Abstract

The present study was intended to find out the Influence of Peer Groups on students’ academic performance.

Some specific objectives were made to investigate whether peer groups affects the academic performance of students, to find out whether peer influence determines variation in the academic performance of male and female students, to investigate whether age does determine the extent to which peer influence affects the academic performance of students.

A survey was used to carry out the study which sampled the opinion of students. The targeted population of the study comprised of three (03) secondary schools in the Buea Municipality. The sample size was made up of 25 students of B.G.S Molyko, 30 students of G.H.S Bokova, and 35 students of S.B.H.S Molyko (salvation).

The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire addressed to the students of the above institutions. The data collected were analyzed using the statistical descriptive method.

It was recommended that school administrators should sensitize the students about the effects of influence on students’ academic performance.

Other main stakeholders like the ministry of education should take an active part in designing policies to govern schools so as to control the behavior of students. Parents should also join schools administrators so as to help them to enforce these rules.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

 

When children move out from the family to child care centers, school, and the community at large, they begin to form attachments, and friendships emerge through their play.

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 begin to form and children’s peers begin to have a more lasting influence (Barbour, Barbour & Scully 2002). T

these children begin to think and act like their friends and they begin to see that there are other values, opinions, and rules besides those set by their parents.

Peer influence is a core of every successful institution of learning and forming attachment, for any student to achieve this he or she must form positive attachment needed for his or her survival.

1.1 Background to the Study

The oxford advanced learners dictionary (2001) defined peer groups as a group of people of same age or social status. The peer groups are the first social group outside the home in which the child attempts to gain acceptance and recognition.

Peer group is an important influence throughout one’s life but they are more critical during the developmental years of childhood and adolescence. Adolescents always emulate their mates in whatever form of behavior they exhibit, particularly that which interests them thus, since socialization only refers to changes in behavior, attitudes having their origin in interaction with other persons and those which occur through integration, a child learn more through interaction with peers.

Socialization is a life-long process that cannot be limited to the family members alone. As a child grows older and more mature, it becomes more necessary for the external bodies to be involved in his/her life. The family is not expected to provide all the education required by the growing child.

The school is an established academic institution in which the behavior of an individual is sharpened to get him/her equipped for occupational socialization. In the school system, the child gets into the social group of “like minds” and interests. As a result of the various attitudes, skills, knowledge is acquired through role-playing.

Peer groups as an agent of socialization are the most important socializing agent for the developing child. Peer groups are the pivot of social change and during interaction with peers; the child’s life is transformed from the helpless child into a mature adult.

Each peer group has its code of conduct which does not always conform to adult standards. The important thing is that each child takes his/her membership of the peer very serious and attempts to do anything to ensure he/she is accepted and recognized.

Lack of acceptance by the peer disturbs the child, especially at adolescent age. Some children have been known to do badly in school not because they lack the academic ability to do well but because they are disturbed by the fact they are not accepted by their peer groups.

What makes learning comparative is the fact that the child has equal status with the other children. There is an atmosphere of freedom in which each child learns the way of the world from others. The peer groups thus become more and more important to the child as he advances in age.

Other ways in which the peer groups can help the child include, teaching the culture of the society at large, making possible social mobility, providing an opportunity for the child to play many social roles such as that of a leader, a follower, teacher, or student.

The peer groups also help the child to win his/her independence easily from domination and set before him a goal that is more easily attainable than the expectation of adults.

This in itself provides motivation for learning and is mainly responsible for the fact that all children at one stage or the other regard their membership of peer group as very important.

When the family is not supportive for instance, if the parents work extra jobs and are largely unavailable, their children may turn to their peers for emotional support. This also occurs when the conflict between parents and children during adolescence or at any stage during a child’s development becomes so great that the child feels pushed away and seeks company elsewhere.

Most children and adolescents in this position do not discriminate about the kind of group they join. They will often turn to a group simply because the group accepts them even if the group is involved in negative tendency (Smith and Pellegrini, 2001).

The need for affection or closeness is often greater than the need to do the right thing. For some adolescents who feel isolated and abandoned by members of their family being part of a peer group provides such individuals with acceptance and security not available at home.

In Cameroon society today, the influence of peer groups cannot be over-emphasized in a child’s life most especially child education. Peer group has in one way or the other influenced the lives of children both academically, socially, morally, psychologically and otherwise.

It helps just like any other agent of school students in Cameroon, Buea in particular Socialization such as family, religion, mass media, and school among others help in modifying the behavior of the child.

In conclusion, therefore the influence of peer groups on the academic performance of secondary school students cannot be over-emphasized. The peer group forms the main basis through which the child learns a lot of empirical facts about his physical and social environment, acquisition of skills and value as well as attitude for a better future.

1.2 Statement of the problem

Children socialize with the people with when they associate. Through interaction over many years, acceptable social customs are taught and fostered. Other children, as well as adults, can have a great impact on a broad range of issues in the child’s life including achievement in schools.

The research is geared towards having a proper understanding of the way social interaction affect academic achievement and it is very important for parents, educators, and policy makers.

The immediate environment such as peer, family, school, religion, and other factors can encourage or discourage students’ academic performance. This research is thus an inquiry into the influence of peer groups on the academic performance of secondary school students within the Buea municipality.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of peer groups on students’ academic performance.

1.4 Objective of the study

The objectives of this study are to:

1. To investigate whether peer groups affect the academic performance of students.
2. To find out whether peer influence determines variation in the academic performance of male and female students.
3. To investigate whether age does determine the extent to which peer influence affects the academic performance of students.

Read Also: PEER TEACHING AND ITS INFLUENCE ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE BUEA MUNICIPALITY