Group Influence

Zaib-un-nisa 398
Syed saddam 412
Ayesha Mukhtar 392
Sidra Ramzan 399
Maham Usmani 367
Rafia Tanzila 384
ZAIB-UN-NISA
398
 Group Influence
• “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world.”
What Is a Group?
• Two or more people who, for longer than a few moments,
interact with and influence one another and perceive one
another as “us”
Social Facilitation:
• The tendency of people to perform simple or well-learned tasks
better when others are present.

Dominant
Response
Arousal

Presence
of others
Why are we aroused in the presence of
others?
• Evaluation apprehension
• Driven by distraction
• Mere presence
Social Loafing:
• The tendency for people to exert less effort when they pool their
efforts toward a common goal than when they are individually
accountable.
Many Hands Make Light Work
• If every one works together to complete something, then each person
has less to do. The job will be completed Much more quickly.
• Free Riders
• Social Loafing in Everyday Life
Roll No. 412
“Loss of self-awareness and evaluation
apprehension; occurs in group situations
that foster responsiveness to group norms,
good or bad.”

 Group situations may cause people to lose self-

awareness, with resulting loss of individuality.
 Groups can generate a sense of excitement.
 Experiments shows that Groups can diffuse
responsibility.
“The number of individuals within a group
is known as Group size.”
 Basically, “Group” means “cluster” and “Size”
means “amount, value or volume”.
 A group has power not only to arouse its
members but also to render them
unidentifiable.
 An interesting fact is that every time when
people are in group form, their attention is
focused on the situation, not on themselves.
 Aggressive outbursts by large groups often are preceded by
minor actions that arouse and divert people’s attention.
 Group shouting, chanting, clapping or dancing serve both to
hype people up and to reduce self-consciousness.
 When we see others act as we are acting, we think they feel as
we do, which reinforces our feelings (Orive, 1984)
 Self-awareness involves being aware of different aspects of self
including traits, behaviors and feelings.
 It is a psychological state in which oneself becomes the focus of
attention.
 Group Experiences that diminish self-consciousness tend to
disconnect behavior from attitudes.
“Group polarization refers to the tendency
for a group to make decisions that are more
extreme than the initial inclination of its
members.”

Group
Polarization
 Mascovici and Zavalloni (1969) observed that discussion
enhanced French students’ initially positive attitude toward their
president and negative attitude toward Americans.
 Markus Brauer and his co-workers (2001) found that French
students’ dislike for certain other people was exacerbated after
discussing their shared negative impressions.
 Discussion Increased Polarization B/W two different Groups.
4

3
High-Prejudice Groups
2

-1

-2

-3
Low-Prejudice Groups
-4
Group A Group B
 Group Polarization in Schools.
 Group Polarization in Communities.
 Group Polarization on the Internet.
 Group Polarization in Terrorist Organization.
SIDRA RAMZAN
399
•THE INFLUENCE OF THE
MINORITY...
HOW DO INDIVIDUALS INFLUENCE THE GROUP...

• Group influence on individuals. So we conclude by seeing can

influence their groups.
• Factors include as following:
• 1st: Consistency.
• 2nd self confidence.
• 3rd Defections from the majority.
• 4th Is leadership minority influence.
1ST: CONSISTENCY...

• Mascovici & associates found that if minority consistency judges blue

slides as green members of the majority will occasionally agree.
• Experiments shows that persistent nonconformity is often painful &
being minority in a group be unpleasant minority slowness effects.
2ND : SELF CONFIDENCE...

• Consistency & persistence convey self confidence.

• By being firm & force full the minority apparent self assurance may
prompt the majority to reconsider its position.
•
3RD : DEFECTIONS FROM THE MAJORITY...

• When a minority consistently doubts the majority wisdom, majority

members becomes free to express their own doubts may even switch
to the minority position.
4TH : IS LEADERSHIP MINORITY INFLUENCE...

