Untangling Student Experiences of Diversity: Effects of Classroom Composition and Ethnic Representation on Peer Relations.”

As community demographics shift across the United States, it is increasingly important for school interventions to address the needs of more diverse student populations. Theories propose contrasting explanations for how ethnic diversity may influence student social relationships. Contact hypothesis suggests that students in diverse schools can form more integrated friend groups, leading to stronger peer communities and reduced victimization (Graham, 2006). Constrict theory alternatively posits that increased ethnic diversity can lead to more segregation and reduced solidarity among students (Putnam, 2007). Experiences of ethnic diversity differ for students of different ethnicities and across school contexts (Agirdag et al., 2011). Researchers highlight two distinct aspects of diversity (Fisher et al., 2014, Jackson et al., 2006): the individual’s relative minority status (i.e., proportion of same-ethnic classmates) and the classroom’s ethnic diversity (i.e., number and size of different ethnic groups). The present study aims to extend prior work by (1) examining the unique associations of each aspect of diversity on peer relations over time and (2) testing for differences across grade levels and ethnic groups.

Data include 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th grade students in 199 classrooms in rural, suburban, and urban elementary schools in the United States. The present study focuses on students whose ethnicity was identified as White (n =1730), Black (n =975), or Hispanic (n =316). Classrooms varied in ethnic diversity as measured by Simpson’s index (Graham et al., 2014), with scores ranging from 0 (homogenous) to 0.74 (diverse; M =0.44, SD =0.23). At three time points across the school year, students reported their sense of peer community (scale adapted from Battistich et al., 1995) and nominated classmates they “liked most to play with” (acceptance), “liked least to play with” (rejection), and who are “picked on” (victimization).

Multilevel growth models predicted change in each of the four indicators of peer relations across the school year. Individual relative minority status and classroom diversity demonstrated unique effects, each conditioned by grade level or ethnicity. For example, students in more diverse classrooms experienced more peer rejection in the fall, but this effect diminished for Black students, who experienced less peer rejection in diverse classrooms by the end of the school year. White students were significantly less accepted and more victimized by peers over time when in the relative minority compared to Black and Hispanic students. Results highlight the importance of considering both the relative minority status of individuals and the overall ethnic diversity of classrooms, and the complexity of developmental and ethnic differences.