Classroom Social Dynamics in Remote Rural Schools

A Professional Development ProgramPromoting Positive Peer Interactions

through Social Dynamics Interventions

Allen MurrayProject REAL (Rural Early Adolescent Learning)

National Research Center on Rural Education SupportUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

What are Social Dynamic Interventions?

In short, these are purposeful actions by the teacher that impact the social dynamics of the classroom. Instead of intervening with the behavior of an individual the teacher uses interventions with the social fabric as a method of dealing with behavior in the classroom.

It holds a view of student interactions that goes beyond (but doesn’t conflict with) more typical behavioral models.

Methods teachers and other staff will find useful in dealing with more complex classroom (as opposed to individual) behaviors.

Interventions that have as their ultimate goal the promotion of positive peer interactions for all students.

Social Dynamics Interventions

Add to the interventions which school personnel most commonly use already.

Give teachers more ways to proactively promote positive peer interactions.

Give teachers more ways to respond to problem behavior or negative peer interactions in the classroom.

Are particularly helpful with students who are isolated or rejected.

Social Dynamics are Influenced by:

Social roles and interaction patterns of children.

Social status of individual children and peer groups in the classroom.

Affiliation patterns & peer groupings (with whom children hang around in the classroom).

Social Roles Children take on social roles when interacting with

their peers in the classroom. These social roles can support positive and/or negative behaviors or interactions, of both themselves and of other students. Typical social roles include:

Leaders - can support either positive or negative behaviors.

Followers - to gain favor with a particular peer or group, a follower will engage in either positive or negative behaviors.

Victims - are chronically picked on by others in general, or by specific bullies.

Bully - a way to establish power and dominance in the classroom’s social structure

Bully/Victim - a bully who is also a picked on.

Interaction Patterns:

Interactions between individual children;

Interactions between an individual child and a group of children;

Interactions between two or more groups of children;

Interactions between self and an individual child;

Interactions between self and a group of children.

What Are Interaction Patterns?

There are 3 primary kinds of interactions:There are 3 primary kinds of interactions:

Imitation - copying behavior - copying behavior;;

Reciprocity - exchanges are more equal and - exchanges are more equal and similar to one another (i.e., friendships);similar to one another (i.e., friendships);

Complimentarity - exchanges are unequal, - exchanges are unequal, and are dependent on the existence of the and are dependent on the existence of the other (e. g., without a follower there is no other (e. g., without a follower there is no leader).leader).

Interaction Patterns and Social Synchrony

As interactions between students become synchronized, distinct patterns of behavior form which sustain the social relationship.

As social roles become entrenched it may become difficult for a student to change roles (in rural remote schools this can be very complicated due to small size of age/class cohorts).

For teachers, it’s critical to identify the interaction patterns and look at how it may sustain the relationship and support specific behaviors.

Social Status

A child’s status within any group works to support behavior – positive or negative. A child’s social status consists of key features reflecting their position and popularity. Position and Centrality are two important components of social status.

Confusion in TerminologyConfusion in Terminology

Rejected (as a sociometric status) vs. Rejected (as a sociometric status) vs. Social Isolation. Social Isolation.

Rejected status is not synonymous with social isolation. Students who are Rejected status is not synonymous with social isolation. Students who are rejected by a majority of peers may still have some close friends and be rejected by a majority of peers may still have some close friends and be

well well adjusted.adjusted.

Popularity, Prominence, & Social Influence Popularity, Prominence, & Social Influence Sociometric popularity vs. perceived popularity. Sociometric popularity vs. perceived popularity.

Students who are neither sociometrically popular, nor perceived as popular Students who are neither sociometrically popular, nor perceived as popular can can still have great social influence.still have great social influence.

Rejection (process) vs. Rejected (status). Rejection (process) vs. Rejected (status). It is important for people to know which of the two they mean as they are It is important for people to know which of the two they mean as they are

not not the same. Students can experience (from time to time) the process of the same. Students can experience (from time to time) the process of rejection, and not wind up with rejected status. rejection, and not wind up with rejected status.

Position & Centrality Social Position refers to how children form distinct

groups within the classroom structure and takes into account both centrality and popularity. In this way, we see how some children and groups have higher status and more influence than others. However, we all know that a child can be isolated or have no friends.

Centrality is important when looking at classroom social dynamics. Centrality refers to a child’s or a group’s reputation or power. Think of it as influence. Because it can be positive or negative it is different from popularity.

Centrality and Popularity: How are they Different?

Centrality refers to a student’s reputation or power within the classroom or within a particular group.

Popularity refers to how cool others think a particular student or group is.

A student can have high centrality (power or influence) but still be unpopular.

A student can be perceived as popular yet have no friends.

Affiliations Matter

“Birds of a feather flock together” is a cliché with a lot of truth. But so is the cliche “opposites attract”

(healthy) Groups are dynamic, fluid and mixed, especially in elementary grades.

