A comparison of adolescents' friendship networks by advanced coursework participation status

• Autores: Carolyn E. Barber, Jillian Woodford Wasson
• Localización: Gifted child quarterly, ISSN-e 1934-9041, ISSN 0016-9862, Vol. 59, Nº 1, 2015, págs. 23-37
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Friendships serve as a source of support and as a context for developing social competence. Although advanced coursework may provide a unique context for the development of friendships, more research is needed to explore exactly what differences exist. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study, we compared the friendship networks of students taking advanced mathematics and English coursework to those of similar nonparticipants. Groups were compared on the number of sent or received nominations based on students' listings of friends, the presence and reciprocation of best friendships, and friends' academic engagement and diversity. Controlling for background, advanced coursework participants had larger networks and more engaged friends than did nonparticipants.

    Small differences in age heterogeneity and in the likelihood of reciprocal best friendships with female friends were found in English course-taking. Participants' networks were also somewhat less racially diverse.