Classroom Peer Research Articles

The Effectiveness of Touch Math on Improving Early Mathematics Ability of Kindergarten Children with Mild to Borderline Intellectual Functioning in an Inclusion Classroom

Touchmath®, also known as Touchpoint, is a multi-sensory method that involves visual, auditory, and tactile learning, and it can be used effectively with children with disabilities. It has successfully solved addition and subtraction problems with a single digit and two digits, specifically for children with disabilities. Six children participated. A multiple baseline design was used. The Test of Early Mathematics Ability was employed. The findings revealed that the touch math training program effectively improved the Early Mathematics Ability of each participant. All six children were found to be successful at the end of the teaching session compared to the baseline. The finding that Touchmath® showed positive effects based on a direct teaching approach in improving the Early Mathematics Ability of kindergarten children with mild to borderline intellectual functioning and their typically developing peers in an inclusion classroom is effective, sustainable, generalizable, and socially valid in teaching basic addition skills to students with mild intellectual disabilities in general education classrooms, conforms to other research conclusions in the literature.

The Role of Aggressive Peer Norms in Elementary School Children\u2019s Perceptions of Classroom Peer Climate and School Adjustment

Although prior research has indicated that peer norms for aggression enhance the spread of aggression in classrooms, it is unclear to date how these norms relate to students’ classroom climate perceptions and school adjustment. Aggressive descriptive norms reflect the average aggression of all students in classrooms, whereas aggressive popularity norms represent the extent to which aggressive behavior relates to popularity among peers. This study examined the role of aggressive descriptive and popularity norms in the classroom climate perceptions (cooperation, conflict, cohesion, isolation) and school adjustment (feelings of belonging; social, academic, and general self-esteem) of popular, well-liked, and victimized children. Self-reported and peer-nominated data were obtained from 1511 children (Mage = 10.60 years, SD = 0.50; 47.2% girls) from 58 fifth-grade classrooms. The results indicated that aggressive descriptive and popularity norms both matter in elementary school, but in diverging ways. Specifically, aggressive descriptive norms—rather than popularity norms—contributed to negative classroom climate perceptions irrespective of students’ social position. In addition, whereas descriptive norms contributed to between-classroom variations in some aspects of school adjustment, aggressive popularity norms related to increased school maladjustment for popular and victimized children specifically. Thus, aggressive descriptive norms and popularity norms matter in complementary ways for children’s classroom climate perceptions and adjustment in elementary education.

The links between students\u2019 relationships with teachers, likeability among peers, and bullying victimization: the intervening role of teacher responsiveness

Highly responsive teachers tend to foster behaviors that are low in conflict and high in prosociality, among their students, leading to a positive classroom climate and to a decrease in bullying victimization. However, little is known about the interaction between teacher responsiveness and both student–teacher, and student–student relationship characteristics, in influencing students’ bullying victimization at school. Here, we examined student–teacher relationship quality and students’ likeability among peers as predictors of in-school victimization. Additionally, we investigated the moderating role of teacher responsiveness over this link. Study sample consisted of 386 early-adolescent students (55.2% female, mean age [SD] = 12.17 [0.73]) and 19 main teachers (females, n = 14). Findings indicated that students’ exposure to victimization was positively associated with student–teacher conflict and negatively associated with likeability among classroom peers. Teacher responsiveness did not show a significant direct association with bullying victimization. However, when teachers showed high responsiveness, the strength of the association between student–teacher conflict and students’ likelihood of bullying victimization was slightly increased. The present study highlights the importance of considering the role of teacher responsiveness when modeling the link between student and teacher relationship quality and in school bullying victimization.

Project Based Learning dengan Desain Flipped Classroom Tipe Peer Instruction Flipped untuk Meningkatkan Ketrampilan Berpikir Kritis Dan Literasi Sains

The 21st century is an era of globalization in which humans are required to have 21st century skills including critical thinking skills and scientific literacy in order to solve problems and make the right decisions. Both skills must be prepared including biology education students. A number of research reports have shown low levels of both skills in biology students. The solution that can overcome these problems is to apply learning in accordance with the demands of the 21st century, student-centered, collaboration. This study aims to analyze the effect of Project Based Learning with the Peer Instruction Flipped Type Flipped Classroom design on critical thinking skills and scientific literacy. The research subjects were Biology Education students of IKIP Budi Utomo Malang, which consisted of two classes, namely class A which implemented project based learning with the design of the Flipped Classroom, Peer Instruction Flipped, Experiment and Class B, which applied the Flipped Classroom with the Peer Instruction Flipped Type. The research instrument was in the form of pretest-posttest questions, critical thinking skills, and scientific literacy. Data analysis of the total value of each strategy using paired t-test. The results showed that the Flipped Classroom Peer Instruction Flipped Type in improving thinking skills and scientific literacy.

