The Classroom Isolate
A RECENT investigation1* nas indicated an ad ditional dimension to be considered in the evalua tion of a quality education program, namely, the classroom isolate. The isolate is the child who is unchosen by his peers in the classroom. He is, therefore, excluded from the group by the mem bers of the group. At best, he participates in classroom activities from a peripheral position of group membership. When one considers, for example, Jersild's research on belonging^, Sul livan's recognition of the relationship between lonliness and anxiety^, and Northway's studies of low sociometric status in classroom situations 4, a study of isolates, and of teachers in those class rooms where isolates are located, is recogniz able and warranted. Accordingly, one of the aims of the research was to attempt to discover whether the ideology of the classroom teacher is related to the relative number of pupils with whom the class as a whole indicate they do not wish to a s s o c i ate. A brief definition of terms used in this paper follows.