Abstract
This research originated from my experience in teaching and learning and particularly in facilitating courses with Business Studies undergraduates. The role of conflict in the learning environment is little researched. This study seeks to gain an understanding of the learning experiences of undergraduates in Business Studies and to examine the role of conflict in learning in the practical setting, from the perspectives of the students and the teachers. Since the research involves the changing interpretations of individuals involved, in the natural setting of the learning environment, a heuristic-iterative-reflexive approach has been adopted. The experiences of the participants were monitored over a two year period. Data collected through questionnaire survey, narrative survey, focus group, and repertory grid elicitation is analysed in the context of theory-in-literature related to learning, conflict, and the use of conflict in teaching and learning. Major categories of response are identified and discussed in detail. These categories are sequential and represent the learning process experienced by the participants. Attention is drawn to the definitional and ethical difficulties experienced in researching the role of conflict in learning, to the detrimental and positive effects on learning, and to the use that teachers could put functional conflict to in the learning environment. The study concludes by suggesting that teachers and students need to cultivate an awareness of the indicators of functional conflict with its accompanying potential for enhancing teaching and learning, and thus improve the performance of individuals, the department, and the organisation. It is suggested that such development may well require modification to existing staff training which investigation could be an area for future study.