In this study, we examine friendship centrality and reciprocity between kindergarteners who exhibit externalizing classroom behaviors and their classroom peers. Teachers nominated children who display externalizing classroom behaviors, and we collected network data via individual interviews of 411 children (mean age = 6.7 years; SD = 0.33) from 21…

Poor social-emotional reciprocity (SER) has been identified as one of the defining traits of autism. It is a key criterion in recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders editions, DSM-IV and DSM-V (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994, 2013). Yet this difficulty related to socially engaging and interacting with others is…

Prosocial behaviours appear very early in a child's development, suggesting that they are the basis for building social relationships. Previous studies have shown that two main factors influence decisions about pro-social behaviour: in-group membership and reciprocity. The main aim of this study was to investigate which of these motives children…

This study employed homeplace and compañerismo as conceptual frameworks to examine the role of space among Latino men in graduate school. While research has highlighted the importance of space for marginalized students on college campuses, this literature has primarily focused on the undergraduate level. Such is valuable work, yet it is critical…

This article draws on findings from an ethnographic case study based on the classroom experiences of a learning disabled student as he attended regular schools in New Zealand. The aim is to look at a disabled student's friendships within his classroom experiences so as to see how peer interactions supported his learning. The research involved…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that language skills contribute to kindergarten children's classroom-based friendship networks. We assessed language skills and collected friendship data via individual interviews of 419 children from 21 kindergarten classrooms. Using social network analysis, we found that language skills were…

Motivation is an important topic among language teachers in Japan. Collins and Hunt (2011) observed increases in Japanese university student's motivation as a result of collaborative learning and cooperative learning programs. This paper continues in this line of inquiry through a quantitative study of motivation in the context of computer…

This self-reflective article considers the support mechanisms from which new lecturers from a teaching background may benefit upon their entry to academia. The concept of academic identity is explored and the suggestion of a continually evolving professional identity is discussed. Emergent themes of reciprocity and critical friendship, team…

This study analyzes the self-perceptions of social competence in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It compares two groups of participants, children with ADHD (N = 20) and children without ADHD (N = 20) ages between 8 and 12 years old. Sociometric questionnaires were completed by two groups of participants and 707…

Many teachers believe that becoming friends with their pupils compromises their status as teachers because they regard friendship as a role that is incompatible with that status. However, to consider friendship as a typical relationship or social interaction does not reflect the classical idea of friendship. In a classical approach to friendship,…

Curricula that teach relationship skills to autistic individuals are needed. The purpose of this formative research study was to describe the views of autistic youth about healthy and unhealthy friendships and dating relationships, in order to uncover what types of skills they felt would be useful to learn in a workshop-style intervention in order…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sense of belonging. The research questions were as follows: (1) What role do friendships have on students' sense of belonging? and (2) How has students' sense of belonging changed since COVID related restrictions have been lifted? A pilot study was conducted in Fall…

We assessed 3rd-5th grade children's endorsement of 12 friendship expectations, in two mental age-matched (M = 10.15 years) groups; one with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n = 20) and one with typical development (TD; n = 21). Groups rated friendship expectations similarly for all but one expectation, expressing care, which received significantly…

Purpose: This paper adds to the growing body of research examining the impacts of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on the everyday lives of young people. It draws on theories of "digital intimacies" and "relationship maintenance" to argue that young people's reflections on COVID-19, physical distancing and online…

Background: This study examined how adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities define qualities of friendship and discussed the extent to which these definitions adhere to established definitions of close friendship. Materials and Methods: The study was based on qualitative interviews with 11 adolescents in secondary school. The interviews…