THE IMPACT OF PEER GROUP ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

THE IMPACT OF PEER GROUP ON SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPITER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND

The purpose of educational activities is to assist students in achieving academic goals. As students’ academic progress reflects their success, the extent to which these goals are achieved at school is determined by their level of peer pressure and time management. Teenagers’ social and emotional development is significantly influenced by their peers (Allen 2005). It is normal, healthy, and essential for adolescents to have and rely on friends as they mature and grow; their influence starts at an early age and grows throughout the adolescent years. A peer can be someone you admire for their behavior or someone you consider to be your equal in terms of age or skill (Hardcastle, 2002). On the other hand, the term “pressure” describes the method through which people are convinced to take a course of action they might not have otherwise selected.

According to Hartney (2011), peer pressure describes the influence that peers may have on one another. Peer pressure is defined as the emotional or mental pressure put on someone to act or behave similarly to another person who belongs to the same social group as them (based on age, grade, or rank) (Weinfied 2010).

Peer pressure is “the ability of people of the same social rank or age to exert influence over another person of the same age,” according to Jones (2010). Peer pressure is not just a problem for teenagers, despite the fact that it is frequently linked to them.

All ages have been observed engaging in acts in an effort to get acceptance from their peers, including adults, teenagers, young adults, and children. Teenage risk-taking behaviors (including criminality, drug abuse, and sexual conduct) are typically linked to peer pressure since they frequently take place in front of peers. Peers encouraging teenagers to act positively can also have positive effects. For instance, donating your time to a worthy cause or achieving academic success (Kellie, 2013).

Peers, however, sometimes have a negative impact. They have the power to pressure one another into engaging in risky activities including stealing, cheating, drug or alcohol abuse, and course skipping. Teenagers that struggle with substance abuse typically do so as a result of peer pressure. Joining organizations that use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or use Indian hemp is one way that negative peer pressure might appear. Additionally, it could affect the choice of a male or female friend. In order to avoid getting caught stealing, which could lead to armed theft, peer pressure drives kids to loiter around the streets, watch movies, and go to parties during school hours (Kellie, 2013).

Peer pressure can affect people of all ages and can happen at work, school, or in society. The focus here is on peer pressure and how it affects teenagers who are enrolled in school and their academic achievement. Peer pressure may have a range of effects on individuals. Insofar as it might act as a challenge or an incentive to accomplish one’s best, peer pressure may be advantageous. Additionally, peer pressure might cause someone to act in a way that goes against their moral principles. In other words, peer pressure is deemed negative when it forces someone to do something that others find objectionable. Individuals exert peer pressure, which is always associated with teenagers. Beliefs, values, and conduct all have an effect on it. Numerous studies have shown that popular students who struggle to manage their time well receive lower grades than teenagers who are less socially desirable (Hartney, 1990). This could be as a result of popular students spending more time planning their social lives than their academic ones.

Academic performance is the ability of a student to finish their studies and any assignments that have been given to them (Scortt’s, 2012). Grades are without a doubt the most popular indicator of academic success. Grades represent a student’s overall term “score” for each class. Grades are typically determined by adding or averaging the outcomes of tests and assignments, and they are frequently impacted by elements like attendance and the instructor’s evaluation of the student. Grading scales differ greatly depending on the county and the school; common scales include percentages from 1 to 100, lettering systems from A to F, and grade point averages (GPA) from 0 to 4.0.

Academic performance, according to Ward, Stocker, and Murray-Ward (2006), is the outcome of education, or the extent to which a student, teacher, or institution fulfills its educational goals. According to Answers (2010), academic achievement is the ability to study and remember information as well as to communicate that knowledge orally or in writing. In this study, the term “academic accomplishment” refers to the degree to which students have grasped the objectives of the disciplines they are exposed to in school. Secondary school students have been found to excel academically in topics like arithmetic and English (Aremu and Sokan, 2003).

SITUATION OF THE PROBLEM

Numerous research on school culture, peer influence, and student academic achievement have been conducted outside of Nigeria. The majority of the limited studies on peer influence and its predicted impact on students’ academic achievement that are currently accessible in Nigeria were theoretical studies with subjective findings based on the researchers’ evaluations. It should be emphasized that earlier research did not give the topic due consideration (Lang, 2014). By conducting an empirical inquiry into the connection between peer influence and students’ academic achievement, this study will attempt to close the gap.

