Social networks can support academic success

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-12/nruh-snc120815.php

Public Release: 8-Dec-2015
Social networks can support academic success
National Research University Higher School of Economics

Social networks have been found to influence academic performance: students tend to perform better with high-performers among their friends, as some people are capable of inspiring others to try harder, according to Maria Yudkevich, Sofia Dokuka and Dilara Valeyeva of the HSE Centre for Institutional Studies.

Most sociologists recognise four factors affecting student academic performance, namely:

the family's socioeconomic status;
the time spent on independent learning and preparation for classes;
the time spent working on a job or practicing a hobby; and
the university or school environment.

However, recent empirical studies indicate that the role of the social environment may be underestimated, as classmates can greatly influence one another's behaviour and academic success.

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According to the authors, in choosing friends, students do not usually consider academic performance, but over time - often in the middle of the academic year - all members in a peer group tend to perform at about the same level.

Thus, most students who surrounded themselves with high-achievers improved their performance over time. The opposite was also true - those who befriended underachievers eventually experienced a drop in grades.

According to the authors, while underachievers have a stronger influence on their networks, high performers tend to gain popularity and expand their influence over time, particularly by helping other students with their studies.

Men were found to have larger networks than women, and all students were more likely to be friends with those whom they had known before college, classmates of the same gender, and members of their study group.

tags: influence