• Leadership:
• The process by which certain group members motivate &
guide the group.
• Leadership has two types:
• Task leadership:
• Leadership that organizes work, sets standards & focuses
on goals.
• Social leadership:
• Leadership that builds teamwork, mediates conflicts &
offers support.
 Groupthink
 psychological phenomenon in which
people strive for consensus within a
group
 people will set aside their own personal
beliefs or adopt the opinion of the rest
of the group.
Symptoms of groupthink
• Type I Overestimations of the group — its power and morality
• Illusion of invulnerability
• Belief in Inherent Morality
• Type II Closed-mindedness
• Collective Rationalization
• Stereotyping
• Type III Pressures toward uniformity
• Self-Censorship
• Illusion of unanimity
• Peer Pressure
• Self-appointed Mind guards
Critiquing groupthink
Directive Look for Group with diverse
leadership acceptance perspective

•Too weak or •People thinking

insecure to speak •Suppress differently make
up disagreeable you uncomfortable
thoughts

Discussion

Supporting over • Shared info crowd out

challenging
information unshared info
prevent from groupthink
• Get a good team together
• Treat conflict as an essential part of a solid outcome.
• Let members of the group know that no perspective, no question and
no suggestion is a dumb one or a wrong one
• Allow time for making decisions as a team.
• Bring in the devil's advocate.
• Avoid adding judgments or desired outcomes.
• Bring in a specialist.
• Don't surround yourself by yes people.
 How to prevent groupthink

Get a good team together

Let members of the group know that no perspective, no question and no suggestion is a dumb one or a wrong one

Allow time for making decisions as a team.

Bring in the devil's advocate.

Welcome critiques from outside experts

Be impartial

Don't surround yourself by yes people.

Group problem solving
• Not every group decision is flawed by groupthink
• 2 or more heads are really better than one
Patrick Laughlin & John Adamopoulos

• Wisdom of groups with various intellectual tasks

In a 6 membered group
If 2 correct group convinced 2 third of time
If 1 correct no one will be convinced
Dell Warnick & Glenn Sanders
• Several heads can be better than 1

Eyewitness reports of a videotaped crime

Group of eyewitness more accurate than individuals

Combine group Have group
and solitary members interact
brainstorming by writing

Incorporate
electronic
brainstorming
Examples

Weather Game shows

forecasting

The crowd
within
MAHAM USMANI
367
• ABSTRACT
• Instrument: The researchers used a self-
RESEARCH HYPOTHESISES
structured five Likert scale questionnaire
1. There is no significant influence of peer as a tool for the collection of data.
group and academic performance of students.
• Data Analysis: The researchers employed
2. There is no significant relationship between Pearson Product Moment correlation
peer group and academic performance. coefficient and Linear Regression Analysis
to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of
METHODOLOGY significance.

• Participants: The target population used for this

study consists of 116 students drawn from five (5)
departments in the School of Education and
Humanities, Babcock University.
• Designs: This study adopted a mixed methods
design that includes descriptive survey and ex
post facto designs.
RESULTS
H1: There is significant influence of peer
group on academic performance of student.
H2: There is a significant relationship
between Peer group and academic
performance
• RECOMMENDATONS
• 1. There is need for teacher to have greater supervision and regulations on
students while they are in school this will enhance the type of group the
belong to.
• 2. The government and ministry of education should ensure that trained
counselors are posted in all schools and colleges so as to provide preventive
counseling services and modify the behaviors of student who perchance have
been negatively influenced by peers.
• 3. School counselors should play a prominent and leading role in the matter
of peer group influence by organizing lectures, seminars, career talk that can
create positive awareness on influence of peer group on academic
performance of undergraduate students.
• 4. School counselors, teachers, parents, and other government agencies
should actively participate and get involved in role ,modeling of students by
introducing informative programs that could educate them about peer group
influence
RAFIA TANZILA
384
Introduction:
• Castrogiovanni(2002)
• Hartney (1993)
When peer group start and most?
• Allen Steinberg (2005)
Why peer influence is most in adolescence?
• Brown and Larson (2009)
Why peers are influenced and start imitation?
• Burns and Darling (2002)
• Santor (2016)
• Lavy and Schlosser (2007)
Kind of effects on peers:
• Manski (1993)
• Zimmerman(2003)
• Sacerdote (2001)
• Geothe(2001)
• Bankole and Ogunsakin(2015)
 African Educational Research Journal
Vol. 7(2), pp. 81-87, June 2019
DOI: 10.30918/AERJ.72.19.010
ISSN: 2354-2160
Full Length Research Paper

