Peer Group Interaction Research Articles

Does the work environment matter in shaping English as a foreign language teachers’ teaching for creativity: A mixed‐methods investigation into the roles of perceived climate, peer group interaction, and supervisory relationship

AbstractTeachers play a critical role in fostering students’ creativity, especially in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes, known as teaching for creativity (TfC). Despite this, no comprehensive study has explored how the work environment influences EFL teachers’ TfC. Therefore, this study investigates how various holistic work environment factors affect TfC among Chinese EFL teachers. Drawing on the dynamic componential model of creativity, the study employs a mixed‐methods approach, combining quantitative data from a survey of 406 EFL teachers analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling in Smart PLS 3, and qualitative insights from semi‐structured interviews with 20 EFL teachers analyzed in MAXQDA 2022. The quantitative results reveal that perceived climate and peer group interaction positively and significantly impact TfC, whereas supervisory relationship (SR) does not show significant effects. The qualitative findings validate these outcomes and offer deeper insights into how PC and PGI specifically facilitate or impede TfC, alongside explanations for the non‐significant role of SR. Additionally, the qualitative analysis identifies another influential factor on TfC: teacher–student interaction. These findings carry theoretical and practical implications for teacher educators and the professional development of EFL teachers.

Analyzing Party Identification Dynamics Using SmartPLS in the Peshawar Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan

The political landscape in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, has seen a significant transformation since the 2013 elections, marked by the unprecedented dominance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) across three consecutive elections. This study explores the dynamics of party identification with specific relevance to the Peshawar Valley of KP, focusing on the role of family socialization, peer group interactions, political party performance, leadership, and political campaigns. Data from 1196 respondents in the Peshawar Valley were analyzed using multiple regression with SmartPLS. The findings indicate that traditional familial and peer influences on party identification are weakening, while instrumental factors like political leadership and campaigns have a substantial impact. PTI's success is attributed to its effective use of social media and charismatic leadership, emphasizing the shift towards leader-centric and campaign-driven party support. This shift reflects a weakening of traditional partisan alignments and a growing reliance on dynamic political factors in shaping voter behavior.

The role of moral disengagement and classroom collective efficacy in social support and bystander behavior of elementary school students: A multilevel moderated mediation analysis.

Few studies have examined the process of the relationship between social support and bystander behavior, and previous research has primarily focused on individual- or group-level correlates of bystander behavior without a full understanding of these correlates and their interactions. To address this research gap, the present study examined whether social support and moral disengagement at the individual level, as well as collective efficacy at the classroom level, were associated with bystander behavior in school bullying situations. Questionnaires were administered to 1,310 elementary school students in Grades 4-6 (Mage = 10.97 ± 0.98 years) from 61 classes in the Zhejiang Province of China. Multilevel moderated mediation analyses revealed that higher levels of social support were directly related to more defender behavior and less reinforcer and outsider behavior, and social support was also related to bystander behavior through the indirect role of moral disengagement. In classrooms with higher levels of collective efficacy to stop peer bullying, students tended to show more defender behavior and less outsider behavior. Higher levels of classroom collective efficacy did not moderate the relationship between moral disengagement and defender behavior, although it did inhibit the reinforcer and outsider behaviors of those with high levels of moral disengagement. This study sheds light on the relationship between multiple factors and bystander behavior at both the individual and classroom levels and contributes to the understanding of school bullying in the context of peer group interactions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the Impact of a Supportive Work Environment on Chinese L2 Teachers' Emotions: A Partial Least Squares-SEM Approach.

