RHP&EO is the electronic journal of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education

Small Classes, Small Problems? The Role Of Social Group Size In Psychosocial Problems Among 8th Grade Students

Marit Boyssen, Edvin Bru and Er!ing Roland

Centre for Behavioural Reesearch, Stavanger College P.B. 1067 Hillevag, 4004 Stayanger, Norway

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between social group size (school-class), social classroom climate and. psychosocial problems. The main objectives were to compare: 1) The classroom climate in small and large classes. 2) Psychosocial problems, as peer harassment, emotional problems and musculoskeletal complaints, in small and large classes. 3) How classroom climate is related to psychosocial problems in small and large classes. Small classes are more common in small communities. Therefore eventual confounding or additional effects of local community size will be explored.

All variables were assessed by self-re, port in a sample of 1,071.Norwegian 8th grade students. The sample was recruited from 24 randomly chosen 1ocal communities nationwide, ranging in size from 343 to 477,781 inhabitants. The sample totalled 55 school-classes of which group size varied from 8 to 30 The preliminary results indicate that; 1) Students in small classes better teacher functioning and relations with class-mates. However, in contrast, student's general satisfaction with school was better in large clasps than in small classes. 2) No differences in psychosocial problems between small and large school-classes. 3) Stronger associations between social class-climate and psychosocial problems in small classes compared to large classes. Comparisons between small and large local communities show a similar pattern of results.

These results are discussed in light of social group and social conflict theories. The size of the group tends to correlate with a number of other factors. The quality of the. relationship and norms regulating the behaviour, appear to affect the individual as a member of the group. Social integration (community, solidarity) and social differentiation ( social roles), are central in the study of social group processes. The characteristic of the primary and the secondary social group are also used in the discussion of why the effect of psychosocial problems seems to be more serious in smaller social groups. Social conflict theory differentiates the tension of a conflict according Io the group size and how tightly the group members are linked. Where there is a personal relationship and emotional, involvement, the conflict has a tendency to expand and affect other areas of interaction.

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