Peer group influence on academic performance of

undergraduate students in Babcock University, Ogun
State
Filade, Bankole Adeyemi1*, Bello, Alice Adejoke1, Uwaoma, Christiana O.1, Anwanane, Bidemi
Bassey2 and Nwangburuka, Kemi3
1
Department of Education, Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State, Nigeria.
2
Student Support Center, Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State, Nigeria.
3
Student Development Division, Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Accepted 9 May, 2019

ABSTRACT

This study surveyed the influence of peer group on academic performance of undergraduate students in
selected departments in Babcock University, Ogun State. Peer group plays a large role in the social,
emotional and academic development of students; therefore, understanding the prospects and challenges
of peer group is crucial for the productivity of educational processes and the organizational design of
school systems in order to improve student’s academic performance. The study adopted mixed method
design incorporating descriptive survey and ex post facto designs. Questionnaire was administered to one
hundred and sixteen (116) students drawn from five (5) departments in the School of Education and
Humanities. The number was derived from the totality of 300 level students of each department of the
School using stratified random sampling method. The data generated from the study were analyzed using
Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Linear Regression Analysis to test the null
hypotheses at 0.05 significant level. The result of this study revealed that, peer group has significant
influence on academic performance of undergraduate students. Also, there is significant relationship
between peer group and academic performance of students. Sequel to these findings, the researcher
therefore recommended that, there is need for teacher to have greater supervision and regulations on
students while they are in school, this will enhance the type of group they belong to. The government and
ministry of education in all levels should ensure that trained counselors are posted in all schools and
colleges so as to provide preventive counseling services and modify the behaviors of students who per-
chance have been negatively influenced by peers. Also, School counselors should play a prominent and
leading role in the matter of peer group influence by organizing lectures, seminars, career talk and
symposiums that can create positive awareness on influence of peer group on academic performance of
undergraduate students.

Keywords: Peer group, academic performance, undergraduate students.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: koleyemi2005@yahoo.com.

INTRODUCTION

Academic activities are directed towards ensuring that
students gain mastery of educational objectives. In
schools, the extent to which these objectives have been
met is determined greatly by the interaction of peer
groups which could possibly reflect in student’s academic
performance. Peer group play a large role in the social,
emotional and academic development of students. Allen
in Steinberg (2005) maintains that peer group influence
begins at an early age and increases through the
teenage years. Thus, understanding the prospects and
challenges of peer group is crucial for the productivity of
educational processes and the organizational design of

