Abstract
The purpose of this study is to find out the types of classroom structure in the elementary schools and its general characteristic of their composition according to teacher's cognition using SYMLOG. Data collection was conducted in Seoul Korea. Thirty-four teachers from the elementary schools participated in this study and rated each child in their classrooms with SYMLOG Adjective Rating Forms. Classroom group types were analyzed by the field diagram using the three-dimensional model of SYMLOG : instrumentally controlled vs. emotionally expressive, dominant vs. submissive, and positive vs. negative. The major findings of this study were as follows. First, three main group types (Unified, Polarized, and Fragmented) and four intermediate types (Unified with Non-attracting Outlyer, Tending to Polarized, Scapegoated, and Tending to Fragmented) were classified and the proportion of Polarized Groups (41%) was remarkably high. Second, Korean teachers laid stress on the sociometric (positive vs. negative) dimension. The results of this study indicate that SYMLOG could provide us with an instrument for systematic perception of problematic classroom group structure and classroom members.
