Conference Agenda

A large body of research has demonstrated that friendship relations in educational contexts make an important contribution to students’ social, motivational and emotional development, as well as to their learning and achievement (Black et al., 2025; Neuendorf et al., 2025). However, peer networks can also create social structures that disadvantage some students, including processes of exclusion, homophily, or the stabilization of unfavorable forms of social hierarchy (McKeown et al., 2015; Raufelder & Kulakow, 2022). Understanding how peer relations can enable social participation while also reproducing inequality is a key challenge for educational research.

Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive understanding of social processes that unfold in classrooms over time (Freire et al., 2024). However, despite the growing body of network-based and developmental research, substantial knowledge gaps remain regarding (a) the developmental dynamics of peer relations across educational phases and (b) the factors that shape the stability, quality, and educational relevance of peer networks. Moreover, existing studies tend to examine either structural indicators of social embeddedness or their subjective evaluations, leaving their interplay insufficiently understood (Black et al., 2025).

This symposium addresses these research needs by systematically linking empirical findings on peer relations across the school years and different European contexts. The overarching aim of our symposium is to examine how peer relationships develop from primary through upper secondary education, how structural and qualitative dimensions of peer relations interact, and how these dynamics unfold at critical transition points. In terms of empirical research, the contributions link peer network indicators with students’ perceptions to evaluate their social experiences at school. By combining longitudinal and cross-sectional data with sociometric and psychometric measures, the symposium captures the key dimensions of peer systems.

The first contribution is based on the Swiss BOMBINI project and examines how teacher–student conflict is socially referenced by peers and shapes peer acceptance in primary school. It analyzes early processes of social positioning within classrooms and their implications for social inclusion at the start of children‘s education in primary school, emphasizing preventive leverage at this early age.

The second paper draws on data from the German SOZIUS project and analyzes changes in network indicators and psychometric variables across two measurement points, focusing on the critical educational transition to lower-secondary education. Set within a teacher-based intervention design, the study examines how pedagogical support and diagnostic practices can influence the development and stabilization of classroom networks.

The third contribution draws on a German study with students in secondary education and contrasts sociometric network indicators with students’ perceived embeddedness and relationship quality. It demonstrates that perceived relationship quality and embeddedness are more closely linked to students’ satisfaction and well-being than the number of social ties, thereby challenging purely structural interpretations of peer integration.

The fourth paper, based on a large-scale Finnish longitudinal study, adopts a person-centered perspective to identify peer relationship profiles from childhood to adolescence and examines their predictive power for later socioemotional functioning and on-time graduation from upper secondary education. This contribution provides evidence of long-term consequences of peer relationship patterns across school trajectories.

Taken together, the four contributions cover a wide developmental range from primary school to the end of upper-secondary education, and enable cross-national reflection across Switzerland, Germany, and Finland. The symposium addresses practically relevant and theoretically informed questions concerning informative indicators of peer relations across school stages and outcomes, pedagogical practices that foster classroom cohesion without reinforcing exclusion or homophily, and educational transitions that support inclusion and equitable social participation. The discussant will synthesize the findings and reflect on convergences and divergences across educational systems and methodological perspectives, framing implications for theory, research, and practice.

Teacher-student relationships affect students peer relationships (Endedijk et al., 2022; Farmer et al., 2011). Social referencing suggests that the teacher first influences peers’ perceptions of a specific teacher student relationship and, as a result, how the peers subsequently evaluate that student (Hughes et al., 2001). Thus, conflict with the teacher might be perceived by peers and consequently might decrease the peer acceptance of the affected student. However, to investigate this process, it is also important consider the social behavior of students (Endedijk et al., 2022) and their prior status in the peer group (i.e., peer rejection). This study examined the extent to which teacher–student conflict is perceived by peers and subsequently predicts the social acceptance of students. Data from N = 902 students (49% girls; Mage = 8.12, SD = 1.12) in 57 first through fourth grade classrooms in Switzerland were collected at the beginning (t1), the middle (t2) and at the end of the school year (t3). Using structural equation modelling, peer rejection t1 and social behavior t1 were examined as predictors of teacher-rated teacher–student conflict t1 and peer acceptance t3, with peer-perceived teacher–student conflict t2 as a mediator in the association between teacher–student conflict t1 and peer acceptance t3. The hypothesized model fit the data well, χ2(10) = 20.17, p = .03, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = 0.03. Peer rejection t1 predicted higher levels of teacher–student conflict t1 and lower peer acceptance t3. Social behavior t1 was also a significant negative predictor of teacher-student conflict t1 and a positive predictor of peer acceptance t3. Teacher-student conflict t1 predicted peers’ perceptions of teacher student conflict t2, which in turn predicted peer acceptance t3. The indirect effect via the mediator, peer-perceived teacher student conflict t2, was significant, whereas the direct effect of teacher-student conflict t1 on peer acceptance t3 was not. These findings provide evidence for social referencing processes, also considering students’ social behavior and status at the beginning of the school year. Students who are initially rejected and display lower social competence are more likely to experience teacher–student conflict, which is noticed by peers and affects peer acceptance by the end of the school year. This highlights the importance of addressing peer rejection and teacher–student conflict early, as teachers’ visible interactions with students can shape classroom social dynamics (Farmer et al., 2019).