school systems in order to improve student’s academic
performance.
Hamm et al. in Lavy and Schlosser (2007), argued that,
“for many students, friendships are critical interpersonal
vehicle that move them towards psychological growth
and maturity, allowing social compassion which
influences the development of self-evaluation”. The
above statement suggests strongly, the unprecedented
effect of peer group in almost all facet of adolescent’s
growth. Such effect could be seen in social and emotional
lives of young people, which does not end at the above
mentioned, but could also manifest in their attitude
towards educational activities and careful consideration
of these elements has shown that they reflect in the
academic performance of students.
However, Castrogiovanni (2002) defined peer group as
a small group of similar age, fairly close friends, sharing
the same activities. In its most acceptable form, peer
group is a healthy coming-of age intermediary, by which
youth grasp negotiating skills and learn to deal with
challenges and to solve problems in a social context.
Peer group can also act as positive role model, for
example, if one is involved with a group of people that are
ambitious and working hard to attain high academic
goals, one might feel pressured to follow suit to avoid
feeling excluded from the group.
A negative peer influence could be seen as one of the
militating forces why most student record poorly in
academic performance, the reason for this is not
farfetched: they spend large amount of time in extra
curriculum. More often than none, academic priorities are
neglected and thus academic performance grossly
affected.
Academic performance refers to excellence in all
academic discipline. Steinberg (2005) posits that
academic performance encompasses students’ ability
and performance; it is multi-dimensional; it is intricately
associated to human growth and cognitive, emotional and
social physical development. Academic performance also
refers to how well a student is accomplishing his tasks
and studies. There should be a interrelated relationship
between peer group and academic performance. It was
believed that student’s academic performance correlates
with the group he or she belongs. Peer Influence can be
either positive or negative. If a student is influenced
negatively by peer, it affects his or her academic
performance. Nevertheless, stronger student do have an
impact on their peers and actually help improve their
overall academic performance. Conversely, positive peer
influence on academic performance depends on person’s
self-identity, self-esteem and self-reliance. Peer influence
can as well inspire student’s academic vigor and
motivation for achievement (Lashbrook, 2000).
Peer relations are never more prominent than in
adolescence which falls within the age group under this
study. They spend more time than adults interacting with
peers and recording a very high degree of happiness in
Afr Educ Res J 82
peer contexts, while giving the greatest priority to peer
norms for behavior (Brown and Larson, 2009). This
developmental stage in affiliation motivation appears to
be highly preserved across peers.
Moreover, several developmental studies on
adolescents indicated that, relative to children and adults,
they are sensitive and at a high response to a variety of
social stimuli such as facial expressions and social
feedback (Burnett et al., 2011).However, this evidence for
hypersensitivity to social stimuli suggests that this age
group may be more likely be exposed to either positive or
negative peer stimuli in decision-making scenarios, thus
setting the stage for a hyperbolic approach sensitization
effect of peer context on decision making. It is well
established that undergraduate students are more likely
than adults to take risks, as revealed by elevated rates of
experimentation with alcohol, tobacco, and drugs,
unprotected sexual activity, violent and non - violent
crime, and reckless driving (Steinberg, 2008). In fact,
they actually possess the knowledge, values, and
processing competence to evaluate risky decisions as
proficiently as adults do (Reyna and Farley, in Bankole
and Ogunsakin, 2015).
According to Olalekan (2016), it is generally
observed that peer group has a lot of influence on
students. This is seen from the role played by the peer
group in the life and learning of a child, evidence abound
that students feel more comfortable and relaxed among
fellow students. A child who is brilliant and surrounded by
dull friends would lose interest in learning. On the other
hand, a peer group which is prone to study would have
positive effect on a dull member towards learning and
stimulate his/her interest on learning. Katz in Olalekan
(2016) wrote that the nature of a peer group determines
the impact on the motivation of and achievements of its
member. He further suggests that one group may have a
negative impact on its members while the other may have
positive impact on its members as well.
The question at this point is, how many of the young
people have the will power to choose a group that thus
impact positively on them? However, the attractive nature
and the morals of the group determine whether a group is
likely to have positive or negative impact on members’
motivation and achievement. If the atmosphere of the
group is warm, understanding and supportive, the group
influence, task performance and achievement will most
likely be positive. A hostile group will constantly, mostly
such that does not place prominence to academics will
frustrate and produce a negative impact not only on the
member’s growth and behavior but also on their drive to
studies and academic achievement. Conversely, the kind
of person a student is shows the type of group he or she
is most likely to join. In the same vein Festigen as quoted
in Lavy and Schlosser (2007) also noted that imitation of
behaviors in a group occurs when a person acts in a way
that is likely to be joined by the rest of the group.
Students who are playful but have academic traits should

