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THE INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUP ON ADOLESCENTS’
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SOME
SELECTED SCHOOLS IN OGUN STATE
BY
OMOTERE TOPE
N.C.E., B.A. (Ed)
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 2
THE INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUP ON ADOLESCENTS’
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SOME
SELECTED SCHOOLS IN OGUN STATE
By
OMOTERE TOPE
N.C.E., B.A. (Ed).
January, 2011
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 3
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About the Author
www.omoteretope.com
Omotere Tope attended Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto-Ijanikin, Lagos from 2002 to 2006 (N.C.E. in Christian Religious Studies/ History) and holds a B.A. (Ed) in History and Diplomatic Studies from Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. He has undergone training at the United States Institute of Peace (Online Training Program) with a certificate of course completion in Peace and Conflict Analysis. He is currently a post-graduate student of the National Open University of Nigeria. Omotere Tope is an online publisher. He conducts researches (both online and offline) to produce academic works that students can use for their long essays, theses and dissertations. With access to his online project database www.omoteretope.com , students in Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities can download full texts of related works prepared by him and other researchers. This will enable them to read literature reviews, check for empirical evidences from data analysis and understand the methodology used.
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 5
THE INFLUENCE OF PEER GROUP ON ADOLESCENTS’
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY OF SOME
SELECTED SCHOOLS IN OGUN STATE
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of peer group on adolescent’s
academic performance. Descriptive research methodology was used.
Ramdom sampling technique was also adopted to select about one
hundred and fifty in-school adolescents from four secondary schools
in two Local Governments Areas of Ogun State. Questionnaire was
developed to collect data. The data collected was analyzed using the
using t-test and Pearson. The findings of this study revealed that peer
group could either positively or negatively influence the academic
performance of in-school adolescents. This research recommends that
parents and teachers should provide adequate guidance to
adolescents to help them understand how the friends they keep can
either positively or negatively influence their academic performance
in school.
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 6
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Title page i
Abstract ii
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
Background to the Study 1
Statement of the Study 7
Purpose of the Study 7
Research Hypotheses 8
Significance of the Study 8
Scope of the Study 9
Limitation of the Study 9 Operational Definition of Terms. 10
CHAPTER TWO
Literature Review
Theoretical Framework and Review 12 Adolescence Period and its Characteristics 12 Developmental Stages of Adolescent 14 Challenges and Development Task of Adolescent 17 Adolescent and Peer 21 Peer Pressure and Peer Influence 23
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Peer Influence and Academic Performance 26
Effect of Peer Influence on Academic Performance 30
EMPERICAL REVIEW 33
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
3.0 Research Methodology 36
Research Design 36
Research Population 37
Sample and Sampling Technique 37
Research Instrument 37
Method of Data Collection 38
Method of Data Analysis 38
CHAPTER FOUR
Presentation of Result and Data Analysis
Introduction 39
Data Analysis 39
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 8
Discussion of Findings 43
Conclusion 44
Recommendations 45
Implication for Counselling Practice 45
Suggestion for Further Studies
REFERENCES 47
APPENDICES 50
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
In ways similar to the community, the peer group becomes an agency
of enculturation and learning. Even very young children develop a
sense of self from their perceptions of important people in their
surroundings, including relatives, teachers, and peers. Socioeconomic
status, ethnic identity, and parents’ occupations affect how families
view themselves and the process by which they socialize their
children (Bornstein, 2002). Later, as children leave the home setting,
their self-perception and socializing skills become influenced by how
their peers view them.
When children move out from family to child-care centers, school,
and the community at large, they begin to form attachments, and
friendships emerge through their play. These relationships influence
behavior. Even infants and toddlers are observed reacting to other
infants by touching them, by crying when others cry, and later by
offering nurturance or comfort. By about age three, early friendships
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 11
begin to form and children’s peers begin to have a more lasting
influence (Parke, 1990).
Peer influence on behavior gradually becomes more dominant.
Harris (1998, 2002) and Rowe (1994) maintained that peer groups
have an even stronger influence than that of parents, although that
extreme position has been refuted by other researchers (Berk, 2005).
