Do Rotating Small-Group Discussions Foster Academic Help-Seeking Networks in Higher Education Classrooms?

Abstract

This study examined whether repeated rotating small-group discussions were associated with changes in academic help-seeking networks in higher education classrooms. Participants were 129 undergraduate students from two cohorts of a teacher-education course taught by the same instructor across two academic years. Students participated in four small-group discussions in which group composition varied across activities, allowing them to interact with different classmates. Academic help-seeking networks were assessed at the beginning (week 2) and middle (week 9) of the semester using roster-based peer nominations. Social network analysis was used to examine both respondent-level nomination breadth and whole-network structure. In both cohorts, students who completed the survey nominated more classmates on average at mid-semester, suggesting a broader recognition of peers as potential sources of academic support. Whole-network patterns, however, differed across cohorts. Cohort 1 showed increases in directed ties and network density, whereas Cohort 2 showed decreases in these indicators despite increased respondent-level nomination breadth. The latter pattern occurred alongside a substantial decline in survey response rate, highlighting the sensitivity of whole-network measures to response patterns. The findings suggest that rotating small-group discussions may expand students’ perceived peer academic resources, while also demonstrating the importance of interpreting network-level indicators alongside respondent-level measures and response rates.