University of Groningen
Connecting, interacting and supporting
Brouwer, Jasperina
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Brouwer, J. (2017). Connecting, interacting and supporting: Social capital, peer network and cognitive perspectives on small group teaching. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
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509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
CONNECTING, INTERACTING AND SUPPORTING
Social capital, peer network and cognitive perspectives
on small group teaching
509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
Interuniversity Center for Educational Sciences
Most of the research presented in this thesis was funded by the Innovation budget from the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Brouwer, Jasperina
Connecting, interacting and supporting:
Social capital, peer network and cognitive perspectives on small group teaching. ISBN: 978-90-367-9775-7
Ebook : PDF without DRM, ISBN: 978-90-367-9776-4 Layout: Jan Hemel
Cover: Hester Nijhoff Editing: Elisabeth Nevins
Print: Ipskamp Printing, Enschede, the Netherlands
Copyright: Jasperina Brouwer (2017)
509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer 509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer
Connecting, interacting and
supporting
Social capital, peer network and cognitive perspectives
on small group teaching
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
op gezag van de
rector magnificus, prof. dr. E. Sterken en volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties.
De openbare verdediging zal plaatsvinden op maandag 22 mei 2017 om 11.00 uur
door
Jantina Brouwer
geboren op 7 juli 1975 te Groningen
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509384-L-sub01-bw-Brouwer Promotores:
Prof. dr. W.H.A. Hofman Prof. dr. A. Flache Copromotor: Dr. E.P.W.A. Jansen
Beoordelingscommissie: Prof. dr. S.E. Severiens Prof. dr. M.P.C. van der Werf Prof. dr. K. van Veen
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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
11
1.1. Small group teaching in the higher education context 12 1.2. Cognitive perspectives on small group teaching 13
1.2.1. Academic self-efficacy 14
1.2.2. Growth mindsets 15
1.2.3. Self-perceived popularity 15
1.3. Social capital perspectives on small group teaching 16 1.4. Peer network perspectives on small group teaching 18
1.4.1. Defining peer networks 18
1.4.2. Informal peer networks within small groups 19 1.5. Aims, research questions, and conceptual model 19
1.6. Method 21
1.6.1. Design, procedure, and samples 21
1.6.2. Research context: small group teaching 23
1.6.3. Measurements 24
1.6.4. Data analysis procedures 27
1.7. Thesis outline 28
Chapter 2 Determinants of early study success in contemporary higher
education 33
2.1. Introduction 34
2.1.1. Educational productivity model 35
2.1.2. Expectancy-value affect theory 37
2.1.3. Toward an extended educational productivity model 38
2.2. Method 39 2.2.1. Participants 39 2.2.2. Measures 39 2.2.3. Procedure 41 2.2.4. Statistical analyses 42 2.3. Results 42 2.3.1. Correlation analyses 42 2.3.2. Path modelling 43
2.4. Discussion and conclusions 46
2.4.1. Practical implications 47
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Chapter 3 The importance of small group teaching for peer and faculty
interaction, self-efficacy, and early study success
51
3.1 Introduction 52
3.1.1 Collaborative learning in small group teaching 53
3.1.2 Transition to university 53
3.1.3 Learning communities 54
3.1.4 Interaction and self-efficacy 54
3.1.5 Current study 55
3.2 Method 56
3.2.1 Description of educational programs 56
3.2.2 Sample 57
3.2.3 Variables 57
3.2.4 Statistical analysis 58
3.3 Results 59
3.3.1 Descriptive statistics 59
3.3.2 Learning communities versus mentor groups and self-efficacy 60 3.3.3 Learning communities versus mentor groups and early study success 62
3.4 Conclusion and discussion 63
3.5 Notes 65
Chapter 4 The impact of social capital on self-efficacy and study success in
small group teaching
67
4.1. Introduction 68
4.1.1. First-year students’ social capital 69
4.1.2. Prior achievement and self-efficacy 71
4.1.3. Current study 72 4.2. Method 73 4.2.1. Participants 73 4.2.2. Procedure 73 4.2.3. Measures 74 4.2.4. Statistical analysis 75 4.3. Results 76
4.3.1. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis 76
4.3.2. Path analysis 78
4.3.3. Social capital and study success for different groups during the academic year 79
4.4. Discussion 81
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7
Chapter 5 The role of cognitions in peer networks within small group
teaching 85
5.1. Introduction 86
5.1.1. Growth mindsets and academic self-efficacy as predictors of perceived and
