The relationship between peer status and students' participation in classroom discourse

To intensify students learning, it is important to understand why individual students participate in classroom discourse differently. So far, there is no empirical evidence illustrating how student participation is affected by the fact that students achieve certain peer status among their classmates. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between peer status and students' participation. We analyse data gathered via structured observation of classroom discourse and through a standardised sociometric questionnaire establishing peer status on the bases of its two dimensions: peer likeability and social dominance. The sample consisted of 639 ninth-grade students from 32 Czech classrooms. This study shows that the effects of both dimensions on students' participation are contrary. The regression model shows that the effect of dominance on participation is stronger and is directly proportional: students who are perceived as more dominant participate more. The interconnectedness of peer status and participation intensifies among students with lower academic achievement.