The Role of Preschool Peers in Children's Language Development.

Almost 5 million children attend preschool in the United States each year. Recent attention has been paid to the ways in which preschool classrooms shape children's early language development. In this article, we discuss the importance of peers and classroom composition through the lens of age and socioeconomic status and the implications for children's early learning and development. We also discuss the direct and indirect mechanisms through which classroom peers may shape each other's language development. As part of this discussion, we focus on exposure to peer language and engagement with peers, along with teachers' classroom practices. We conclude by discussing the ways in which teachers can ensure that children in classrooms of different compositions reap the maximum benefit, along with implications for research, policy, and practice.

The long-term spillover effects of changes in the return to schooling

We study the spillover effects of a reform that substantially increased the returns to schooling in kibbutzim, socialist-oriented communities in Israel. This reform, which induced kibbutz students to improve their high-school academic performance, spilled over to their non-kibbutz peers who attended the same schools. In the short run, the peers improved their high-school outcomes and shifted to courses with higher financial returns. In the long run, they completed more years of post-secondary schooling and increased their earnings. We discuss two possible spillover channels: standard classroom peer effects and increased salience of the relationship between education and financial success.

Deployment of I don’t know and wakannai in second language classroom peer discussions

Abstract This conversation analytic study explicates the differential actions of the English phrase I don’t know (IDK) and its equivalent in Japanese, wakannai, as deployed by Japanese learners of English during peer discussions for language learning. By examining natural classroom interaction, we explore second language (L2) speakers’ use of these tokens for various pragmatic actions. The data consist of 47 h of discussions in English language classes in three Japanese universities. The discussions were carried out in the target language, English, for the most part, but occasionally the participants used their common first language (L1), Japanese. All cases of IDK and wakannai examined here occurred in first positions during production of opinions or first assessments. The analysis revealed that within a single discussion session, the participants marshalled IDK and wakannai to perform differential actions. Overwhelmingly, in our data, IDK was deployed to manage their epistemic stance, while wakannai was produced to make a public assertion of their insufficient knowledge.

Alone, together: Fear of missing out mediates the link between peer exclusion in WhatsApp classmate groups and psychological adjustment in early-adolescent teens

Because of the high prevalence of smartphone use in early adolescence, communication between classroom peers increasingly occurs via online chat groups. Recent studies indicate that online classmate groups are places in which different forms of peer exclusion can occur, including being banned from participating in the groups, not being invited to join them, or being shunned by online peers. In order to avoid being offended by peers, students may even decide to self-exclude from participating in the groups. Peer exclusion represents a significant source of suffering for early adolescents, with long-lasting consequences on their well-being. In this study, we investigated the relationship between exclusion from WhatsApp classmate groups and emotional symptoms among early adolescents. Additionally, the fear of missing out (FoMO) was examined as a potential mediator of the relationship between peer exclusion and emotional distress. The sample consisted of 398 middle schoolers (age: M = 12.54 years; SD = 0.96) residing in Italy. We found that positive relationships existed between peer exclusion, emotional symptoms, and FoMO. Findings supported the role of FoMO as a mediator in the link between peer exclusion and emotional symptoms. Results are discussed in light of the implications for the assessment of the quality of student-student interactions.

Building integrated peer relationships in preschool classrooms: The potential of buddies

We tested an easy-to-implement, theoretically-grounded Buddy Up intervention designed to help preschoolers engage with diverse peers. Using naturalistic observation procedures, independent observers coded children’s (N = 137) peer experiences in preschool classrooms. Findings revealed an intervention effect on time spent with peers for boys only, such that boys in the intervention condition maintained their engagement with peers whereas boys in the control condition declined in social play over time. Moreover, for both boys and girls, participation in Buddy Up appeared to increase their play with peers with whom they had not previously played and mitigate declines in play with other-gender peers. These effects did not occur at the expense of playing with same-gender peers. Findings speak to the potential of a Buddy Up intervention for building inclusive classroom peer relationships and support a novel application of Intergroup Contact Theory in promoting gender-inclusive relationships.

