Teaching and learning that happen in the classroom are strongly intertwined with social interactions between students and teachers. Relationships between students and between students and their teachers establish group processes and dynamics, making the classroom one of the most basic social settings in a child’s life.
School Class as a Group
Most of the teaching in schools happens in classes or groups. A group is a set of three or more interdependent individuals who influence each other, share the same goals and interests, and work or act together. School classes are semi-formal learning groups defined by their goals and structures.
Students and teachers in the class form a small society. The subgroups and communication among group members affect how the classroom functions as a whole. While learning is an important educational goal, developing positive relationships in the classroom is an important social-emotional goal. The classes that reach both goals tend to be more successful than classes that accomplish only one.
Studies show that a group’s behavior is determined by communication between its members and the structure’s nature that develops due to that interaction. The classroom climate has a strong influence on each student’s learning and behavior, so understanding classroom behavior is essential in predicting and improving that behavior.
Understanding classroom dynamics and structure can help the teachers develop classes into cooperative, cohesive groups that work together toward learning and development.
What is Sociometry in Education?
Sociometry is a quantitative method for measuring interpersonal attraction. Developed by Jacob L. Moreno and Hellen Hall Jennings, sociometry examines the group structure by measuring social relationships expressed through attractions and rejections between the group members.
Sociometry uses the sociogram, a graphic representation of the interrelationships among members within a group. Each group member is represented by a symbol (a square, circle, etc.), while arrows and lines depict the types of relationships among members (friendships, communication patterns).
Sociometry in education can be used to represent interpersonal relationships, communication, and group dynamics. It provides valuable information about the relationships of any child to other children and to the class/group as a whole and how these relationships change over time.
Therefore, the sociogram provides teachers with helpful information about group behaviors, improving classroom management, and enhancing learning.
What are the Types of Sociometry?
Sociometric status types represent the social status that a child has in the class (or the peer group). Sociometric status types are evaluated by asking the students to name whom they like most and whom they like least in their class. Students are asked to choose their preferred playmates or rate each peer on a scale ranging from “like very much” to “dislike very much.” Typically, the kids are asked to name their best friends in their class. These nominations can be reciprocal (two children mutually nominate each other) and unilateral (one child selects the other, but the other does not reciprocate the nomination).
Based on the number of their reciprocated friendship nominations, children can be assigned a score classified into five sociometric status types:
- Popular
- Rejected
- Neglected
- Controversial
- Average
Popular
Popular children are most chosen and well-liked by classmates. These children are characterized as friendly, pleasant, and cooperative. They are skilled in developing and maintaining positive social relationships and sensitive to others. Popular children tend to have highly developed intellectual and academic abilities. They rarely resort to aggressive behaviors but tend to be assertive and successful at managing their emotions.
Rejected
Rejected type kids are disliked by their peers and have many negative nominations. This sociometric type can be divided into two subtypes:
- Aggressive and
- Socially anxious
Rejected-aggressive children display disruptive behaviors with high levels of hostility and physical aggression.
Socially anxious and withdrawn children also tend to be rejected by their peers. Although they are not aggressive, these children lack the social skills necessary to build and maintain social interactions. They are often perceived as very shy and wary, so other kids are less willing to approach them.
Neglected
Neglected children are rather not noticed than disliked. They receive some positive and some negative nominations. While they may prefer solitary activities and engage in a few disruptive or aggressive behaviors, neglected children show more sociability in structured activities.
Controversial
Children who belong to a controversial sociometric type are well-liked by some peers but disliked by others, so they receive both positive and negative nominations. These children equally engage in aggressive and positive social behaviors (cooperation, sociability, etc.).
Average
Most children fit into the average category. Average children cannot be classified in one of the abovementioned categories. They receive an average number of positive and negative friendship nominations.
Research shows that children who are well-liked by their classmates don’t necessarily have close friendships in class, and vice versa. For example, the subgroups of highly aggressive children are generally disliked by peers but can still have friends.
The five sociometric types are associated with differences in social skills, behavior, and developmental outcomes. Studies suggest that being liked by classmates and having friends helps children adjust to school. Likewise, being rejected increases the risk of adverse effects such as loneliness and isolation, ADHD, delinquency, and depression.
What are the Sociometric Techniques?
The term sociometric techniques refer to a variety of methods that qualitatively measure the positive and negative relationships between the group members as well as their social status.
Sociometric tests are simple graphic presentations of the group structure and social relationships among the group members. Sociometric techniques indicate friendships, attractions, and repulsions among the members of the group.
The Benefits of Sociometric Measurement
Sociometric measurements use research in sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and other social sciences. It is useful in detecting patterns of relationships among group members, and it helps identify group structures. Also, sociometry helps identify and predict group dynamics, determine group identity, and improve students’ mutual relationships in a class.