be encouraged to join a study inclined group.
Stressing the positive benefits of a group, Bandura in
Olalekan (2016), noted that through observing and
imitating the behavior of others, learners can avoid much
wasteful random behavior and come close to reproducing
the behaviors of which members are recognized. A
student may not be dull but playful. If he is well monitored
and he falls into a group of brilliant students who are not
playful, he imitates them and this changes his attitude
towards learning for better. In the same vein a study by
Bankole and Ogunsakin (2016) investigated the influence
of peer group on the academic performance of students.
The finding showed that peer’s relationship influence
academic performance of students.
Manski (1993), in his article on peer influence as a
social interaction postulated that the relationship between
an individual’s behavior and other group member’s
behavior comes from three diverse effects. In applying
the concepts to the influence of peer group in education,
he noted the following behavioral outcome:
a. Endogenous effects (or simultaneous effects) referring
to a person’s behavior varies with the mean behavior of
the peer group. For example, the propensity of a student
graduating from a university will be impacted by the
proportion of students graduating from the university in
the same school.
b. Exogenous effects (or contextual effects), indicating
that an individual’s action varies with the exogenous
characteristics (pre-determined characteristics) of the
peer group. For example, the tendency of a student
graduating from university can be affected by the average
level of mother’s education of other students in the
university.
c. Correlated effects: when a persons in same group tend
to behave similarly because they are subject to a
common institutional environment or they share the
similar characteristics.
Most literature often refers the shared institutional
settings as ‘common shocks’. For instance, all students in
the same classroom doing well academically may reflect
nothing but the high quality of the teacher. A shared
characteristic is the other part of correlated effects which
arises when individuals tend to self-select into a group
with members sharing similar behavior. For example,
families that are very supportive of children’s education
are more likely to sort themselves across schools in order
to seek for better peers. Accordingly, research work on
peer influence usually models the behavior (outcomes) of
an individual (Manski, 2000).
Another study was conducted by Lavy and Schlosser
(2007) who examined classroom level peer influence,
and find that a greater percentage of female classmates
improve both boys and girls academic performance. The
study predetermined peer characteristics, such as peer
race and gender. Peer influence may be present in the
Filade et al. 83
workplace, at school or within the society; it can affect
people of all ages. It may affect people in different ways
but here, the focus is on the activities of peer group as it
influences academic performance of undergraduate
students. Peer group may have a positive influence and
help to challenge or motivate one to do best. Peer group
influence may also result in one doing things that may not
fit with ones sense of what is right or wrong. In other
words, when peer group makes one do things that people
frown at, it is a negative peer influence. Operationally
peer group influence is a force exert by people that is
pressured by ideas, values and behavior either positively
or negatively and always associated with adolescents.
Studies have shown that students who do not manage
their activities with peer group make lower grades than
less socially accepted adolescent (Hartney, in Manski,
1993).
The researcher deem it necessary to look at an area
that scholars do no often consider in their study of peer
group influence, and that is parents influence on pupils
peer group relationship. Taiwo in Olalekan (2016) noted
that the first people with whom the child comes in contact
with are the parents. They transmit to him their own
values of right and wrong at a time when he is not in
contact with any other influences. Unless the foundation
laid by home is sound and solid, the school has nothing
to build upon and the child later becomes a problem not
only to his parents but also to the community. It is
therefore the home that the child comes from that
determines type of group the child would join. In essence
a child from home that is well-disciplined would find it
difficult to be in a group that comprises of delinquents
and if he finds himself in such group, he would refuse to
be influenced by their behaviors. In a case where such a
child is influenced by the group behavior, the situation at
home does not allow him to exhibit it and thus he
pretends and become meek in the presence of his
parents. It is important for the parents to know a child`s
friends both at home and at school, in order to achieve
this, parents should make themselves more accessible to
their children. Hake as quoted in Brown and Larson
(2009) was of the opinion that parents must be properly
educated on matters of discipline since it is dangerous to
be too permissive or too strict. The content of parent
education should include the rather special treatment
required by the child at the adolescent stage. At the
secondary school level, parents should be made to
realize that the child is no longer toddler at this stage
because he is experiencing a new awareness of the
world and he is struggling not only to make a place for
himself in his own age group but in the world at large. It is
also the task of parents to continue to give good
examples to the children. This is important because
pupil`s imitation rate as discussed earlier is very high and
thus copy conduct from the adults. Thus, it is likely that
parents who smoke find such behaviors in their children.
And as such, the child would not resist such behaviors in

