The Meaning of Team Conflicts for Process Quality in Day Care Centres. Theories, Research Findings and Research Gaps

Collaboration is an essential part of the professional work of caregivers in day care centres. Recent evidence-based reflections assume an independent influence of team quality on process quality. A theoretical basis for and differentiation of the construct of team quality is currently still missing. Referencing Jehn's theory of conflict types, this article elaborates on team conflicts which may explain differences in the quality of educational processes in day care centres. Theoretical and empirical findings from early childhood education research as well as conflict management research are presented here and set in relation to each other. This article concludes with an identification of research gaps and possibilities for further studies.