Martin H. Jones

Peer Groups, Popularity, and Social Preference Trajectories of Social Functioning Among Students With and Without Learning Disabilities

The extant literature on the social functioning of students with learning disabilities (LD) has indicated that whereas a majority belong to peer groups, a higher proportion are isolated and most have lower social status among peers in general than their typically achieving classmates. Although some work has examined these issues over short-term longitudinal studies, none to date have examined them over extensive time periods. Toward this end, the current study examined a sample of 1,361 students (678 girls and 683 boys; 55 with LD) using multiple measures of peer social functioning assessed each semester from spring of third grade through fall of sixth grade. The results indicated that whereas students with LD were similar to their typically achieving peers in terms of group functioning and characteristics, they were viewed as lower in social standing among their classmates as a whole. These effects were maintained over time, indicating that long-term inclusion may not substantially affect peer social functioning among students with LD.

Best Friendships of Students with and without Learning Disabilities across Late Elementary School

Close friendships are important for childrens academic achievement and social-emotional adaptation. Extant literature indicates students with learning disabilities are at increased risk for isolation, although little research has been done to examine the development of reciprocated friendships across late elementary school. This 2-year study examined the friendships of 55 students with learning disabilities in general education classrooms and 1,254 typically achieving peers. Results indicate that students with learning disabilities were as likely to have a reciprocated best friend and had as many best friends as their typically achieving peers. However, they retained fewer friendships over time, and were more likely to have friends who also had learning disabilities.

Homophily Among Peer Groups Members’ Perceived Self-Regulated Learning

The present study is one of the first examining whether peer group members hold similar levels of self-regulated learning. The study specifically addresses the potential homophily among group members’ regulative abilities (metacognition, environment regulation, effort regulation, peer learning, and help seeking) and whether group members’ regulative abilities predict affiliates’ academic performance. The study surveyed 9th-grade students from a Midwestern high school about their regulative abilities for mathematics. Results suggest that peer groups members’ effort regulation is similar among peer affiliates but not other regulative abilities. In addition, peer group members’ regulative abilities do not predict each others’ academic performance.

When Elementary Students Change Peer Groups: Intragroup Centrality, Intergroup Centrality, and Self-Perceptions of Popularity

The current study follows two cohorts of fourth and fifth graders across 1 school year to better understand why some students change peer groups. The study focuses on popularity and intragroup social status. We examined whether differences between individuals’ and group members’ self-perceptions of popularity were related to changing peer groups. In addition, we investigated whether more peripheral group members were likely to leave their peer group. Results suggest that not only are peripheral group members and group members with dissimilar self-perceptions of popularity more likely to change groups, but they have more similar self-perceptions of popularity in their new groups. By employing a novel method of measuring within-group homophily, the current study expands the sparse literature on why individuals might change group membership.

Achievement Goal Validation among African American High School Students: CFA and Rasch Results.

Achievement goal theory helps describe how and why students engage in various academic behaviors. Historically, achievement goals have been examined almost exclusively with undergraduate, nonminority samples, and predominately with factor analytic techniques. The present study adds to a growing literature by providing initial validation of a leading achievement goal measure, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R; Elliot & Murayama, 2008), among rural (N = 186) and urban (N = 197) African American high school students. Collectively, results from both confirmatory factor and Rasch analyses highlight issues that should be considered when using the AGQ-R among African American high school students.

Social Achievement Goals Validation Among Rural African American Adolescents

Little extant research attempts to understand why rural African Americans engage in social relationships with peers in school. This is somewhat surprising as rural students’ peer interactions often affect their scholastic desires, and peers can alter African Americans’ academic performance. Hence, the current study examined both the presence and psychometric validity of social achievement goals among rural African American high school students. Results suggest the presence of three reasons for engaging in social relationships in school: social development (desire to increase friendship quality), social demonstration-approach (wanting to appear “cool” among friends), and social demonstration-avoid (fear of appearing socially inferior). Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis provide support for both the presence and valid measurement of social achievement goals among rural African American adolescents.

Social Achievement Goals, Efficacious Beliefs, and Math Performance in a Predominately African American High School:

The study is the first to examine the relationship among students’ social achievement goals, self-efficacy, collective efficacy of classmates and teachers, and math performance. In addition, the study examined homophily, or the tendency for peer group members to hold similar beliefs, for social achievement goals, efficacious beliefs, and math performance. Participants were 210 students from a predominately African American high school. Boys’ social achievement goals predicted twice as much collective efficacy than girls’ social achievement goals. In addition, self-efficacy positively predicted math performance for girls, but not so for boys. Social achievement goal homophily was only present for girls. Self-efficacy and math performance homophily was present for both boys and girls.

School Foci and Their Potential Ramifications in Urban High Schools

The study examined the relationship among students’ focus in urban schools and three educationally relevant psychological factors: school engagement, achievement goals, and possible future self. A 1-year study at two urban high schools with a total of 212 participants suggested that academically focused students are more highly engaged with mastery-approach goals, whereas students with a social focus had less optimal engagement and more performance goal orientations. Both academic and social focus indicated strongest relationships with academic future self and social future self, respectively.