Children's ADHD Symptoms and Friendship Patterns across a School Year.

Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in elementary school-age children are associated with poor relationships with classroom peers, as indicated by poor social preference, low peer support, and peer victimization. Less is known about how friendship patterns relate to ADHD symptoms, or how friendships may buffer risk for negative peer experiences. Participants were 558 children in 34 classrooms (grades K-5). At the beginning (fall) and end (spring) of an academic year, children completed (a) sociometric interviews to index friendship patterns and social preference, and (b) self-report questionnaires about their support and victimization experiences from classmates. In fall, higher teacher-reported ADHD symptoms were associated with children having more classmates with no friendship ties (non-friends) and who the child nominated but did not receive a nomination in return (unreciprocated friends), and with having fewer classmates with mutual friendship ties (reciprocated friends) and who nominated the child but the child did not nominate in return (unchosen friends). Higher fall ADHD symptoms predicted more non-friend classmates, poorer social preference, and more victimization in the spring, after accounting for the same variables in fall. However, having many reciprocated friends (and to a lesser extent, many unchosen friends) in fall buffered against the trajectory between fall ADHD symptoms and poor peer functioning in spring. By contrast, having many unreciprocated friends in fall exacerbated the trajectory between fall ADHD symptoms and poor peer functioning in spring. Thus, elevated ADHD symptoms are associated with poorer friendship patterns, but reciprocated friendship may protect against negative classroom peer experiences over time.

Student-teacher conflict moderates the link between students’ social status in the classroom and involvement in bullying behaviors and exposure to peer victimization

IntroductionStudent–teacher relationships have been shown to influence bullying-related behaviors in students. In this study we considered the moderating role of student-teacher conflict and students’ social status in the classroom and involvement in bullying behaviors and peer victimization. MethodsSample consisted of 1742 students (47.2% females, mean age = 10.79; SD = 1.36; range = 8–14) clustered in 113 classrooms, of which 1017 (58.4%) attended primary schools and 725 (41.6%) attended lower secondary schools. We implemented a series of multilevel analyses aimed at determining the role of student-teacher conflict, and students’ social status among classroom peers (i.e., average, popular, rejected, neglected, and controversial statuses), as well their interaction, in influencing verbal, physical, and social forms of bullying and victimization at school. ResultsStudent-teacher conflict had a significant positive effect on all bullying and victimization variables. Regarding students’ social status, rejected students showed increased bullying and victimization when compared with average students, except in social bullying. Significant interactions emerged indicating that a highly conflictual student-teacher relationship exacerbated bullying behaviors and the risk of victimization among rejected students. Additionally, popular students who had conflictual relationship with their teachers were more likely to engage in physical bullying then average students. ConclusionsOur study suggests the importance of low conflictual student-teacher relationships in acting as a buffer for aggressive student-student interactions in the classroom, especially when these interactions involve students rejected by their classroom peers.

The Developmental Process of Peer Support Networks: The Role of Friendship.

This study investigated the characteristics and development of peer support networks in an effort to unravel the role of friendship in this developmental process. The relationships between friendship networks and peer support networks were explored, and the influence of dyadic and triadic friendships on the development of peer support relationships was examined. Two waves of data were collected among a sample of adolescents in six Chinese junior high schools (n = 913 students from 28 classrooms; mean age = 14.13 years; 50.49% boys), and classroom friendship networks and peer support networks were analyzed. The results showed that peer support networks were sparse, hierarchical, and sex-segregated. Furthermore, peer support networks and friendship networks partially overlapped. Friends tended to have similar support-seeking and support-providing ties. Longitudinal multiplex social network analysis revealed that peer support networks changed moderately over time, and friendships played various roles in the development of peer support networks. Dyadic friendships improved the formation of peer support ties. A mutual friend improved the formation of support relationships between two students when the mutual friend chose the two students as friends, but a mutual friend also hindered or had no effects on the formation of support relationships in other cases. The implications for educators to improve peer support networks are presented, and directions for future research are discussed.