Gradually, children discover that others can share their feelings or
attitudes or have quite different ones. The perspectives of others will
affect how children feel about their own families. Children usually
have a “family” view of their own and of other cultures. So, when
confronted with other perspectives, they often need to rethink their
own viewpoints. It is often difficult for children to adjust to the idea
that other families can function radically differently from their own
and yet hold many of the same attitudes and beliefs and be equally
nurturing and secure. The peer group serves as a barometer for
children examining themselves and their feelings about self and
family.
The peer group also influences development of children’s socializing
skills. These early friendships help children learn how to negotiate
and relate to others, including their siblings and other family
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 12
members. They learn from peers how to cooperate and socialize
according to group norms and group-sanctioned modes of behavior.
The peer group can influence what the child values, knows, wears,
eats, and learns. The extent of this influence, however, depends on
other situational constraints, such as the age and personality of
children and the nature of the group (Harris, 1998; Hartup, 1983).
Socialization is particularly important for children with disabilities,
and it is the reason many programs include peers who are typically
developing in special education programs or include children with
disabilities in general education classrooms.
In its most acceptable form, the peer group is a healthy coming-of-
age arbiter, by which children grasp negotiating skills and learn to
deal with hostility and to solve problems in a social context. In its
most destructive mode, the peer group can demand blind obedience
to a group norm, which can result in socially alienated gangs with
pathological outlooks (Perry, 1987).
Despite so much change in today's society, the fundamental tasks of
growing up still endure - to find a place in a valued group that gives
a sense of belonging; to identify and master tasks that are generally
recognized as having value and therefore can earn respect by
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 13
acquiring skill to cope with them; to acquire a sense of worth as a
person; and to develop reliable and predictable relationships with
other people, especially a few close friends and loved ones
(Hamburg, 1992).
Conceptualization of the Term Adolescence
The term adolescence is derived from Latin word adolescere which
means ‘growing up’. It is a period of transition in which the
individual transforms from childhood to adulthood. It is also
regarded as the physical and mental human development that occurs
between childhood and adulthood. The transition involves biological
(i.e puberty), social and psychological changes.
Adolescence can be seen as a stage in the life span through which
individual pass before adulthood. It is also a period of great
emotional stress. Whatever happens during this developmental stage
goes a long way in affecting the individual positive or negative.
These changes are associated with involvement with one’s peers. As
children grow, develop and move into early adolescence,
involvement with peer and attraction of peer identification increases.
Adolescent are socialized by the people they associate with. Through
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 14
daily interaction over the course of many years, acceptable social
customs are taught and accepted by adolescents as the right norms.
Understanding the way social interaction affect academic
achievement adolescents is important for parents, educators and
policy makers.
Peer group influence, especially during adolescence and early
adulthood is a powerful force for both pro-social and anti-social
development. Wentzel (1989) and Lingrett (1995) found out that as
children grow and move to adulthood, involvement with and
influence of peer identification increase as modeling value of the
family decreases.
In most cases, peer tends to replace the modeling value of the family
context during early childhood. As a result of the social
acknowledgement that adolescents look for, they are under a certain
amount of pressure that drives them to abide by the peers
convictions or rejections. The influence of peer group on adolescents’
academic performance has also been a subject of intense study.
Catttern (1998) came up with the finding that strong relationships do
exist between school adjustment behaviour and peer acceptance. It
was also found that strong and quality peer associations are related
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 15
to poor or good academic performance and successful school
transition. Peer influence is one of the most frequently referred to
forms of negative peer influence it is particularly common because
most adolescent are forced to spend large amount of time in fixed
groups (schools and sub groups within them) regardless of their
opinion of these groups. In addition to this, they lack the maturity to
handle it. Also adolescents’ naturally wish to behave negatively
towards those who are nor members of their own peer groups.
However, adolescent can also have positive effects. For example if
one is involved with a group of people that are ambitious and
working to succeed, one might feel pressured to follow suit to avoid
feeling excluded from the group. In this way, the adolescent is
influenced positively.