their children. More so, the child would not resist joining
or forming a group of smokers or late nigh keepers which
in turn reduces the child’s academic performance. This
also invariably would have a negative influence on his
learning outcome.
Goethe (2001) found out that weak students do better
when grouped with other weak students. It shows that
student’s academic performance improves if they are with
the students of their own kind. Sacerdote (2001) found
out that grades are higher when students have unusually
academically strong peers. The results of Zimmerman
(2003) were somehow contradictory to Goethe results but
again it proved that student’s academic performance
depends on number of different factors, it says that weak
peers might reduce the performance of strong students.
Bankole and Ogunsakin (2015) opine that drug use
among students under peer group influence significantly
influences academic performance, though in a negative
way. Drug use like smoking, alcoholism and other odd
behaviors were expression of peers’ non-conformity to
adult value, while value and moral standard of the peer
become increasingly moves away from the family, most
especially during their school years. Peer group influence
on risk taking behaviors such as substance abuse and
sexual activities have been shown to increase the
likelihood of affecting academic performance in a
negative way Santor et al. in Olalekan (2016). Students
learn about what is acceptable in their social group by
“reading” their friends’ reactions to how they act, what
they wear, and what they say. The peer group gives this
potent feedback by their words and actions, which either
encourages or discourages certain behaviors and
attitudes. Anxiety can arise when teens try to predict how
peers will react, and this anxiety plays a large role in peer
influence. In fact, Burns and Darling (2002) state that
self-conscious worrying about how others will react to
future actions is the most common way students are
influenced by their peers. When a student takes an
unpopular stand and goes against the expectations or
norms of the peer group, he or she is at risk of being
ridiculed. Ridicule is not an easy thing to accept at any
age, let alone when you are twelve or thirteen years old.
This leads to real peer group influence.
Howard in Steinberg (2005) opined that students have
always been exposed to the influence of peer group, but
the kinds of influence that they encounter have changed
tremendously in the past years. Peer groups can
influence everything from what a student chooses to wear
to whether or not the student engages in drug related or
other delinquent behavior.
Research hypotheses
The following Null Hypotheses were tested:
H01: There is no significant influence of peer group and
Afr Educ Res J 84
academic performance of students.
H02: There is no significant relationship between peer
group and academic performance.
METHODOLOGY
Participants and design
The target population used for this study consists of 163
students drawn from five (5) departments in the School of
Education and Humanities, Babcock University. This
study adopted a mixed methods design incorporating
descriptive survey and ex post facto designs. The reason
for the use of survey design is because, questionnaires
will be administered on peer group and ex post facto
design because, raw score data for academic
performance that was used for this study was derived
from past records of students that constituted the target
population for this study.
Instrumentation and data analysis
The researchers used a self-structured five Likert scale
questionnaire as a tool for the collection of data.
The researchers employed Pearson Product Moment
correlation coefficient and Linear Regression Analysis to
test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance and
finally, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)
was used for data analyzing.
RESULTS
Demographic presentation
Results in Table 1 showed that a majority of the
respondents (54.3%) were female, while 45.7% of the
respondents were male. Thus, we have more female than
men participants in this study.
Result in Table 2 showed that the greatest proportion of
the respondents (40.5%) were between the age brackets
of 20 to 23 years. This was followed successively by
those who were 16 to 19 years old (36.2%), and 24 years
and above were (23.3%). This further shows that this
study covered the targeted respondents it was meant for.
Hypotheses testing
Hypothesis 1
H01: There is no significant influence of peer group on
academic performance of student.
Table 3 indicated a significant result (Beta = .537, t =
 Filade et al. 85

Table 1. Gender distribution of participants’ demographic variables.

