Publication Date

5-2024

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Nicholas Brake, Lester Archer, Wes Cottongim

Degree Program

Educational Leadership

Degree Type

Doctor of Education

Abstract

The persistent issue of limited cross-group connections and friendships among diverse elementary school students is addressed, specifically in a district with five elementary schools that converge into a single middle and high school. The tendency for students to maintain selfsegregated social circles from their zoned elementary schools into middle and high school highlights the need for an intervention designed to foster cross-group connections. Utilizing the Improvement Science framework, this research incorporates two intervention cycles to refine and enhance outcomes related to cross-group connections. Fifth-grade students from two distinct elementary schools had intentional and direct intergroup contact utilizing an adapted version of the “Fast Friends” Procedure (Aron et al., 1997; Page-Gould et al., 2008). In the first intervention cycle, twenty fifth-grade students (n = 20) engaged in the conversational protocol, accompanied by pre- and post-surveys measuring closeness and race-based rejection sensitivity. Results indicated a significant increase in closeness levels, though the expected decrease in race-based rejection sensitivity was not fully realized. The second intervention cycle built upon the initial findings, incorporating a team-building exercise involving Jenga to complement the “Fast Friends” procedure. Despite an unexpected increase in race-based rejection sensitivity, particularly among White participants, this cycle reinforced the rise in closeness levels. Overall, the interventions lead to a substantial increase in closeness among participants, accompanied by a significant decrease in race-based rejection sensitivity, despite a slight increase after the second cycle. The study also revealed a closure of the initial gap in race-based rejection sensitivity between White and Minority participants, with notable differences in the decline of race rejection sensitivity among females compared to males. The implications of these findings for schools at all levels are discussed, emphasizing the potential of intergroup contact interventions to facilitate cross-group friendships to improve transition and relationships among diverse student populations. Furthermore, avenues for future research in this area are discussed with the goal of promoting inclusivity and positive social interactions among students.

Disciplines

Counseling | Education | Educational Leadership | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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