A child’s social role, interactions with others, and their social status are important. But considering with whom the child hangs out can give a teacher additional important information about what/who is supporting either positive or negative behavior.

Erroneous AssumptionsErroneous Assumptions Aggression Leads to RejectionAggression Leads to Rejection

Aggressive children often have high centrality and high perceived Aggressive children often have high centrality and high perceived popularity. The common assumption that aggression correlates to popularity. The common assumption that aggression correlates to rejection simply is not true. rejection simply is not true.

Peer Rejection Leads to Problematic OutcomesPeer Rejection Leads to Problematic OutcomesStudents rejected by peers in elementary/middle school often Students rejected by peers in elementary/middle school often

“reinvent” themselves in high school (for students in remote “reinvent” themselves in high school (for students in remote schools schools this often takes place later). Children rejected as peers do this often takes place later). Children rejected as peers do not not always have poor outcomes. always have poor outcomes.

All Friendships are GoodAll Friendships are GoodTeachers need to be careful of when encouraging friendships by Teachers need to be careful of when encouraging friendships by socially isolated students. Friendships between socially isolated socially isolated students. Friendships between socially isolated

students andstudents and other students of rejected status can often be a other students of rejected status can often be a impediment to more positive relationships. impediment to more positive relationships.

What Is The Teacher’s Role?

Foster social relationships in the classroom.Foster social relationships in the classroom.

Facilitate positive peer Facilitate positive peer interactions and and friendships in the classroom.friendships in the classroom.

Directly teach social and academic skills.Directly teach social and academic skills.

Remediate social and academic skill deficits.Remediate social and academic skill deficits.

Key Things Teachers Should Watch:

1. The kinds of interaction patterns they see (imitative, reciprocal, complimentary)

2. The child’s social role or roles (leader, follower, target, bully)

3. The child’s social status (popularity, centrality)

4. The social status of the child’s primary group.

Friends and GroupsAre there kids in your class who hang around together a lot? Circle YES or NO

Please write their names on the lines below. Name all the groups you can think of. People can be in more than one group. Don't forget to put yourself in any group that you are a member of.

Group 1______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Group 2 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Are there some kids who don't seem to have a particular group, who tend to stay by themselves a lot?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes groups have a leader. Go back and look at each group. If that group has a leader, underline that person's name.

Brief Assessment of Social Supports (BASS)Brief Assessment of Social Supports (BASS)

Status in Classroom Social Structure Position Popularity

At-riskStudent

CentralityHigh/Avg/Low?

IsolatedYes/No?

Liked, Neutral, or Disliked?

Popular, Neutral,or Unpopular?

Peer Behavioral AssessmentsPeer Behavioral Assessments

Students were asked to nominate 3 peers who best Students were asked to nominate 3 peers who best fit descriptors for 10 items. They were told that they fit descriptors for 10 items. They were told that they could nominate themselves and that they could could nominate themselves and that they could nominate a person for more than one role.nominate a person for more than one role.

Cooperative Disruptive Acts shyCooperative Disruptive Acts shy

Starts fights Seeks help LeaderStarts fights Seeks help Leader

Athletic Good Student Gets in TroubleAthletic Good Student Gets in Trouble

Creating a Student Plan Using a Social Dynamics Approach

Identify a student in need of intervention.

Examine his/her interaction patterns with others including the social role he/she takes on.

Identify the group he/she is a part of, if any.

Identify the status of the group.

Identify the social climate of your classroom including individuals or groups that have more centrality than others.

Three Types of Social Dynamic Interventions:

Social Dynamic Interventions can be either universal, applied, or focused.

Universal Interventions are used to support the entire class and are a “mild” form of intervention.

Applied Interventions are done with intention, but are decided upon “in the moment”

Focused Interventions are planned out and are aimed at a specific skill and a specific child.

Universal Interventions

Set up a classroom structure that supports cross group interactions between students with and without a disability or between students in different peer groups.

Use developmentally appropriate activities like learning centers where groups are flexible and change periodically.

School wide and classroom use of proactive inclusive practices of at-risk students and students with disabilities.

Applied Interventions:

“Real-time” teaching of social behaviors while in learning centers, out at recess, at lunch, or during transitions.

Coaching students on how to join in to activities as well as how to accept a new person into an activity.

Use different criteria when grouping students so that children work with different peers in “natural ways” or without drawing attention to low status children.

Focused Interventions:

Explicit teaching of social skills when paired with other strategies that foster acceptance and permeability of groups.

Create specific activities that support peer interactions between students at-risk or with a disability and students without a disability.

Contact Information

Allen MurrayNational Research Center on Rural Education SupportUniversity of North Carolina200 North Greensboro StreetCarr Mill Mall; Suite C-4CB# 8115Carrboro, NC 27510

(919) 962-5924

allen.murray@unc.edu