Endedijk, H. M., Breeman, L. D., van Lissa, C. J., Hendrickx, M. M. H. G., den Boer, L., & Mainhard, T. (2022). The teacher’s invisible hand: A meta-analysis of the relevance of teacher–student relationship quality for peer relationships and the contribution of student behavior. Review of Educational Research, 92(3), 370–412. Farmer, T. W., Hamm, J. V., Dawes, M., Barko-Alva, K., & Cross, J. R. (2019). Promoting inclusive communities in diverse classrooms: Teacher attunement and social dynamics management. Educational Psychologist, 54(4), 286–305. Farmer, T. W., McAuliffe Lines, M., & Hamm, J. V. (2011). Revealing the invisible hand: The role of teachers in children’s peer experiences. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 32(5), 247–256. Hughes, J. N., Cavell, T. A., & Willson, V. (2001). Further support for the developmental significance of the quality of the teacher—Student relationship. Journal of School Psychology, 39(4), 289–301.

Educational transitions are pivotal phases during which peer networks are reorganized and social positions are renegotiated (Lorijn et al., 2024). From a developmental and relational perspective, heightened uncertainty during such periods may intensify social exclusion and contribute to inequalities. At the same time, transitions create opportunities for supportive peer relationships that can facilitate adjustment, participation, and well-being (Brenner et al., 2017). Network-based approaches conceptualize classrooms as dynamic relational systems where micro-level interaction patterns aggregate into more stable structures that shape students’ access to social resources (Freire et al., 2024). Despite growing interest in the development of peer networks, there is limited empirical evidence on short-term network changes during transition phases and on the role of teachers’ diagnostic and instructional practices in shaping these processes (Veenstra & Laninga-Wijnen, 2022). To address this research gap, the present study examines changes in peer networks in 17 fifth-grade classes (N = 299) at the beginning of the 2025/26 school year. Using a longitudinal experimental intervention design with an intervention group and a waitlist control group, the project aims to strengthen teachers’ competencies in assessing students’ social networks and using these diagnoses to inform pedagogical decision-making. Peer networks are assessed through sociometric nominations and ratings of interaction frequency, which are complemented by psychometric measures of classroom cohesion, perceived friendship quality, and social participation. Both data sources are integrated to tailor the intervention. Network analysis helps teachers identify central students, those occupying bridging positions between groups, and students at risk of marginalization. Complementary psychometric data provide insights into students’ subjective perceptions of their social situation, helping to determine whether pedagogical action is required. Results from the first measurement wave reveal substantial between-class differences in network structure (e.g., density, fragmentation, centralization) and in the perceived classroom social climate. Moreover, systematic group-specific discrepancies in sociometric integration emerge. Boys and students with special educational needs exhibit significantly lower levels of network embeddedness, whereas gender-diverse students display comparatively high indegree values in descriptive terms, indicating better social integration within the classes. By the time of presentation, longitudinal comparative analyses will be available to identify overall trends, group-specific dynamics, and intervention effects, focusing on changes in network indicators and evolving patterns of inclusion and marginalization. By integrating structural network indicators and psychometric measures, the study contributes to the symposium’s aim of advancing the understanding of how quantitative and qualitative dimensions of peer relations interact over time.

Benner, A. D., Boyle, A. E., & Bakhtiari, F. (2017). Understanding students’ transition to high school: Demographic variation and the role of supportive relationships. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(10), 2129–2142. Freire, S., Roçadas, C., Pipa, J., & Aguiar, C. (2024). Classroom social networks, students' peer‐related social experiences and sense of belonging: The specific case of students with SEN. British Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 1617-1635. Lorijn, S. J., Zwier, D., Laninga-Wijnen, L., Huisman, M., & Veenstra, R. (2024). A new school, a fresh start? Change and stability in peer relationships and academic performance in the transition from primary to secondary school. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 53(9), 1987–2001. Veenstra, R., & Laninga-Wijnen, L. (2022). Peer network studies and interventions in adolescence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 44, 157-163.

