Prior research has explored the impact of conflict mediation practices in schools, regarding students’ perceptions, but existing research has not examined how principals and other school staff members perceive these practices. Given the significant shift away from zero tolerance and towards more restorative practices such as conflict mediation, the current study seeks to examine if school administrators and non-administrators differ in their perceptions of the value of conflict mediation, perceptions of existing conflict mediation skills, and perceptions of the effects of current practices on school climate, as perceptions can influence how information is applied. As these two groups have their own distinct interactions with students, it is hypothesized that they will have differing opinions regarding the instruction and implementation of these conflict mediation techniques. Data were collected from 150 school staff members (108 administrators, 42 non-administrators) from the School District of Philadelphia prior to a professional development training; participants completed a survey assessing perceptions of conflict mediation. School staff were categorized post hoc as administrators or non-administrators based on their self-identification within the survey. A chi-square analysis and three separate multivariate analysis of variance were conducted. Analyses revealed that the two groups did not differ in their experience with conflict mediation, perceptions of the value of conflict mediation, perceptions of their existing mediation skills, or perceptions of the effects of the current practices on school climate. Therefore, school administrators and non-administrators can continue to receive the same training, as long as they maintain similar perceptions regarding these strategies. These findings have implications for current practices, both in terms of designing future mediation trainings, as well as applying these skills within schools.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