People are frequently too ready to blame parents and students when it comes to the academic success of economics students. The fundamental problems with education in Nigeria since independence, however, are largely a result of factors related to the school environment. These factors include inadequate school structures, inadequate classrooms, a high rate of school enrollment, inadequate instructional materials, high drop-out rates, and inadequate facilities; all of which contribute to widespread failure on public economics examinations. These problems prompted the development of the well-known 6-3-3-4 approach. On the other hand, the problem of poor academic performance among economics students continues (Adamu, 2014).

Another important factor influencing students’ academic development in economics at the secondary school level is peer pressure dynamics. Peer pressure has supplanted parental influence as the main source of values and behavioral influence among teens during the past 50 years, according to studies (Oni, 2010). Due to the fact that students, regardless of their academic prowess, are more likely to be misled and affected by their circle of friends, this new tendency has coincided with an incredible spike in antisocial behavior. In this vein, Abd-Elhamid et al. (2014) issued a warning that friendships influence both negative and positive behaviors and that peer pressure predisposes teenagers to engage in a variety of deviant behaviors, including alcoholism, gangsterism, robbery, and violent secret cult activities, even to the detriment of their academic goals and ultimate outcomes. Given the foregoing, it is conceivable to draw the conclusion that some of the social vices and low academic success seen each year in senior secondary schools in Nigeria in courses like economics are a result of a hostile school environment and the impact of peers on teenagers.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

Examining the effects of peer group on academic achievement in secondary school pupils is the study’s main goal. These are some of the study’s additional goals:

i. Ascertain how much peer pressure impacts students in secondary schools.

ii. Establish the degree to which peer pressure affects students’ academic achievement.

iii. Analyze the effects of peer pressure on Nigerian secondary school pupils.

iv. Consider how peer pressure might be reduced in secondary schools.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

This study will provide answers to the following research questions that are pertinent to its goals:

i. How much of an impact does peer pressure have on kids in secondary schools?

ii. How much does peer pressure have an impact on students’ academic performance?

What effects does peer pressure have on secondary school students in Nigeria?

What strategies are there for limiting peer pressure in secondary schools?

1.5 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER STUDIES

The findings of this study will be extremely helpful to counselors, instructors, the community, the school, and researchers on a practical level.

According to the counselor, it would help teenagers acquire discipline in their life. When this is done, sanity, peace, and order will prevail, raising the morale of the school and society. Additionally, it will help the counselor choose the best strategy to employ while counteracting damaging peer pressure. The study’s findings will benefit both the instructor and the teacher equally because they will help the latter comprehend what is expected of them as role models.

Because disciplined kids learn more quickly and perform better academically than unruly kids, the study’s findings will instantly lead to a rise in our educational standards at the school. The findings of this study will therefore help the school produce students who can significantly contribute to the development of the country in the future. The public will be informed of the study’s findings through the planning of conferences, seminars, and effective time management. By teaching them about the advantages of effective peer pressure and time management, this will help to sensitize adolescents who are still in school. Finally, future researchers will greatly benefit from the findings of this study. This will act as a clearinghouse for empirical research data or resources for their presentations on the advantages and disadvantages of peer pressure.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE

The effect of peer group on academic achievement in secondary school pupils is the main topic of this study. The study specifically focuses on determining how much peer pressure secondary school students experience, how much peer group influence affects students’ academic performance, how peer group influence affects secondary school students in Nigeria, and how peer group influence can be reduced in secondary schools.

The respondents for this study would be the instructors and students of particular secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State.

Limitations of the study: 1.7

The effect of peer group on academic achievement in secondary school pupils is the only topic covered in this study. The study’s specific objectives are to ascertain how much peer pressure secondary school students experience, how much peer group influence has an impact on students’ academic performance, how peer group influence affects secondary school students in Nigeria, and how peer group influence can be reduced in secondary schools.

The respondents for this study will be teachers and students at particular secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State. As a result, the sample size was small because only a small number of respondents were chosen to complete the research instrument, and the findings cannot be applied to secondary schools in other states.

1.8 TERM DEFINITION

Impact: A noticeable outcome or effect

Peer group: Individuals with comparable interests, ages, backgrounds, or social standing make up a peer group, which is also a social group. The individuals in this group have a good chance of affecting the person’s ideas and actions. Peer groups frequently undergo significant shift during adolescence.

Academic performance: The degree to which a student, instructor, or institution has met their immediate or long-term educational objectives is known as academic achievement or academic performance. Academic achievement is the completion of educational milestones such secondary school diplomas and bachelor’s degrees.