The Social and Work Structure of an Afterschool Math Club

TL;DR

This study explores the social and work dynamics within an afterschool math club for middle schoolers, revealing how friendship and working networks influence student interactions and perceived impact.

Contribution

It applies social network analysis to identify key student groups and their roles, providing new insights into peer relationships in extracurricular settings.

Findings

A core working group acts as a central connector.

The core group overlaps with the largest friendship group.

Less popular students report greater positive impact.

Abstract

The objective of this exploratory study was to examine the interpersonal dynamics of an afterschool math club for middle schoolers. Using social network analysis, two networks were identified and analyzed: (a) a network of friendship relationships and (b) a network of working relationships. The interconnections and correlations between friendship relationships, working relationships, and a student opinion survey were studied. We identified a core working group of students from within the network of working relations. This group acted as a central go-between for other members in the club. This core working group also expanded into the largest friendship group in the friendship network. A second group was formed from popular but aloof students who reported less impact from the club. Although there were working isolates, they were not found to be socially isolated. Students who were less popular tended to report a greater favorable impact from club participation than those who were more popular.