Peer relationships are very important for adolescents, as they are closely linked to the development of mental and physical health, deviant behavior, and school performance (e.g., Raufelder et al. 2021). While existing research has often examined sociometrically measured and perceived embeddedness in school (e.g., Zander et al. 2018), the importance of relationship quality has mostly been neglected. Research shows that even students with many friends can experience feelings of loneliness if the quality of their relationships is rated negatively (e.g., Ferguson & Ryan 2019). It is particularly important for students’ mental health whether they are satisfied with their social relationships or feel lonely (Putarek & Kerestes 2015). Overall, there is a lack of systematic knowledge about the complex interplay between actual and perceived embeddedness and the quality of relationships in terms of their effect on satisfaction with embeddedness. Therefore, we investigate the influence of qualitative and quantitative relationship dimensions on the satisfaction with peer relationships at school. The study's sample includes 393 students in grades 4 to 10 from a model school in Germany that is structured around mixed-age core and project groups instead of fixed classroom settings. To survey peer networks, students were asked to select peers on different dimensions of social exchange from photos in an on-site computer aided survey. Sociometric methods were used to calculate popularity—i.e., the number of incoming friendship nominations (indegree)—as a measure of actual integration (Borgatti et al. 2018). Relationship quality was assessed using an adapted and translated version of the Network of Relationship Inventory (Furman & Buhrmester 1985). Satisfaction with embeddedness was also assessed using the adapted and translated subscale from Furman & Buhrmester (1985). A scale by Kunter (2005) was used to measure perceived embeddedness. In line with the findings of Ferguson & Ryan (2019), hierarchical regression models show that the indegree has only a minor influence on social satisfaction with a low variance explanation. In contrast, the perceived quality of relationships and perceived embeddedness have a high explanatory power. Our results suggest that, independent of the students’ age, perceived embeddedness and the assessment of the quality of friendships are more important for satisfaction and, thus, mental health than the sheer number of contacts. Conversely, this shows the need for teachers to be sensitive about the students’ wellbeing even if they appear popular amongst their peers.

Borgatti, S. P., Everett, M. G. & Johnson, J. C. (2018). Analyzing social networks (2nd edition). Sage. Ferguson, S. M. & Ryan, A. M. (2019). It's Lonely at the Top: Adolescent Students' Peer-perceived Popularity and Self-perceived Social Contentment. Journal of youth and adolescence, 48(2), 341–358. Furman, W. & Buhrmester, D. (1985). PsycTESTS Dataset. Jose, R., Hipp, J. R., Butts, C. T., Wang, C. & Lakon, C. M. (2021). A multi-contextual examination of non-school friendships and their impact on adolescent deviance and alcohol use. PloS one, 16(2), e0245837. Kunter, M. (2005). Multiple Ziele im Mathematikunterricht. Waxmann.

This study examined developmental peer relationship profiles based on both social status (i.e., peer likability and social impact) and bullying involvement (i.e., victimization and bullying) in basic education (students aged 9–16) among Finnish students. While previous studies have examined bullying involvement profiles as well as social status profiles, few have investigated distinct profiles that incorporate both aspects of peer relationships together within a longitudinal design. The sample consisted of 1,970 Finnish students (48.9% girls). Moreover, this study examined how these peer relationship profiles predicted subsequent socioemotional functioning (i.e., emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and prosocial behavior) in upper secondary education. Group differences in on‑time graduation from upper secondary education were also examined using register data. Latent profile analyses revealed four peer relationship profiles: liked‑uninvolved (82%), bully‑victim (1.9%), rejected (7.9%), and bully (8.2%). Girls were more likely to be in the liked‑uninvolved or rejected group than in the bully‑victim or bully group, and boys were more likely to be in the bully‑victim group than in the bully group. The bully group had the highest hyperactivity/inattention in upper secondary education compared to the other groups, whereas the liked‑uninvolved group had fewer conduct problems than the other groups. The liked‑uninvolved group also showed the highest prosocial behavior in the first year of upper secondary education. The profiles did not differ in emotional symptoms. Moreover, the liked‑uninvolved and bully groups were more likely to graduate on time than the bully‑victim or rejected groups. The results emphasize the distinct characteristics of each developmental peer relationship profile. For example, the rejected group highlights the connection between bullying/victimization and peer likability and social impact, as rejection persisted even after victimization had decreased or disappeared. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of interventions that consider differences in bullying involvement and social status during basic education to support healthy socioemotional functioning and on‑time educational completion in upper secondary education.

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