This thesis examines fourth-grade students’ perspectives on achieving popularity and their social position within the classroom. The theoretical part presents the concepts of popularity, social acceptance, and social relationships, as well as the role of social competences and the teacher as a significant other influencing the formation of classroom dynamics.
The empirical part is based on a qualitative research approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with ten fourth-grade students. The obtained data were analyzed using qualitative analysis.
The results of the analysis show that students understand popularity primarily as acceptance, sociability, and kindness, while also associating it with influence and status within the group. Students are able to distinguish between popularity and unpopularity, with unpopularity being associated with exclusion, loneliness, and a sense of discomfort in the classroom.
The findings indicate that students express a desire to be popular, which is often related to avoiding unpleasant social experiences such as rejection and exclusion. As important strategies for achieving popularity, students highlight kindness, helping others, participation in peer activities, and prosocial behavior. Some students also emphasize the importance of physical appearance.
The results further show that students perceive popular individuals as having a significant influence on relationships, classroom dynamics, and decision-making processes. Students also recognize that popularity changes over time and depends on an individual’s behavior and relationships with peers.
The conducted research contributes to a better understanding of social relationships in the classroom from the students’ perspective and emphasizes the importance of incorporating their views into educational practice. The findings also highlight the need to consider social relationships as an important part of the educational process and emphasize the teacher’s key role in creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment. The study thus provides a basis for more thoughtful practice in the field of popularity and social relationships.
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