Education tracking and adolescent smoking: a counterfactual and prospective cohort study.

Adolescent smoking is a health issue and a potential health inequality issue. Education tracking, which is the placement of students into different school types and curricula based on their learning needs or abilities, is an indicator of inequality and risk factor of adolescent smoking. We examined the effect of educational tracking, dividing students into vocational and academic high school tracks, on adolescent smoking in Taiwan. Longitudinal panel data, collected annually from 2000 over a period of 6years as part of the Taiwan Youth project, were used. Adolescents (aged 13-18years) from the first six waves of the Taiwan Youth Project were included in the project, of whom 2147 had clear information on track attendance in 10th grade, control variables in 7th/8th grades and smoking behavior in 8th grade (before track placement). Post-track smoking behavior was measured at 10th, 11th and 12th grades. The outcome variable was the self-reported smoking status in the 8th grade and between 10th and 12th grades. The treatment variable of interest was education tracking (vocational versus academic), which was conducted when the student was in 10th grade. Several important confounders were used for the difference-in-differences propensity score matching (e.g. parents' education and same classroom peer smoking). Placement of a student in the vocational track increased the proportion of smokers by 3.3 percentage points in 10th grade (P=0.039). The effect was even more pronounced in 11th grade (6.2 percentage points; P=0.000) and 12th grade (5.9 percentage points; P=0.003). Education tracking (placement of students into different school curricula based on learning needs or abilities) appears to be a risk factor for adolescent smoking among Taiwanese adolescents.

Combining Preferred Activities With Peer Support to Increase Social Interactions Between Preschoolers With ASD and Typically Developing Peers

This study evaluated the effects of using preferred activities with peer support on the social interactions of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing peers. Two preschool-age children with ASD and six peers in an inclusive classroom participated in this study. A multiple-probe single case experimental design across three peers was employed. Results indicated that the participants’ social initiations and responses, as well as the percentage of time engaged in social play, increased following the preferred activity. Gains were also demonstrated across social interactions and time engaged in the preferred activity plus peer support condition. Increases in social interaction behaviors in typically developing peers were also observed, and positive intervention gains were maintained during 5-week follow-up sessions. Implications for research and practice for improving interaction between children with and without ASD in inclusive preschool settings are discussed.

Examining the key influencing factors on college students\u2019 higher-order thinking skills in the smart classroom environment

To understand the development of students’ higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) in the smart classroom environment, a structural equation modeling analysis was used to examine the relationships between key factors that influence students’ learning and their HOTS within a smart classroom environment. A sample of 217 first-year Chinese college students, who studied in a smart classroom environment for one semester, completed a survey that measures their smart classroom preferences, learning motivation, learning strategy, peer interaction, and HOTS. The results indicated that peer interaction and learning motivation had a direct impact on students’ HOTS. Furthermore, indirect effects were found between students’ learning strategy and HOTS through the mediator peer interaction, and between smart classroom preferences and HOTS through the following: learning motivation, the combination of learning strategy and peer interaction, and the combination of learning motivation, learning strategy and peer interaction. Based on these findings, this study recommends that instructors teaching in a smart learning environment should focus on improving peer interaction and learning motivation, as well as smart classroom preferences and learning strategy, to hone students’ HOTS.

The effects of historical reading and writing strategy instruction with fourth- through sixth-grade students.

In this quasi-experimental study, 608 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students explored 5 historical investigations. In the experimental condition, teachers used a cognitive apprenticeship model to teach students historical reading and writing strategies. Comparison teachers used the same materials to deliver a business-as-usual form of instruction. Random assignment was at the individual level for fourth and fifth graders and at the classroom level for sixth graders. After controlling for gender, ethnicity, and pretest scores, the findings indicated that experimental students outperformed their peers in control classrooms on measures of essay length (ES = 0.25), holistic writing quality (ES = 0.59), and argumentative historical writing (ES = 0.67). Differences in students’ argumentative historical writing remained after six weeks (ES = 0.71). Finally, students with disabilities as well as those who did not meet annual reading proficiency benchmarks on state-administered assessments all benefited from experimental instruction. These results suggest that with appropriate supports and the opportunity to engage in meaningful historical content, students in fourth through sixth grade can analyze primary and secondary source documents and write evidence-based historical arguments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Social spillovers of China’s left-behind children in the classroom

