When adult learners argue: a preliminary approach to conflict in a TAFE writing workshop

Writers, especially beginner writers, have a tendency to identify closely with their written work. This can lead to conflict in a writing workshop situation where learners are encouraged to critique each other's work in public. This paper presents an example of conflict in a TAFE classroom, and then discusses how adult learning principles and approaches to conflict resolution can inform our understanding of potential conflict in the adult writing workshop.