Abstract

Investigating the formation of social connections in educational settings reveals significant insights into student development. This research focuses on a school intervention aimed at enhancing collaboration and friendship among high school students during a school year. A semester-long intervention included two classrooms where students were grouped based on existing affinities, and two classrooms with teams randomly assigned by the teacher. Friendship, collaboration, and peer nomination networks for academic reputation were measured throughout the academic year. We employed the Multiple Regression Quadratic Assignment Procedure (MRQAP) to analyze changes within the social networks in each classroom independently. Findings demonstrate the gravity of friendship ties for collaboration, with affinity-based teams engaging mostly in an 'inward' collaborative approach relying on inside-group friends. Conversely, working relations in the experimental classroom showcase an 'outward' strategy by leveraging friends across different groups. The collaborative activities addressed during the semester led to the formation of new friendships and significantly influenced the evolution of social networks across consecutive semesters. This analysis underscores the classroom as a dynamic social ecosystem and highlights how deliberate strategies for group formation can foster meaningful social and developmental advancements to improve individuals' social inclusion and its potential for learning and development.