""Both undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in education, child<br />psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology would find the book, or<br />particular chapters, useful as they explore the nature of peer groups in educational settings.<br />Researchers in psychology will become better aware of the many facets of school and<br />classroom life that should be considered when studying children in the classroom context". (PsycCritiques, 8 December 2010)<br />"<br />"The experiences of schoolchildren with their peer groups and the implications for social, personal and intellectual development are considered here, as Howe reviews and integrates literature relating to classroom and out-of-class settings. The text is intended to address psychologists' and educationalists' research concerns, as well as the practical concerns of teachers, parents, counsellors and policymakers." (<i>Times Higher Education,</i> November 2010)
Peer Groups and Children's Development considers the experiences of school-aged children with their peer groups and its implications for their social, personal and intellectual development
- Focuses on the peer group experiences of children attending school in Western societies, from five years of age through to adolescence
- Considers peer groups in classrooms, friendships made within and outside of school, and the groups that children participate in for extra-curricular activities
- Includes a final summary which brings together the significant implications for theory, policy and practice
- Unique in that no other volume reviews and integrates literature relating to peer groups in both classroom and out-of-class settings
- Addresses the research interests of psychologists and educationalists, as well as the practical concerns of teachers, parents, counsellors, and policy makers
Acknowledgments.
1. Peer Groups in a Cultural Context.
Introduction.
Cultural Dependency.
Theoretical Framework.
Peer Groups and Childrenâs Development.
2. Peer Groups and Classroom Structure.
Introduction.
The Peer Group Structure of Classes.
The Structure of Classroom Subgroups.
Summary and Conclusions.
3. Performance and Cooperation in Classrooms.
Introduction.
Whole-Class Interaction and the Performance Mode.
Subgroup Interaction and the Cooperative Mode.
Summary and Conclusions.
4. Cooperative Interaction and Curriculum Mastery.
Introduction.
Piagetian Perspectives on Cooperative Interaction.
Assistance and Cooperative Interaction.
The Social Impact of Classroom Interaction.
5. Friendship, Status, and Centrality.
Introduction.
Childrenâs Friendships.
Peer Status in Formal Groups.
Status in Friendship Groups.
6. Individual Differences in Informal Experiences.
Introduction.
Varying Experiences of Status.
Friendship and Status Compared.
Continuity and Change.
7. Social and Personal Adjustment.
Introduction.
Peer Groups and Antisocial Behavior.
Peer Groups and Personal Adjustment.
Summary and Conclusions.
8. School Performance Revisited.
Introduction.
Peer Groups and Educational Failure.
Diverse Consequences of Friendship.
Classroom Practice and Developmental Outcomes.
9. Implications for Practice and Future Research.
Summary and Introduction.
Remedial Work with Individuals.
Qualified Endorsement of the Cooperative Approach.
Future Research and Theoretical Development.
References.
Index.
The book looks at the formal peer groups that children are placed in for teaching and learning, covering such topics as the class size debate, mixed-ability vs. ability-based teaching, gender and classroom dialogue, and dialogic teaching and cooperative learning. Howe also provides an in-depth examination of the nature, causes, and consequences of a child's informal peer relationships, including those associated with cliques, friendships, and adolescent gangs.
Evidence presented throughout reveals how formal and informal aspects of peer groups interrelate to a great extent in determining patterns of development. This has significant implications for research and theory, as well as for the practical concerns of parents, teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and policy makers.
Informed by the latest research and scholarship, Peer Groups and Children's Development offers revelatory insights into the effects of peer relationships on a child's intellectual, personal and social development.
âProfessor Anne-Nelly Perret-Clermont, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Neuchâtel
"Christine Howe's thoroughly researched book offers a thoughtful analysis of the wide literature on childrenâs experiences of the peer group and its profound influence on their social, emotional and educational development. Practitioners and researchers will be enthralled and inspired by this sensitive and informed account of the social-cultural contexts in which children learn and grow."
âHelen Cowie, Research Professor, University of Surrey, UK
"This important book offers an engaging and accessible introduction to the contemporary literature concerning the developmental significance of children's peer groups. It is a distinctive work, not least because it emphasises the role of peers in children's well-being, when so much other work has chosen to focus on their negative impact."
âProfessor Karen Littleton, The Open University, UK
âThis is an excellent and timely book; scholarly and intellectually coherent, yet accessible to practitioners.â
âPeter Blatchford, University of London