Variable Gender category (N=116) Frequency Percentage

Male 53 45.7
Sex
Female 63 54.7
Source: Researchers computation from field survey, 2018.

Table 2. Age distribution of participants’ demographic variables.

S/No Age (year) Frequency Percentage

1 16 – 19 42 36.2
2 20 – 23 47 40.5
3 24 and above 27 23.3
Source: Researchers computation from field survey, 2018.

Table 3. Linear regression analysis of the influence of peer group on academic performance.

Unstandardized co-efficient Standardized co-efficient

Model t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
(Constant) .525 .365 1.440 .153
Peer Group .043 .006 .537 6.799 .006
Dependent Variable: Academic Performance
Predictors: (Constant), Peer group.

6.799, < .05), the null hypothesis is consequentially
rejected in favor of the conclusion that there is a
significant influence of peer group on academic
performance of students. Given that Y represent
academic performance and X represents peer group, the
relevant regression equation that can be used to predict
Y from X = .043 X + .525.
Hypothesis 2
H02: There is no significant relationship between peer
group and academic performance.
Table 4 revealed significant results (r = .537, p <.05). The
null hypothesis is therefore rejected and the alternative
hypothesis in upheld. It is concluded that there is a
significant relationship between Peer group and
academic performance.
DISCUSSION
From hypothesis one above the study found that peer
group has a significant influence on academic
performance of students. This finding is not in isolation to
other findings on the influence of peer group on student
academic performance. Zimring (1998) observed that
peer influence is the primary contextual factor
contributing to student’s tendency to make risky
decisions. As supported by landau (2002) that students
who care about learning are more likely to associate with
peers who shares similar interest in learning. However,
personal interest and value an individual attaches to an
issue also affects the individual’s response to change.
This may account for Ryan (2002) conclusion that value
result in resistance to change, and low value result in
receptiveness to change. Peer can influence everything
about a student from the choice of what to wear, to
engaging in drug related or other behavior.
Results of the findings in hypothesis two elicit that there
is a significant relationship between Peer group and
academic performance. This is shown above with a
significant results (r = .537).The finding is similar to those
of Temitope and Christy (2015) who found out that, there
is a relationship that exist between peer group and
student’s academic performance either in the positive or
negative way. Positive influence contributed to students’
academic performance. However, socialization was
among the factors that raised students’ self-awareness
and cooperation. Additionally, relationships from close
friends being girls or boys had been associated with
academic performance on one hand; and on the other
hand; in changing negative behaviors to positive. Mosha
(2017) also collaborated with the results of the present
study when he noted in his study the factors that