Second language (L2) teachers' emotions can influence their well-being and students' performance. However, most of the existing studies have focused on the role of individual factors in affecting L2 teachers' emotions, while leaving environmental factors underexplored. To fill this gap, this study aimed to examine how the four dimensions of a supportive work environment (SWE) (perceived climate, PC; supervisory relationship, SR; peer group interaction, PGI; and perceived organization support, POS) relate to L2 teachers' emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, pride, and anger). A sample of 406 Chinese L2 teachers completed two valid scales to measure their SWE and emotions. The data were analyzed by Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS 3 software. The results showed that (1) PC, PGI, and POS had a positive and significant effect on enjoyment, while SR had no significant effect; (2) PGI and POS had a negative and significant effect on anxiety, while PC and SR had no significant effect; (3) PGI had a positive and significant effect on pride, while the other three dimensions had no significant effect; and (4) POS had a negative and significant effect on anger, while the other three dimensions had no significant effect. The study concludes with some implications for L2 teachers' education.

The effectiveness of online teaching and learning compared to in-person instruction in science for junior secondary students: a case study in the Kurunegala education zone

Schools and Universities in Sri Lanka have been closed intermittently during the past three years due to COVID-19 and fuel shortages. During this period, in-person teaching became impossible, and online teaching was developed. However, schools have been reopened for in-person teaching and learning at present. In contrast, other countries adopted both methods, online and in-person. It was noticed that a decline in test scores among junior secondary students in some education zones during online learning. This study aimed to assess and compare the effectiveness of online and in-person teaching and learning science among junior secondary students in a selected school within the Kurunegala education zone. The study objectives were to 1). conduct both online and in-person science lessons for two groups separately and compare grade-eight students' performance in both settings; 2) compare teacher-student interaction, learning resources, peer group interaction, and motivation in both sittings; and 3) make suggestions for effective teaching and learning process. Two equally weighted courses were used to teach the two groups. Convenience sample of 72 Grade 8 students was used in the data collection with mixed methods approach. Pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires were used in the quantitative data collection. Qualitative data were collected via interviews with ten randomly selected students. The findings revealed that the performance scores of in-person group in Unit 4 (Properties of Matter) of grade-eight Science evaluation were slightly higher than that of online group. Both groups demonstrated similar performance levels in Unit 8 (Changes in Matter). However, in-person teaching exhibited significantly higher scores (p < 0.05) than the online group for factors such as teacher-student interaction, peer group interaction, learning resources, and motivation. Students achieved high results in both settings but needed more resources, reliable internet facilities, and adequate technology skills for online teaching and learning. The study suggests adapting effective instructional methods, technology usage, resource availability, training, participation, peer interactions, and monitoring well-being for effective online science teaching.

“I Don’t Care Who Rules in the White House”: Boundary-Training in Science and Everyday Politics of Knowledge

ABSTRACT How do scientists construct the meaning of science as oppositional to politics? How do the institutional contexts of scientists’ work environment, training processes, and peer-group interactions reflect scientists’ understanding of scientific practices, rules of the scientific field, and themselves as scientists? I argue that scientists’ practice of boundary-work between science and politics is institutionally nurtured by a series of processes, which I call boundary-training. Drawing on ethnographic research at a molecular biology laboratory, this article reveals various tactics of boundary-training. Scientists are trained to routinely consume material infrastructure and produce massive scientific data. They internalize productivity-oriented academic life and valorize controllability in science labs to achieve this goal. Individuals’ self-reliance and survival become core virtues of scientific enterprise. All combined, scientists are trained to believe that their works are irrelevant to social and political circumstances. This mundane depoliticization of science contributes to the consequence that the scientific field becoming a more efficient apparatus of political and economic powers.

Examining the effect of a supportive work environment on volunteer retention: Job embeddedness as a mediator

This study explores the relationship between the exogenous variable of a supportive work environment and volunteer retention in NPOs through job embeddedness. Out of a list of 350 nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in Vietnam across 20 sectors, the authors randomly selected 15 NPOs from different fields and invited their volunteers to participate in the survey. A total of 275 questionnaires were distributed, and 222 valid questionnaires were collected, resulting in a response rate of 80.72%. The study’s findings demonstrate the positive impact of a supportive work environment (including perceived support, perceived climate, peer group interaction, and supervisory relationship) on volunteer retention within nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the results of the mediation test reveal that job embeddedness partially mediates the relationship between a supportive work environment and volunteer retention. This research offers policy implications for NPOs, encouraging the development of a supportive work environment that fosters respect, values, and organizational objectives, and regularly arranges group activities and online forums to facilitate volunteer connections, acknowledge contributions, stimulate ideas, enhance commitment, improve communication, and involve volunteers in decision-making.

