Tools for the classroom? An examination of existing sociometric methods for teacher use




McMullen JA, Veermans K, Laine K

PublisherROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

2014

Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research

SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

SCAND J EDUC RES

58

5

624

638

15

0031-3831

1470-1170

DOIhttps://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.




Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 22:32