STEM conference 2019: How peer/friendship groups form and their effect on attainment

Peer groups have a strong influence on student attainment and the wider educational experience. Here we directly investigate the drivers for group formation and how these effect interactions between groups in different learning spaces. Both the lecture theatre and laboratory environment were considered. High and low achieving peer groups were identified and the drivers for their formation were determined. The research highlights the critical role that social ties to play in successful academic outcomes and the positive effects of inclusive practices and alleviating social anxiety during the study.