Combined Program in Education and Psychology, University of Michigan, 610 E. University Avenue Ste. 1413, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
J Youth Adolesc. 2019 Mar;48(3):597-608. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0949-8. Epub 2018 Oct 27.
Social status is a salient feature of the classroom peer ecology in early adolescence, yet research has not examined how it plays out within the domains of math and science. The current study investigated the behavioral profiles of cool and admired youth (n = 739, 51% female) in 5th and 6th grade math and science classes. "Cool" youth were perceived by peers as academically oriented, prosocial, and not disruptive. When grade level differences were found, they tended to favor 5th graders, such that cool youth had even more positive profiles in 5th grade compared to 6th grade. Admiration was associated with a more adaptive pattern of behaviors than coolness, and grade level differences were less pronounced. Cross-lagged models revealed some reciprocal relationships between behavior and social status. Implications for teachers are discussed, namely that attention to social status dynamics is important for creating a positive social climate that supports early adolescent engagement in math and science classes.
社会地位是青少年早期课堂同伴生态系统的一个显著特征，但目前还没有研究探讨它在数学和科学领域是如何表现出来的。本研究调查了五年级和六年级数学和科学课上酷儿和令人钦佩的青少年（n=739，51%为女性）的行为特征。“酷”的青少年被同龄人认为是有学术倾向、亲社会和不捣乱的。当发现年级差异时，他们往往倾向于支持五年级学生，因此与六年级相比，五年级的酷儿青少年具有更积极的特征。钦佩与更适应的行为模式相关，年级差异不太明显。交叉滞后模型揭示了行为和社会地位之间的一些相互关系。讨论了对教师的启示，即关注社会地位动态对于创造一个积极的社会氛围很重要，这种氛围支持青少年早期参与数学和科学课程。
