This report examines linkages between peer relationships, school liking and attitude toward learning in the early elementary grades. 264 children (68 boys and 58 girls) and 13 teachers took part in the study. All children were Caucasians. Participants included 126 first graders, 80 second graders and 61 third graders. Results showed that boys’ school liking was not correlated with either peer acceptance or mutual friendships Peer acceptance and mutual friendships were strongly associated with teachers’ assessment of attitude toward learning. We conclude that peer relationships may be viewed as a potential antecedent of children’s school adjustment. This finding supports the view that interactive pedagogical strategies, in focusing on collective projects and team work, may facilitate school adaptation.

Children’s social relationships and self-system processes have emerged from recent research as main success factors in school functioning (Ladd, Birch & Buhs, 1999; Ladd & Burgess, 1999), revealing a need for a better understanding of how children’s classroom relationships impact school adaptation and adjustment (Ladd, Buhs & Troop, 2002; Buhs, 2005). Moreover, there is a need for investigating gender similarities and differences in the classroom context since boys and girls have a different experience of success according to recent findings (Underwood, 2005). In this line of research, child by environment models (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Ladd, 2003) provide useful theoretical support to the idea that students’ social relatedness lays a critical foundation for motivated engagement, which in turn promotes academic achievement and positive behavioral adaptation at school.

Aims of the study

This report examines linkages between peer relationships, school liking and attitude toward learning in the early elementary grades.

Methodology

264 children (68 boys and 58 girls) and 13 teachers took part in the study. All children were Caucasians. Participants included 126 first graders, 80 second graders and 61 third graders. One school was located in a rural area, the other three in a medium-sized urban area with a low- and middle-class population.

Two facets of peer relationships were assessed: peer acceptance and mutual friendships. Peer acceptance scores derived from a sociometric rating procedure (Coie et al., 1982) adapted from Asher, Singleton, Tinsley, and Hymel (1979). Friendships were assessed following the procedure suggested by Berndt, Perry and Miller (1988). The Feelings About School questionnaire (FAS, Valeski & Spipek, 2001) was used to assess school liking : individual interviews were conducted during the last semester. Finally, the Preshool Learning Behaviors Scale (PLBS, McDermott, Leigh & Perry, 2002) was completed by teachers and assessed attitude toward learning.

Results

Results showed that girls were better accepted by peers than girls: F (1, 263) = 4.78, p < .05. Surprisingly, boys had as many friends in the classroom as girls: F (1, 263) = 3.27, p > .05. The presence of mutual friendships was significantly associated with attitude toward learning among boys (r = .25, p < .01) and girls (r = .23, p < .05) but was not significantly correlated with school liking. Peer acceptance was significantly correlated with attitude toward learning among boys (r = .57, p < .01) and among girls (r = .55, p < .01) but was linked to school liking among girls only (r = .26, p < .01).

Discussion

Based on a motivational perspective (Connell & Wellborn, 1991) and recent work (e.g., Ladd, 2003) we expected that peer relationships would be strongly linked to school liking and attitude toward learning. Results showed that boys’ school liking was not correlated with either peer acceptance or mutual friendships. It seems that boys’ school liking needs further investigation in order to better understand what factors motivate school liking among young boys. Peer acceptance and mutual friendships were strongly associated with teachers’ assessment of attitude toward learning. Thus, it seems that peer relationships may be viewed as a potential antecedent of children’s school adjustment. We argue that teacher-child relationship in the early years of schooling may be worth considering as a potential antecedent of children’s school liking and adjustment and that special attention must be given to gender particularities (Klem & Connell, 2004). Our findings support the view that interactive pedagogical strategies, in focusing on collective projects and team work, may facilitate school adaptation. Creating opportunities for interpersonal relationships and social integration of all classroom members is one of the most challenging and meaningful tasks teachers face on a daily basis, especially those who work with young students. However, it is a promising avenue toward designing appropriate intervention strategies to support early school adaptation and success.