actual popularity in peer networks 87
5.1.2. The interplay between popularity in academic and social support peer
networks 89
5.1.3. Present study 89
5.2. Method 90
5.2.1. Participants 90
5.2.2. Design and Procedure 90
5.2.3. Measures 90
5.2.4. Statistical analysis 92
5.3. Results 92
5.4. Discussion 93
5.4.1. Boundary conditions and research directions 95
5.4.2. Conclusions 96
Chapter 6 The impact of achievement, self-efficacy and small group
teaching on peer network dynamics
97
6.1. Introduction 98
6.1.1. Academic and social support relationships 99 6.1.2. Achieving academic goals: Alignment or duality? 100
6.2. Method 102
6.2.1. Sample and procedure 102
6.2.2. Measures 103
6.2.3. Statistical analysis 103
6.3. Results 105
6.3.1. Descriptive statistics 105
6.3.2. Hypotheses testing 106
6.4. Discussion and conclusion 110
6.5. Appendix 112
Chapter 7 Summary, conclusions and discussion
117
7.1. Motivation for this research 118
7.2. Summary of main findings 120
7.2.1. Determinants of early study success in contemporary higher education 120 7.2.2. Social capital and a cognitive perspective on small group teaching 121 7.2.3. Peer networks and a cognitive perspective on small group teaching 122
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7.4. Scientific and methodological implications 127
7.5. Practical implications 128
7.6. Directions for further research 130
7.7. Concluding remarks 133
References 135
Appendices 161
Appendix A1 Background information: Educational research contexts and
procedures 162
Types of small group teaching 162
Learning communities 162
Seminars 163
Mentor groups 163
Contextual background and research procedure 163
Learning communities and mentor groups 163
Seminars 165
Appendix A2 Measurement information
166
Nederlandse samenvatting Summary in Dutch
173
Inleiding 173
Onderzoeksopzet 175
Resultaten 176
Sociaal kapitaal binnen kleinschalig groepsonderwijs 177 Informele peernetwerken binnen kleinschalig groepsonderwijs 178
Algemene conclusies 182
Wetenschappelijke en methodologische implicaties 184
Praktische implicaties 185
Aanbevelingen voor onderzoek 187
Concluderende opmerkingen 189
About the author
190
Publications 191
Peer-reviewed publications 191
Manuscripts 191
Dankwoord Acknowledgements
192
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Figures
Fig. 1-1 Schematic overview of the different chapters 21 Fig. 2-1 Schematic overview of the extended educational productivity model 38 Fig. 2-2 Model of the determinants of study success midterm semester 1 44 Fig. 2-3 Model of the determinants of study success semester 1 45 Fig. 4-1 Hypothesized direct and indirect effects of social capital on study success 72 Fig. 4-2 Model of the relationships between social capital variables and study
success 79 Fig. 5-1 Model of the effects of a growth mindset versus self-efficacy in academic
support and social support networks 93
Fig. 6-1 Distribution of study success in the range from 0 to 9 (out of 10) 102 Fig. A6-1 Graphical representation of the hypotheses 112 Fig. A6-2 Distribution of achievement across learning communities 114 Fig. A6-3 Illustration of the help seeking network dynamics 115 Fig. A6-4 Illustration of the friendship network dynamics 116 Fig. 7-1 Conceptual model of the thesis findings 127
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Tables
Table 1-1 Characteristics of learning communities, mentor groups, and seminars 24
Table 1-2 Data collection in the Netherlands 26
Table 1-3 Data collection in Germany 27
Table 1-4 Overview of the studies 30
Table 2-1 Descriptive statistics 40
Table A2-1 Bivariate correlations 49
Table 3-1 Characteristics of learning communities and mentor groups 57 Table 3-2 Descriptive statistics and correlations 60 Table 3-3 Multilevel analysis of self-efficacy predictors after the first semester 61 Table 3-4 Multilevel analysis of the predictors of study success after the first
semester 63 Table 4-1 Descriptive statistics and correlations 77
Table 4-2 Multilevel analysis for study success during the first year 80 Table A4-1 Summary of unstandardized coefficients for the final model 83 Table 5-1 Descriptive statistics and correlations 92
Table 6-1 Descriptive network statistics 106
Table 6-2 Results of SIENA models 107
Table 6-3 Ego-alter table of selection of academic helpers 109 Table 6-4 Ego-alter table of selection of collaborators 109 Table 6-5 Ego-alter table of selection of friends 109 Table A6-1 Explanation of the SIENA-models specifications 113 Table A1 Psychometric information of the scales used in the Netherlands 166 Table A2 Psychometric information of the scales used in Germany (Chapter 5) 171 Table N1 Overzicht van de belangrijkste resultaten per hoofdstuk 181
