Ties for the phases: tie formation and educator life phases in urban fringe and rural schools

ABSTRACT

Friendships and close relationships within organisations and schools are integral for developing trust, engagement, and a sense of community. That said, few studies exclusively look at tie formation in friendship networks in K-12 contexts. In this study, we explore the relationship between Day and Gu’s teacher life phases and the formation of friendship ties in four schools—two elementary and two high schools—in urban fringe and rural settings. Using exponential random graph models (ERGMs), we found that across contexts there were some life phases during which educators were more likely to form friendship ties with others in the same life phase. Also, there were notable differences in the factors that contributed to friendship ties and in the odds of friendship tie formation in the elementary versus high schools. The findings have implications for those interested in supporting professional capital-building among teachers as well as those looking to establish conditions necessary to nurture and sustain teacher resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional life phases
• lives of teachers
• educator relationships
• social networks
• friendship ties

Disclosure statement

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

Notes

1. Classifications based on National Center for Education Statistics’ Rural Educational Achievement Programme guidelines

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer R. Karnopp

Jennifer Karnopp, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the department of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. Her research explores the intersection of leadership practice and organizational change for more equitable and inclusive schooling, with specific attention to the role of formal and informal relationships in organizational functioning.

Peter Bjorklund

Peter Bjorklund Jr., Ph.D. is a postdoctral researcher in the Education Studies Department and a Lecturer in the Human Developmental Sciences Programme at University of California San Diego. His research focuses on social network analysis, belonging, trust, and identity in K-16 contexts.