A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Tools for the classroom? An examination of existing sociometric methods for teacher use
Authors: McMullen JA, Veermans K, Laine K
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Publication year: 2014
Journal: Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
Journal name in source: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
Journal acronym: SCAND J EDUC RES
Volume: 58
Issue: 5
First page : 624
Last page: 638
Number of pages: 15
ISSN: 0031-3831
eISSN: 1470-1170
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2013.838694(external)
Despite the recent technical and theoretical advances in the investigation of children's social relations, the inherent complexity of these methods may prevent their easy integration into the classroom. A simple and effective tool can be valuable for teachers who wish to investigate students' social realities in the classroom. Therefore, the present study aims to identify an effective sociometric method for educator's use in the classroom. Nine separate sociometric categorisations were created from peer reports of grade one students (N = 748). Methods that have different collection methods (nominations or ratings) show surprisingly low agreement, unlike those with the same collection method. Methods based on peer nominations showed the strongest correlations with students' behavioural traits. Based on these results, we discuss the relevance and usefulness of such methods for use by classroom teachers in identifying students' social realities.