ERIC Number: EJ942188
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-May
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0961-205X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Teacher Reports of Children's Friendships and Social Groups: Agreement with Peer Reports and Implications for Studying Peer Similarity
Gest, Scott D.
Social Development, v15 n2 p248-259 May 2006
Teacher-peer agreement about children's friendships and social group affiliations was examined in a sample of 219 children in grades 1, 3, and 5. Peer reports were used to identify reciprocated friendships and informal social groups. Teachers listed each child's closest friends and described the informal social groups existing in their classrooms. Teachers also rated children's externalizing behavior problems and academic orientation and provided direct ratings of the externalizing behavior problems and academic orientation of children's friends. Teacher-peer agreement was reliable for friendships and social groups and was stronger in the upper elementary grades. Estimates of peer similarity were highest when teachers provided global ratings of the behaviors of the children's friends. Results suggest that teacher reports of children's peer affiliations have some validity but result in inflated estimates of peer similarity.
Descriptors: Behavior Problems, Friendship, Peer Groups, Peer Relationship, Elementary School Students, Teacher Attitudes, Validity, Academic Achievement
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 1; Grade 3; Grade 5
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A