Table 4. Correlation matrix for the relationship between peer group and academic
performance.
Peer group
Peer group
Academic performance
*Correlation is significant at 0.01 levels (2- tailed).
influenced peer relationship and its effects on students’
academic performance as thus: the nature of friends had
(40%), globalization (20%), economic status (25%) and
sharing academic matters (15%). It is important to note
that nature of friendship students keep has the potential
influence on their relationships at the schools rather than
academic matters.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
From the results therefore, this study concludes that,
peer group plays an important role in the lives of
students. They form a critical part of the social
environment of school and also create and maintain a
culture different from the home. It is obvious Peer groups
are not a fad or a trend, they are around to stay;
therefore, Parents, Teachers and Administrators should
be on watch-out to identify the types of peer their
students move with both in school and outside the home.
They should do their best to see that their children relates
with friends who can positively influence them and have
good impact on their academic performance.
Counselors should play a prominent and leading role in
the matter by organizing lectures, seminars, career talk
and symposiums that can create positive awareness on
influence of peer group on academic performance of
undergraduate students.
The following conclusions were drawn from the findings
of the study:
1. There is significant influence of peer group on
academic performance of student. Therefore school
administrators and parents/guardians have a role to play
in monitoring the types of peer their students and wards
move with both in school and outside the home.
2. There is a significant relationship between Peer group
and academic performance. It is clear from the finding
that peer does, in fact, have a relatively strong influence
over the daily functioning of students and their academic
achievement. Therefore the choices those students make
regarding their engagement and academic performance
in school depends on how they are guided and supported
by their parent.
Based on the conclusion of the study, the following
recommendations were made:
1. The finding revealed that peer group has an influence
Afr Educ Res J 86
Academic performance
1 .537*
1
on student and such influence could be positive or
negative therefore, there is need for teacher to have
greater supervision and regulations on students while
they are in school this will enhance the type of group the
belong to.
2. The government and ministry of education should
ensure that trained counselors are posted in all schools
and colleges so as to provide preventive counseling
services and modify the behaviors of student who per-
chance have been negatively influenced by peers.
3. School counselors should play a prominent and
leading role in the matter of peer group influence by
organizing lectures, seminars, career talk and
symposiums that can create positive awareness on
influence of peer group on academic performance of
undergraduate students.
4. School counselors, teachers, parents, and other
government agencies should actively participate and get
involved in role – modeling of students by introducing
informative programs that could educate them about peer
group influence and thus, refocus them meaningfully
towards excellent academic performance; this could help
the development of the nation’s academic future.
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 PEER GROUP INFLUENCE ON ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGREDUATE STUDENTS

Review
In this article the researchers find out; Is peer group, influence on students in educational institute
to improve student’s academic performance and educational process. The researchers intentionally
did this research on undergraduate students because in adolescence students are sensitive,
expressive and highly influenced by peer group. The participants age ranges from 16-23 years and
most of them were females. The mix method research was conducted by researchers and they
formulated two null hypothesizes. Here the dependable variable was academic performance and
independent variable or constant was peer group. Then from the students data was collected,
analyzed and results were obtained using statistical techniques.

Methodology
 Participants: 116 students from five departments. These participants were chosen from
the 300 students in each department using stratified random sampling.
 Design: The researchers choose mix method design which includes descriptive survey and
ex post facto design.

Instrumentation and data analysis:

 Instrument: The researchers used self-structured five likert scale questionnaire.
 Data analysis: The researchers employed pearson product moment correlation coefficient
and linear regression to test the null hypothesis and in end they used SPSS.

Results:
The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of the study:
1. There is significant influence of peer group on academic performance of student.
2. There is a significant relationship between Peer group and academic performance.

Recommendations:
Based on the conclusion of the study, the following recommendations were made by researchers:

1. The finding revealed that peer group has an influence on student and such influence could be
positive or negative therefore, there is need for teacher to have greater supervision and regulations
on students while they are in school this will enhance the type of group they belong to.

2. The government and ministry of education should ensure that trained counselors are posted in
all schools and colleges so as to provide preventive counseling services and modify the behaviors
of student who perchance have been negatively influenced by peers.
 PEER GROUP INFLUENCE ON ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGREDUATE STUDENTS

3. School counselors should play a leading role in the matter of peer group influence by organizing
lectures, seminars, career talk that can create positive awareness on influence of peer group on
academic performance of undergraduate students.

4. School counselors, teachers, parents should actively participate and get involved in role
modeling of students by introducing informative programs that educate them about peer group
influence and refocus them towards excellent academic performance.

This latest research succeeded in finding peer group influence and linear
relationship between peer group influence and academic performance of students. Its findings
will help the educational institutes to improve their staff (e.g counselors and teachers) duties and
educate students to be aware of negative/positive aspects of peer group influence and better their
academic performance.