Conflict among students of vocational education and training and ways to correct it through the introduction of mediation practices

Modern society is developing in conditions of constant transformation, rapid technology change, a huge flow of information, changes in production processes, and, as a result, there is an increase in social tension. Conflicts between people not only in everyday life, but also in production and in labor relations become an integral part of life. In this regard, there is a growing demand for specialists who are able to manage conflicts, conflict behavior, control their own emotions and reactions in order to localize the conflict situation as quickly as possible. The modern system of secondary vocational education, among the requirements for the level of training of specialists, determines the formation of a common competence “to work in a team, communicate effectively with colleagues, management, clients”. This competence involves students mastering important communication skills of interaction in a joint production environment. The author draws attention to the fact that the development of this competence largely depends on the formation of such a personal characteristic as conflict. According to the author, conflict is a personality quality that is expressed in the conscious tendency of an individual to initiate and maintain conflict interactions. There is a definite relationship between what strategies of behaviorin conflict a person chooses and the level of conflict. Thus, students with a high level of conflict tend to prefer destructive strategies (for example, avoidance). The conducted research revealed the need to correct the level of conflict among students of vocational schools. The data obtained suggest that mediation practices aimed at developing empathy, reflection, and constructive interaction skills can become an effective tool for solving this problem. The article discusses possible forms of theirimplementation — specialized trainings, the creation of student mediation services (based on the analysis of the experience of Kopeysk Polytechnic College named after S. V. Khokhryakov), as well as the integration of mediation elements into educational programs.