Classroom Effects on Change in Children's Friendships

Previous studies of the effects of classroom characteristics on educational outcomes have been concerned primarily with cognitive outcomes, such as academic achievement. In this paper we examine effects of classroom variables on children's social development. We argue that the way teachers group students for instructional purposes and their pedagogical techniques affect children's proximity and similarity within the classroom, and that these in turn affect their interpersonal relationships. We use longitudinal data from fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children to test several hypotheses predicting influences of instructional organization on the formation and stability of children's friendships. The findings provide evidence that selected classroom variables have a positive impact on the stability of children's existing friendships and on the likelihood that children become more friendly. The results also indicate that weak friendships are more easily influenced by classroom characteristics than close friendships.