Social Networks in Improving the Learning Achievement of Zoning Pathway Students

Zoning policies create associations of students with different academic abilities and school backgrounds. The focus of this research is on zonal pathway students who have experienced improvements in terms of cognitive aspects and explains the problem of social networks in increasing the grades of zonal pathway students. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the issues raised. The research subjects were determined using a purposive sampling technique, namely 12th-grade MIPA students. The research results explain that students have similar social network patterns among each other. Increasing student learning outcomes is dominated by peer group interaction within and outside the school environment. In this way, peers trigger or motivate students to improve learning outcomes.

Impact of Hearing Loss on Social Participation in Children: A Scoping Review.

Social participation can be defined as involvement in activities that provide a platform to interact with society and others. Untreated hearing loss effects communication skills, academic achievements, and peer-group interaction. Since a typical body structure and body functioning are essential to demonstrate day to day activities. Altogether these factors can influence the social participation in children with HL. The aim of this study is to systematically review the impact of hearing loss on social participation in children.A literature search was carried out to obtain studies exploring social participation among children with HL. Two authors independently searched four electronic databases, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. The search strategy was designed by using six main terms 'social participation', 'social engagement', 'social interaction', 'hearing loss', 'hearing impairment', 'hearing disorder', and Boolean operators 'AND', 'OR' were used to make the search strings. The current review included four studies after meeting the eligibility criteria. Findings showed that social participation is affected in children with HL. Reduced hearing ability is one of the factors of reduced social participation in children. Children using hearing aids or cochlear implants, participate more frequently in social activities. The findings of this review suggest that HL is associated with reduced social participation. However, using hearing aids and cochlear implants followed by auditory verbal therapy has significant improvement in social participation. Future studies need to investigate whether early rehabilitation can increase social participation in children.

Policies and Practices of Managing Higher Education in India: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic Experience

The COVID-19 epidemic has affected higher education worldwide, more so in developing societies. While several studies have looked at the impact of this pandemic on higher education, evidence on the changing policies and practices of managing higher education in a global crisis is still sparse. We present an analysis of how the higher education sector was managed at the system (national/state) institutional and individual levels during the pandemic in India. Drawing on the notion of federalism, we examine the process of decision-making and policy implementation during the crisis and its long-term implications on the governance of higher education. We use student and teacher survey data and critical review of documents by the government and regulatory bodies of higher education, at national and state levels, in our analysis. We find that students have faced the issues like a lack of peer group interactions, unavailability of study materials and lack of regular interaction with teachers that often helps them in performing better while in colleges and universities. Teachers, particularly from private higher education institutions, suffered immense economic distress due to undue delay in receipt of salaries, salary cuts or retrenchment. More importantly, responses to the pandemic-led challenges for higher education by regulatory and coordinating bodies are seldom based on assessing the challenges students and teachers face. It is argued that federalism in education has been substantially weakened as the pandemic response followed a centralised and unilateral approach of decision-making. The article concludes with the short-term and long-term implications of the pandemic-led crisis on the higher education sector in India, adds to the growing literature on the issue.

Adapting the Supportive Work Environment Measurement Tool: Assessing Organizational Support in Generation Z

A supportive work environment is an environment that makes employees feel comfortable working and supports employee retention. A supportive work environment in the workplace consists of a desirable climatic environment, healthy and mutually constructive relationships between colleagues and superiors and available organizational support. A supportive work environment has four dimensions: perceived climate, peer group interaction, supervisory support, and organizational support. Using instruments with different cultural backgrounds requires an adaptation process so that the measurement results are valid and reliable. Still, until now, there has yet to be any research on the adaptation of supportive work environment measurement tools in Indonesia. This study aimed to obtain and test the standardized Indonesian version of the supporting work environment instrument. The adaptation process is carried out using the International Test Commission 2016 reference. The analysis model used is the Structural Equation Model / SEM; it can be concluded that according to theory, the dimensions of perceived climate, peer group interaction, supervisory support, and perceived organizational support have a good fit model with several omitted adjustments. It is explained that the resulting model can describe the actual conditions but with a few notes to consider.

Disdainful Hookups: a Powerful Social Determinant of Health.

The health consequences of gender violence, a global health and social problem, are increasingly studied. Among its roots, research has identified a coercive dominant discourse imposing the idea that masculinities and relationships marked by abuse and domination are more attractive than egalitarian ones. To prevent the health consequences of gender violence, it is necessary to understand the factors that lead many adolescents to fall into it. This study aims to identify the specific mechanisms by which the coercive dominant discourse manifests in the peer group and its consequences for adolescents. Forty-one 15- and 16-year-old female adolescents from three high schools in Barcelona participated in the study. Eight communicative discussion groups were conducted to deepen on participants' perceptions regarding how peer interactions promote the learning of attraction to violence in sexual-affective relationships. The results show that the participants perceived and experienced different types of coercion to have violent relationships in their peer group interactions. Those interactions fostered the reproduction of the association between sexual-affective attraction and males with aggressive attitudes and behaviors. Many peers coerce others to have disdainful hookups which have very negative health consequences for the victims, including suicidal ideation and committing suicide. Some peer groups become a risk developmental context for female adolescents as far as they foster the coercive dominant discourse, push some young women to engage in violent sporadic relationships, and even harass some others afterwards. This clarifies the importance of peer group-level interventions when addressing the health consequences of gender violence in adolescence.

An exploratory study of children’s peer touch in a Swedish preschool: touch forms, bodily arrangements, and social constellations

ABSTRACT This study explores children’s peer touch in a Swedish preschool using video observations. Two main aspects of children’s touch in focus: (1) to what extent do children use touch within the peer group and with whom and (2) in what ways do children touch each other (i.e. what touch forms are used and what areas of other children’s bodies are touched). Data consists of 10 hours of video recordings, featuring 35 children aged 1–5 years. The results suggest that touch is available for children in a range of social arrangements: it was common in children’s peer-group interactions, and it was not limited to specific child constellations. The most prominent categories were affectionate touches (embraces, holding hands, or pats), but the children also used touch to control their peers’ conduct (grabbing, pulling, and pushing) as well as adult-like embodied directives (shepherding moves). The social and material context of a preschool may contribute to practices where touch is part of ordinary interactions and cultural practices within the peer group. The study demonstrates some differences between educator-child, and children’s peer touch thereby highlighting the importance for educators to consider children’s specific touch cultures when attending to, supporting, and shaping children’s peer – relations.

Does Sustainable Work Environment Influence Work Engagement, Job Satisfaction and Employee Retention? Perspectives from E-Commerce Industry

Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the influence of Sustainable work environment on work engagement, job satisfaction and employee retention. The study also examines the mediating effect of work engagement and job satisfaction between sustainable work environment and employee retention. Theoretical framework: Employee retention problems are emerging as the most critical workforce management challenges in the present era. In order to cater to these challenges, organizations need to work on employee retention strategies work engagement, etc. Work environment is identified as an important factor to predict employee retention. Sustainable work environment components were identified based on social exchange theory and employer-employee relationship. Sustainable work environment such as perceived climate, supervisory relationship, peer group interaction, perceived organizational support are included in the study. Method: A total of 181 valid responses were received from the employee of e-commerce firms. The hypothesized model was tested with the help of multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis. Results and conclusion: The findings of the study suggests that sustainable work environment positively and significantly predicting work engagement, job satisfaction and employee retention. The results of mediating analysis show that work engagement and job satisfactions are completely mediating the relationship between sustainable work environment and employee retention. Implications of the research: The study has several practical implications for e-commerce firms in particular Human resource Professionals of such firms. The study findings infer that sustainable work environment (perceived climate, supervisory relationship, peer group interaction, and perceived organizational support) has huge impact on employee retention i.e., when conducive work environment, supervisory support, good peer group interaction and organizational support are provided to employees, they will be more engaged with the organization and remain with the same organization for a long run. Originality/value: There are very few studies have attempted to assess the sustainable work environment in e-commerce industry in India. Hence, this study is first of its kind to analyse the influence of sustainable work environment on employee retention among employees of e-commerce industry.

Perspectives towards Communication Options among Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment

Introduction Intervention and educational approaches ranging from oral language only to oral language combined with various forms of sign language have evolved. The aim of this study was to understand the choices of language for the deaf/ hearing impaired child for communication by the parents using a survey questionnaire. The objectives were to adapt the questionnaire given by to obtain the information about the choices of communication mode and the process of selection. Materials and Methods Participants included in this study were parents of hearing impaired and deaf children in Bengaluru. Modified and shortlisted 31 questions given to ten teachers of deaf and sign language users for content validation and those suggestions were incorporated. Questionnaire was provided to parents of hearing impaired and deaf children. Results Study showed majority were fitted with devices to help their hearing – hearing aid and cochlear implant and joined oral school for education. Age of Intervention was early only in small number of children. Sign language as a mode of communication was reported in only 20.3% and 59.3% reportedly not used sign language at all. The families that used sign language reported the reason for the choice being ease of use. Regardless of competence of children in oral language, majority of parent’s aspiration was oral language, followed by sign and oral language. Choosing sign language as a primary communication mode is seen in minority of parents. The survey also showed though children are in oral school, mode communication is not always oral. Peer group interaction and interaction with family members require sign and actions-gestures along with oral language. Conclusion The study emphasized the importance of learning oral language and sign language for deaf and hearing-impaired children. Parental concerns revolved around educational opportunities of deaf/ hearing impaired child population may be reduced.

Teaching talk for learning during co-located microblogging activities

This study investigates the situated practices associated with the establishment of a dialogic classroom ethos, viewed as an interactional achievement. Our analysis focuses on the details of how one teacher attempted to engage students with the purposes and practices of talk for learning during co-located microblogging activities. Our analysis reveals the range of digital and traditional resources used to weave talk rules, created together with the students, into the fabric of classroom interactions. As part of the analysis, we examine the students' uptake of the practices appropriate to talk for learning in peer group interactions during co-located microblogging activities. Through our analysis and illustrations of the unfolding trajectory of a lesson, we consider how this interactional work is played out in a multimodal, technology-rich classroom. This article adds to our understanding of how jointly established talk rules can contribute to the development of a dialogic classroom ethos when using digital technologies. The significance of this analysis lies in its demonstration of how microblogs became a collective scaffold and how microblogging changed the mode of interaction in the classroom. This research extends our understanding of how teachers can use a specific digital technology like microblogging to promote students' engagement in talk for learning, a matter of importance in increasingly digitalised schools.

