By / 5. 12. 2023
Financing: GA ČR: GA18-09443S
Timeline: 2018 – 2021

Teachers’ perspectives on peer exclusion

Abstract

The aim of the project was to describe and explain teachers’ perspectives on peer exclusion that meet the criteria of bullying. Specifically, we looked at how teachers define, evaluate, and respond to peer exclusion that meets criteria for bullying.

Project links

Definition of exclusion
Evaluation of exclusion
Reaction to exclusion

Financing:

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Main assumptions

The main assumption of the project was that bullying by peer exclusion can be confusing for teachers and therefore difficult to assess correctly. We looked at the extent to which teachers were aware that peer exclusion can fulfil the criteria for bullying, and also tested whether the evaluation of such bullying can be somehow distorted by stereotypical gender or ethnic ideas. We also hypothesized that the willingness to intervene in this type of bullying would be higher, particularly in schools where collaboration within the teaching staff works well.

Data

The project included an online survey of 740 teachers from of adolescents. The teachers were retrieved from all over the Czech Republic. Moreover, we interviewed 19 experienced teachers to map their perspective on bullying by peer exclusion.

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Main findings

Definition of bullying by peer exclusion:
Teachers perceive bullying by peer exclusion as particularly difficult to define and capture. In this form of bullying, the hidden nature makes it difficult to capture the intent to harm and to distinguish this behavior from legitimate choices of friends (Janosova et al., 2021).
Evaluating bullying by peer exclusion:
A teacher’s willingness to actively intervene in bullying is also influenced by the extent to which the teacher believes that there is good collaboration and open communication between teachers in their school (Kollerova et al., 2021).
Responding to bullying by peer exclusion:
Although teachers generally express a high willingness to intervene proactively, their assessment of bullying may be slightly distorted due to gender and ethnic stereotypes (Kollerová & Killen, 2021).

Selected project publications

  • Kollerová, L., & Killen, M. (2021). An experimental study of teachers’ evaluations regarding peer exclusion in the classroom. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(1), 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12373
  • Kollerová, L., Soukup, P., Strohmeier, D., & Caravita, S. C. (2021). Teachers’ active responses to bullying: Does the school collegial climate make a difference?. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18(6), 912-927. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2020.1865145
  • Mazzone, A., Kollerová, L., & O’Higgins Norman, J. (2021). Teachers’ attitudes toward bullying: What do we know, and where do we go from here? In P. K. Smith & J. O. Norman (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell handbook of bullying: A comprehensive and international review of research and intervention, Vol. 1. (pp. 139–157). Wiley Blackwell.
  • Janošová, P., Chrz, V., Kollerová, L., & Blažková, M. (2020). Vyčleňování ve školní třídě: pohled učitelů. Československá psychologie, 64, 5, 506-520.