Assessing Student Perceptions of Positive and Negative Social Interactions in Specific School Settings

This study explored the use of student-marked school maps, a practitioner-friendly method for assessing student perceptions of positive and negative peer interactions in specific school settings. Two hundred eighty-two third- through fifth-grade students from a Midwestern U.S. elementary school participated. Descriptive analyses were used to determine the key school locations reported by students where cooperative and conflictual peer interactions occurred. In general, students reported the playground, classroom, gym, library, and cafeteria as places where students get along most regularly and the playground, restroom, and cafeteria as the most conflict-prone locations. Results from Pearson's chi-square analyses indicated the presence of grade-level differences in student responses. No gender differences were found. Students also were able to identify possible reasons that explain why their classmates do and do not get along in various school settings. Findings suggest that the methods used in this study are effective means for assessing students' positive and negative social interactions.