Positive peer influence on academic performance depends on
adolescent self-identity, self-esteem and self-reliance. Peer influence
can mobilize adolescents’ energy and motivate for success. Peer can
and do act as positive role models.
Negative behaviour that his or her values might otherwise reject. If
an adolescent is influenced negatively from peer, it affects their
academic performance. Stronger adolescents do have an impact on
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 16
their peers and actually help improve the overall academic
performance.
If adolescents are friends to secondary school dropouts, they have
tendency to be absent from school, have lower grades and less
positive attitudes towards schools, they are less popular and less
likely to plan to attend higher institutions. If dropout maintains
contact with friends who have stayed in schools, however, these
friends may provide moral support for returning to school.
Attitudes and aspiration of peers as well as peers’ expectations and
standards affect individual’s efforts and achievement in school. For
many secondary school students, achieving in school is in direct
conflict with peer acceptance.
For many adolescent, friendships are critical interpersonal bridges
that move them towards psychological growth and maturity,
allowing social compassion, influences the development of self-
evaluations. However, it is through the peer group that adolescent
are most likely to be introduced to problem behaviour such as
drinking, smoking, delinquency and low academic performance
(Hadlen 1994).
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 17
An abundance of literature has suggested that there is considerable
individual variation regarding cognitive skill development during
adolescents as it relates to peer influence. Adolescents who have
positive peer influence generates more alternative solution to
problem, proposed more mature solution and are less aggressive
than adolescent who are influenced negatively.
Adolescents are attracted to join peer groups because such groups
provide them with sources of information needed to be empowered
academically, vocationally, psychological or otherwise and give the
feed back about the appropriateness of their emotions especially
when adolescent are highly stressed or under stressed (Schachter
1989).
1.2 Statement of the problem
During adolescence, the amount of influence that peer group have on
one’s academic achievement is enormous. The ways and manners by
which peer influence affects adolescents academic performance needs
to be researched and documented. This will assist parents and
counselors to understand the pattern of peer influence and ways to
curb negative influence.
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 18
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research work is to achieve the following
objectives:
i. Examine the concept and nature of peer group
ii. Discuss the challenges associated with adolescent stage
iii. Analyse means by which peer group influences in-school
adolescents
iv. Discuss the effects of peer group influence on academic
performance of adolescents
1.4 Research Hypothesis
The following null hypotheses were tested in the study:
H01: There is no significant difference between peer group pressure
and academic performance of adolescents
H02: There is no significant different between those in private and
government secondary schools as regards peer influence on
adolescents’ academic performances.
H03: There is no significant difference between bad peer group and
negative influence on adolescents’ behavior.
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 19
H04: There is no significant difference between male peer group and
female peers on students’ academic performance.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study is important for several reasons.
First, the findings will help adolescents to choose their peers with
caution.
Second, it will provide comprehensive information for counsellors,
educators, and parents on how they can assist adolescents to deal
with peer pressure.
Third, this research work will lead to further in-depth study on
influence of peer pressure on adolescents’ academic performance.
Lastly, it will serve as a contribution to knowledge on adolescents in
Nigeria. In this regard, it will be useful for other researchers who
might want to carry out research in related areas.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research work focuses on the influence of peer group on
adolescents’ academic performance. This research work covers
adolescents in Ogun State using two Local Government Areas ( Ijebu-
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 20
North Local Government and Ijebu-Ode Local Government) as case
study.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
Apart from time frame and shortage of finance, the major limitation
to this research is the inability of the researcher to cover the whole
Local Government Areas in Ogun State as the title suggest.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Peer group: are children or adolescents who are of the same age or
maturity, level and have regular contact with each other.
Peer influence: peer influence can be described as the pressure
adolescents feel from their peers.
Adolescence: refers to the transitory period where a child moves to
adulthood. The adolescent years fall within 12-18 years.
In-School Adolescents: refers to adolescents who are still in the
formal school system as opposed to those who have dropped out of
school.
Academic performance: refers to the intellectual ability of an
individual when it comes to academic or education.
© 2011. EgoBooster Books Page 21
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