside school-based interventions, policies, and laws. The 2025 structural-violence article calls for a collaborative, health-centered, and restorative approach that moves beyond fear-based strategies toward community-based interventions and a socioecological model of support. NASP similarly frames school safety as requiring both physical and psychological safety, while a literature review emphasizes examining causes of school violence and developing constructive recommendations for teachers.
The Practitioner-Researcher: A Unique Perspective on Classroom Dynamics
Saint Martin's study leverages the theoretical framework of institutional analysis, pioneered by René Lourau. This approach emphasizes that individuals are shaped by the institutions they interact with, and vice versa. By examining the 'implications' – the relationships between individuals and institutions – Saint Martin sought to understand the dynamics of violence within her classroom.
- Navigating the Dual Role: Saint Martin acknowledges the potential for her 'expert' practitioner perspective to overshadow her 'novice' researcher stance. To mitigate this, she conducted her research in a CLIS (Classe pour l'Inclusion Scolaire) different from her own, allowing her to observe with a degree of detachment.
- Data Collection: Over thirteen half-days, Saint Martin meticulously recorded instances of conflict in the observed CLIS, adopting the role of a non-intrusive researcher. She also conducted interviews with students and teachers to gather diverse perspectives on classroom dynamics.
- Ethical Considerations: Saint Martin prioritized ethical considerations, ensuring that her research did not disrupt the learning environment or compromise the well-being of the students. She openly communicated her role as a researcher and avoided using the term 'violence' to prevent alarming the students.
Emerging Evidence and Equity
A systematic review published in 2026 describes school violence as a violation of children's rights and links it with school absence, academic achievement, employment prospects, and later-life health. That review also highlights an equity question: although most prevention interventions are universally targeted, it remains unclear whether they adequately serve different subgroups of students. A 2026 scoping review responds to the complexity of school violence and trauma-informed approaches by synthesizing available evidence, identifying trends, and outlining areas for future research.
Why Conflict Management Matters
Research on school conflicts identifies diverse causes, including problems in classroom interactions and teacher-student relationships. One review argues that conflict should be faced and resolved with skills that support cooperative relationships and integrative solutions rather than allowing tensions to remain unmanaged. A report on programs including peer mediation, peaceable classroom approaches, and school-wide frameworks states that participating schools have reported reductions in disruptive behavior, disciplinary referrals, and chronic absenteeism.
Transforming Practice Through Research: A Path Towards Positive Change
Saint Martin's research underscores the transformative potential of practitioner-led inquiry. By combining her practical experience with rigorous research methods, she gained a deeper understanding of classroom conflict and its underlying causes. This understanding, in turn, led to positive changes in her own classroom and a more harmonious learning environment for her students.
Researcher Involvement and Climate
Institutional analysis holds that individuals are shaped by the institutions they move through and that also shape them, a point captured by the concept of practitioner-researcher implication. A National Institute of Justice synthesis reviews six decades of school-violence research across diverse academic fields and considers implications for theory, research, and policy. Related research examines classroom climate as a mediating factor in school violence, using mediation analysis to study that relationship.
Building a National Research Agenda
RAND reports that just over one-quarter of surveyed respondents work in schools where teachers or administrators have received direct threats of violence in response to decisions about instruction, academic issues, or school policies. The American Psychological Association highlights potential predictors of violence directed at K-12 teachers and calls for strategies that promote safe classrooms and schools. APA also encourages a national research agenda for future policy, while a Center for Global Development review argues that violence against children in and around schools is preventable and that education systems can help drive change.
Repairing Relationships
A case study on conflict describes professional development provided to all staff by The Learning Exchange, a practitioner-led learning lab in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The training shaped how staff understood relationships and conflict. The central aim of the International Institute for Restorative Practices was described as developing community and managing conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.
One key takeaway from Saint Martin's work is the importance of considering the institutional context when addressing classroom violence. Rather than solely focusing on individual behaviors, educators should examine the broader school culture, policies, and practices that may contribute to conflict.
Saint Martin's experience highlights the power of teachers to become agents of change in their own schools. By embracing the role of practitioner-researcher, educators can gain valuable insights into the challenges they face and develop innovative solutions that promote a more positive and equitable learning environment for all students.