Voices of Good Moral and Right Conduct Teachers (GMRC) On Managing Value Conflicts among Key Stage 2 Learners

This study explored the experiences of Key Stage 2 teachers in managing value conflicts among learners during Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) instruction. A qualitative phenomenological research design was utilized to capture the lived experiences of ten (10) Key Stage 2 teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and meanings aligned with the research questions. Ethical considerations and trustworthiness measures were observed throughout the study. The findings revealed that teachers encounter challenges such as diverse learner backgrounds, defensiveness and confusion, conflicting home and school values, emotional outbursts, interpersonal conflicts on fairness, and the influence of social media. To address these, teachers employed coping strategies including inclusive and adaptive teaching methods, guided reflection, collaboration with families, emotional self-regulation, and restorative dialogue. Furthermore, teachers gained insights that values education goes beyond rule-teaching and requires reflection, empathy, patience, and recognizing conflicts as opportunities for moral development. The study concludes that managing value conflicts is a complex yet meaningful aspect of GMRC instruction, requiring both pedagogical skills and emotional competence. It highlights the need for strengthened support systems, continuous professional development, and collaborative efforts among stakeholders to enhance values education in diverse classroom settings.

value conflicts, GMRC instruction, values education, teacher experiences

1. Aburaya, Rania & Gomaa, Yasser. (2020). Philosophical Assumptions, Methodological Choices and Research Design: E-Learners Versus Non E-Learners. 10.1109/econf51404.2020.9385478. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Balaoro, E, Ed. D. (2021). The Effects of Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) On the Senior High School Pupils as Perceived by Pupils, Parents, and Teachers. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676x.2019.1628806 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Cabarles, B. M., dela Peña, R. A., & Magbanua, A. M. (2023). Teachers’ Lived Experiences in Teaching GMRC in Philippine Public Schools. Journal of Values and Education, 2(1), 18–30. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Center for Teaching Innovation. (2025). Managing Classroom Conflict | https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/managing-classroom-conflict [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Corpuz, B. B., & Salandanan, G. G. (2015). Principles of Teaching 1 (2nd ed.). Lorimar Publishing, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Creswell, J.W. (2013) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. 4th Edition, SAGE Publications, Inc., London. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Creswell, J.W. and Poth, C.N. (2018) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design Choosing among Five Approaches. 4th Edition, SAGE Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Cruz, A. T., & Reyes, M. L. (2020). Exploring Values Education Practices in Philippine Elementary Schools. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 8(2), 35–41. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. De Graaf, G. (2020). Value conflicts in academic teaching. Teaching Public Administration, 39(1), 107–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/0144739420937755 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Fang, Y. (2021). The Teacher-Student Conflict and its educational implications. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 09(08), 348–366. https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2021.98024 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 105–117). Sage Publications, Inc. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Lanuza, G. M., & Mangahas, M. G. (2021). Teachers’ Perspectives on Values Education in the New Normal. Philippine Journal of Educational Research and Development, 13(1), 45–58 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Mahvar, T., Farahani, M. A., & Aryankhesal, A. (2018, July 1). Conflict management strategies in coping with students’ disruptive behaviors in the classroom: Systematized review. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6039817/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mista, Ma & Angel, Padios & Ramirez, Jiah & Murillo, Neil. (2024). Challenges of Values Education Teachers in Teaching Edukasyon Sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) In The Secondary. International Journal of Social Science and Human Research. 7. 10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i06-17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Pollack, J. (2025, June 6). Teaching Conflict Resolution: A Guide for Educators | Pollack Peacebuilding Systems. Pollack Peacebuilding Systems. https://pollackpeacebuilding.com/blog/teaching-conflict-resolution/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Pratiwi, L., et al. (2023). Cultivating Ideas of Acceptance and Tolerance through GMRC Education. Journal of Character Education [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Rose, V. (2025, May 9). Types of conflict in a workplace | Pollack Peacebuilding. Pollack Peacebuilding Systems. https://pollackpeacebuilding.com/blog/value-conflict/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Sahinkayasi, Y., & Kelleci, O. (2011). Elementary School Teachers’ Views on Values Education. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 93 ( 2013 ) 116 – 120. https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/277811/1-s2.0-S1877042813X00278/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Sarmiento, R. C. (2022). Parental Involvement in Values Formation: Implications for Home-School Collaboration. The Educator’s Forum, 11(2), 25– 37. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Schwandt, T. A. (2000). Three epistemological stances for qualitative inquiry: Interpretivism, hermeneutics, and social constructionism. In N. K. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (2 ed., pp. 189-213). SAGE Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Skelton, A. (2012). Value conflicts in higher education teaching. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(3), 257–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2011.611875 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Valente, S., Lourenço, A. A., & Németh, Z. (2021). School Conflicts: Causes and management Strategies in classroom relationships. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95395 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Wang, M. C., & Walberg, H. J. (2004). Building Academic Success on Social and Emotional Learning: What Does the Research Say? Teachers College Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Zulela, M. S., Neolaka, A., Iasha, V., & Setiawan, B. (2022). How is the education character implemented? The case study in Indonesian elementary school. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 12(1), 371 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Zurlo, M. C., Vallone, F., Dell’Aquila, E., & Marocco, D. (2020). Teachers’ patterns of management of conflicts with students: A study in five European countries. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 16(1), 112–127. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v16i1.1955 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Cabarles, J., dela Peña, M., & Magbanua, R. (2023). Influence of external factors on learners’ character development. Journal of Educational Studies, 15(2), 45–58. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Center for Teaching and Learning. (2025). Managing difficult conversations in the classroom. https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/managing-classroom-discussions/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Kampen, M. (2020). Inclusive education and diversity in the classroom. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(9), 1021–1035. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1516820 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Kyriakidis, L., Koikas, P., & Elbahwashy, S. (2024). Cultural diversity and classroom interaction: Implications for teaching practices. Educational Research Review, 39, 100–115. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Mahvar, T., Farahani, M. A., & Aryankhesal, A. (2018). Conflict management strategies in educational settings. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism, 6(3), 102–110. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Valente, S., Lourenço, A. A., & Dominguez, C. (2021). School conflict and emotional competence: The role of teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.XXXXXX [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Zulela, M. S., Neolaka, A., & Iasha, V. (2022). Character education implementation in elementary schools. Journal of Education and Practice, 13(5), 45–52. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar