Peer interaction in class: exploring students’ self-regulation in relation to peer acceptance and rejection

Abstract

The link between peer exposure and self-regulation is likely to vary as a function of the type and quality of peer interaction. In the presented research study, the relationship between self-regulation and peer acceptance/rejection has been explored. The Means-Ends Problem Solving technique was administered in 1625 cases of lower-secondary school students. A cluster analysis suggested three distinct profiles: Thriving, Balancing, and Struggling. Students in the Thriving profile demonstrated the highest level of self-regulation and the highest social acceptance in the peer group. Students with the Struggling profile showed the lowest level of self-regulation and the lowest social acceptance levels, but their perception of own inclusion in class was rather neutral. Profiling of students’ self-regulation skills enabled an enhanced understanding of the process of self-regulation in relation to peer interaction and offered new insights into the role of students’ attitudes (especially one’s perception of own inclusion in a peer group).

Keywords:

• Peer rejection
• self-regulation
• emotional regulation
• lower-secondary school students

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Rachel Maunder, University of Northampton, United Kingdom

SUBJECTS:

• Childhood
• Educational Psychology
• Educational Research
• School Psychology
• Secondary Education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jakub Hladik

Jakub Hladik, Ph.D. is an associate professor at Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czechia. He is interested in self-regulation of children and socio-cultural context of education (especially the social exclusion of students and multicultural education). In this research topic, he has participated in projects, and he has published studies in domestic and foreign journals.

Karla Hrbackova

Karla Hrbackova, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czechia. She is interested predominantly in the matter of self-regulation in relation to peer interaction in school environment. She has performed extensive research focused on the mechanisms of self-regulation of learning and behaviour in children and adolescents.

Anna Petr Safrankova

Anna Petr Safrankova, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at Faculty of Humanities, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czechia. She is interested predominantly in diversity and inclusion in education, and social relations in the context of self-regulation. She has held a number of lectures and invited lectures focused on equality in education and diversity in education (e.g., in the USA and Poland).