Rural–urban migrants in China often have to leave their children in rural areas due to institutional restrictions. This paper examines the causal spillover effects of left-behind children on their classmates living with parents in rural China, exploiting the random assignment of students to classes within middle schools. We find that the proportion of left-behind children in class has a significant negative impact on the mental health of their classmates. We also show that the negative peer effects on mental health are related to the worsening of both classroom climate and peer-to-peer interactions. However, there is no evidence that exposure to left-behind students impairs the academic performance of their peers in the same classroom. Our findings suggest that the welfare losses of China’s rural children resulting from the rural–urban migration of adult population are larger than previously thought after accounting for the negative social spillovers of left-behind children on their peers.

School Flexible Learning Spaces, Student Movement Behavior and Educational Outcomes among Adolescents: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.

To achieve sustainability, we must consider scalable improvements in student movement behavior in the classroom setting, educational priorities. Flexible learning spaces that employ student-centered pedagogy and contain a range of furniture and layout options, implemented to improve educational outcomes, may enable unintended health benefits. In this review, we summarize the evidence on the effects of flexible learning spaces on adolescent student movement behaviors and educational outcomes. We searched 5 databases, retrieving 5 quantitative and one qualitative article meeting the review criteria. Students in flexible learning spaces spent less time sitting, and more time standing and moving. Students were also more engaged, on-task, and collaborated and interacted more. Academic results for English, Mathematics and Humanities for those in flexible learning spaces were higher than peers in traditional classrooms. Evidence from the reviewed studies suggests that there may be beneficial outcomes across some movement behaviors as well as learning outcomes in classrooms that employ student-centered pedagogy and use a built environment that facilitates autonomy and choice around where and how to learn. These learning environments present an opportunity for an interdisciplinary approach to address sedentary behavior in classrooms.

Heterogeneity versus Homogeneity in Schools: A Study of the Educational Value of Classroom Interaction

The degree of homogeneity and heterogeneity among schools affects the comprehensiveness and inclusiveness of the school system and the type and scope of classroom interaction. Since the beginning of the 1980s, interest has gradually increased in the effects of homogeneity and heterogeneity of schools on classroom interactions; this research involves various disciplines and has different goals. The present paper contributes to academic debate on the often ignored consequences of socialisation of pupils with diversity. In particular, we revise the evidence on the effect of socialisation (or lack of it) with diversity resulting from the degree of homogeneity or heterogeneity to which school children are exposed through their interactions in the classroom. We aim, in particular, to shed light on what the assumed value of classroom interactions as an argument in favour or either heterogeneous or homogeneous groups. We review work analysing school homogeneity in relation to age, gender, ethnicity and disability and the effect on classroom interactions. Most studies concur with current achievement motivation theories, which highlight the important role of context and agents of socialisation, such as classroom peers, in the development of pupils’ beliefs and behaviours. Studies that find support for classroom homogeneity tend to focus narrowly on academic performance, whereas findings that support classroom heterogeneity tend to analyse higher order values such as equity and inclusiveness. The findings in the literature suggest, furthermore, that children’s experiences of exclusion and diversity influence their friendship decision-making, suggesting that heterogeneous schools promote a more inclusive society.

Audience 1 versus Audience 2: Adapting a project for multiple audiences using verbal and multimedia platforms

Students are challenged to write papers and give oral presentations across disciplines. Yet, the audience for students often remains the same: college personnel and classroom peers. Communication classrooms are ideal places to learn about and practice audience adaptation, specifically modifying content for different audiences, contexts, and platforms. This assignment allows students to develop an informative presentation for their classroom peers and then to adapt the content to a multimedia platform designed to benefit a specific community-based organization or audience. Courses Introduction to Communication, Introduction to Business or Organizational Communication, Public Speaking. Objectives By completing this activity, students should be able to: (1) identify, research, and understand target audiences; (2) evaluate critically and adapt information for new and emerging audiences; (3) craft and communicate effective messages in various presentational contexts and platforms; and (4) build and develop skills for working in teams, including collaboration and peer evaluation.