Abstract: This study introduced a student-centered, discussion-based learning format called Collaborative Reasoning (CR) in middle school classrooms and examined its impact on the development of peer relationships among Chinese adolescents. The participants included 474 seventh graders from eight classes in a rural school in northern China. Four classes, consisting of 238 students, were randomly assigned to engage in CR discussions, while the remaining four classes, with 236 students, received traditional, teacher-directed Chinese reading instruction. To assess students’ social characteristics and friendship dynamics, sociometric questionnaires were administered to all participants. Three types of friendship networks were established based on peer nominations: gained friendships, maintained friendships, and lost friendships. Social network analysis of these friendship networks revealed that students in the CR group formed more new friendships compared to those in the control group. Notably, within the CR group, quiet girls and those with low peer-liking ratings were more likely to maintain stable social networks than their counterparts in the control group. These findings indicate that CR not only promotes the development of adolescent peer relationships but also effectively maintains the stability of social networks among disadvantaged groups.

Key words: collaborative reasoning, peer relationship, adolescents, social network analysis