‘Who expresses an honest opinion as it stands in Japan?’: cultural issues and Japanese L2 students’ experiences of face-to-face and anonymous peer review

ABSTRACT This study explores Japanese students’ perceptions of and experiences with peer review in English writing classes. While the benefits of peer review for second language (L2) students are generally acknowledged, some studies have claimed that students from Asian cultures are predisposed to not benefit fully from this process because they tend to refuse to provide negative feedback to maintain group harmony. To verify these observations and extend our understanding of the complex dynamics of peer interactions, this study analyzed data collected from 57 Japanese L2 students after both face-to-face and anonymous peer review. An analysis of the survey data did not support the conventional view concerning sociocultural influences on peer interaction. Instead, it indicated that the participants appreciated the verbal communication component of the face-to-face peer review but overall were indifferent toward the review mode. The interview data also showed that the participants mitigated rather than refrained from providing negative feedback regardless of the peer review mode. The findings suggest that Asian L2 students’ reticence in peer group interactions might be partly attributable to the discrepancy between their pragmatic need to mitigate negative feedback (as expected and practiced in their cultures) and their L2 proficiency to achieve such results.

Application of Cooperative Learning Models and Interaction Patterns in an Effort to Improve Student Learning Outcomes

Research with the title Application of Cooperative Learning Models and Interaction Patterns in an effort to improve student learning outcomes in the Junior High School XVIII, South Tangerang Indonesia, in social studies subjects. This research was conducted on seventh grade students of Junior Hight School XVIII, South Tangerang. Indonesia. This research method uses a descriptive quantitative approach, while the research instrument used in this study is a questionnaire. The data analysis technique in this research is descriptive statistical test. The results of the study are the results of the application of cooperative learning models and interaction patterns in an effort to improve student learning outcomes, in social studies subjects, as evidenced by the results of statistical tests obtained based on the level of satisfaction, the average value obtained is strongly agree at 31%, agree at 50%, disagree by 18%, answers that strongly disagree obtained a value of 1%. Meanwhile, based on the answers according to the percentage of peer group interaction pattern variables, the average value obtained was 31% strongly agree, 41% agree, 24% disagree and 3% strongly disagree. The results of the answer test based on student achievement in social studies obtained the average value of those who answered strongly agree amounted to 29%, san who answered agreed 47%, and disagreed 22%, and strongly disagreed by 2%.

A Hit or Miss—Can residential hall experience impact university students' development?

AbstractResidential halls are an important component of college education, and the benefits for holistic personal development have been documented by previous research. The majority of studies, however, have focused on Western universities. The current research therefore assessed the academic, social and independent development of students attending universities in Hong Kong. A total of 1904 students completed a self‐report questionnaire measuring various aspects of their development. The students living in residential halls scored significantly higher than those not living in halls on five aspects of development—peer group interactions and communication skills, self‐efficacy, problem‐solving skills, self‐control and open‐mindedness—but not on other aspects such as academic development. The results imply that improvements to students' residential hall experiences are needed to facilitate their personal development.

Can a psychological-educational supportive intervention enhance the psychological well-being and academic performance of freshman medical students?

Background: Freshman medical students experience high levels of distress, which may affect their learning ability. The present study assessed the effectiveness of a psychological-educational supportive package on the psychological well-being and the academic performance of freshman medical students. Methods: We included all the first-year medical students of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in the educational year of 2018-2019 in the present study, using the census method. The first-year medical students of autumn semester 2018 formed the control group and those in winter semester 2019 formed intervention group. 102 students among the control and 129 students (divided into 13 groups) among the intervention group voluntarily completed the study. The intervention was a psychological-educational supportive package designed to provide a supportive environment for freshmen and enhance peer-group interactions, increase emotional intelligence, coping and problem-solving strategies. It consisted of 6 weekly group sessions for first-year medical students, followed by follow-up sessions until the end of the first semester. The outcome measures were Grade Point Average (GPA) of the first and second semesters as the indicators of academic performance and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) at the beginning of the first semester, at the end of the semesters to quantify the level of psychological well-being. Results: The mean GHQ-28 changes in the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group (pre-test/post-test: P= 0.013, post-test/follow-up: p <0.0001). In the intervention group, GPA was significantly higher than the control group in both the first and second semesters (P=0.016, p <0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: Psychological-educational intervention improved the level of psychological well-being and academic performance of freshman medical students.