v. Breaktime and social life in schools
Early work
This strand of research began with an interest in an important but little understood part of the school day. Although often seen as a problem and a forum for management and control, for many pupils it is an important part of the day and a time when social relationships are developed. It is the social significance of breaktime and lunchtimes that is too often overlooked.
There were several interconnected projects:
i. Survey and research on school’s experience of playtime/breaktime/recess
An early study that identified problems that commonly arise at breaktimes and how they might be resolved. Staff in 13 local education authorities in England were interviewed, as well as members of organisations with a specific interest in breaktimes. A book on the project was written to show implications for school staff, advisors, administrators and policy makers:
Blatchford, P. (1989) Playtime in the Primary School: Problems and Improvements. Windsor: NFER-Nelson. ISBN 0 7005 1237 3/ 0 7005 1238 1 (PBK) then London: Routledge. 141pp. For Routledge: ISBN 0-415-09861-0
Plus early papers on social life in schools.
Blatchford, P. (1998) The state of play in schools. Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review, 3,2, 58-67. An edited version is in M. Woodhead; D. Faulkner & K. Littleton, K. (1999) (Eds) Making Sense of Social Development. OU Press
Pellegrini, A and Blatchford, P. (2002) Time for a break: the developmental and educational significance of breaktime in school. The Psychologist, 15,2, 60-62
https://cms.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-11/pelleg.pdf
ii. National surveys of breaktimes
Breaktimes are ubiquitous in English schools. Research suggests they have social value for children, but school staff often have a range of concerns about breaktimes and tend to undervalue them. However, there is little understanding about these times, not least because systematic information on breaktimes is not collected by the Government or any other organisation. In response a key component of the work has been three independent national surveys of break and lunch times in primary and secondary schools in the UK. The surveys were funded by the Nuffield Foundation and directed by Peter Blatchford and Ed Baines.
Data from three national surveys undertaken in 1995, 2006 and 2017 of head teachers of primary and secondary schools therefore studied the nature, organisation and staff attitudes towards breaktimes and how they have changed over time. The first survey also involved a retrospective survey of the situation 5 years earlier, and so the surveys cover 35 years in total. At each survey point, completed questionnaires were received from representative random samples of over 1000 primary and secondary schools.
The research also involved a survey of children’s social life outside of school and provided important data on children’s travel to school.
Key findings from breaktime surveys
Results showed marked reductions over time in the average total amount of time for breaks, the virtual abolition of afternoon breaks and a decline in time available for lunchtime breaks. The reductions were largely for behavioural reasons and to increase time for curriculum coverage.
Schools continued to have concerns about the management of behaviour during breaktimes, even when breaks had already been shortened. It is suggested that staff undervalue the potential contribution that breaktimes afford the development and wellbeing of children and young people in school.
Key reference
For results across all the three surveys:
Baines, E & Blatchford, P. (2023). The decline in breaktimes and lunchtimes in primary and secondary schools in England: Results from three national surveys spanning 25 years. British Educational Research Journal, 49:925–946; DOI: 10.1002/berj.3874
And for the full report on the surveys:
School break and lunch times and young people’s social lives: A follow-up national study. Final report Ed Baines and Peter Blatchford, Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, May 2019 Research funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
Also on breaktimes/recess:
Baines, E., Blatchford, P. & Golding, K., (2020). Recess, Breaktimes, and Supervision. In S. Hupp & J. Jewel (Series Eds.) & P.K. Smith (Volume Ed.) The Encyclopaedia of Child and Adolescent Development Part 1 (Child): (Volume 6 – Community). New York: Wiley-Blackwell.
iii. Social relations at breaktime/recess
Case study of breaktime in one primary school with accompanying analysis of social relations in one junior class (KS2, 7-11 years), led to the book:
Blatchford, P (1998) Social Life in School: Pupils’ experiences of breaktime and recess from 7 to 16 years London: Falmer. 190pp. (ISBN 0 7507 0743 7 (cased); o 7507 0742 9 (paper))
Key finding
Breaktime/recess can play an important part in social development. Conflicts can arise but it is also a forum for enjoyment and activity, play and games, the development of friendships, social networks, social skills, and the management of aggression and inter-group relations. Implications for school management and behaviour policy are discussed.
iv. Spencer Foundation funded project ‘Playground games: their social context in elementary/junior school’ (directed by Anthony Pellegrini and Peter Blatchford, with Ed Baines and Kato Kentaro).
University of Minnesota and UCL Institute of Education
This project was set up because little was known about the role of playground games in peer relations and friendships in elementary/primary school. Three areas of research informed the project: social competence and social status, friendships and social networks. Research questions included what social processes explain how games arrive on playgrounds, how games change over the year and what factors explain changes, what is the role of games in development of friendships and networks, are there sex differences in groups, and do playground games and social relations differ between the USA and UK. It was a longitudinal study over a year. In the US three schools were involved, and in the UK four classrooms in four separate schools were involved, totalling 119 children aged 7-8 years. Data collection included systematic playground observations, pupil self-ratings and nominations, teacher ratings, child interviews and case studies of pupils
Key findings
Peer interaction dominates breaktimes; it is an intensely social experience. Playground games can scaffold and support social relationships. There were changes over the year in the frequency of certain games and activities, e.g. ball games increased but chasing games decreased. Boys’ game networks were larger than girls’, though not in smaller ‘active’ networks. Playground activities can have a positive role in supporting social relations between different ethnic groups. The complexity of games increased over the year for both countries. Facility with games predicted school and social adjustment in USA but not UK schools. Girls’ observed social networks were more likely to be composed of friends and boys’ networks contained friends and non-friends. Boys networks were more stable over time.
Key references
Blatchford, P., Pellegrini, A. and Baines, E. (2016) The Child at School: Interactions with Peers and Teachers (2nd Edition). Routledge
Blatchford, P., Baines, E., and Pellegrini, A. (2003) The social context of school playground games: sex and ethnic differences and changes over time after entry to junior school. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 21, 481-505
Baines, E., and Blatchford, P. (2009) A short term longitudinal study into the structure of social networks of girls and boys: playground games, friendships and network stability. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 27, 743-760
And further on the findings and the literature:
Blatchford. P., and Baines, E. (2010) Peer relations in school. In K. Littleton, C. Wood and Kleine Staarman (Eds) Elsevier Handbook of Educational Psychology: New Perspectives on Learning and Teaching. Emerald: Bingley, UK (ISBN 978-1-84855-232-6)
v. As well as the playground context, and in line with eco-relational approach, interest is also in other contexts in schools with their own rules and conventions.
School Meal Times (carried out by Helen MacIntyre and Ed Baines)
Baines, E. & MacIntyre, H. (2019). Children’s social experiences with peers during school mealtimes. Educational Review, https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2019.1680534
School corridors: Kelly Golding (2017) Corridors of power? Behaviour settings and the ecological reality of pupil life on the school corridor. Unpublished MSc Psychology of Education dissertation.
For further information please visit the project website at www.breaktime.org.uk/
While we all recognise the importance of relationships between teachers and pupils, relations between pupils in schools are often seen as a potential problem that needs to be controlled and dealt with on a regular basis. This emphasis on the negative side of peer relations is reinforced by research and policy on, e.g. bullying and victimisation.
But relationships and interactions between children in schools are vital for social development, school adjustment and academic development. A potentially positive effect of peers working together finds pedagogical expression most obviously in collaborative group work.