PEER GROUP INFLUENCE ON CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS STUDENTS’ AND THEIR PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL
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Abstract
The study sought to examine peer group influence on Christian religious students’ and their performance in some selected secondary schools in Esan North East Local Government Area, Edo State. To achieve the primary objectives of this study, four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study employed simple random sampling techniques. A sample of 300 respondents which comprises of teacher and students from four secondary schools in Esan North East Local Government Area were purposely selected for the study. The study adopted a survey design, since this method allows determination of sample characteristics for a large group in a very short time. This study employed mixed methods research design that used both qualitative and quantitative approaches in a single study to gather or analyze data. From the findings, it was clear peer group could either positively or negatively influence the academic performance of students offering Christian religious studies. 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 Christian religious studies in secondary schools.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Peer group in school play a major role in the social, emotional and academic development of students. At school an adolescent is exposes to so many people such as the teacher, classmates and the school management. All these people associated with the education of the child certainly influence the students greatly. 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. The academic performance of the child are greatly influence by the students who are mostly his classmates and peer group because he spend most of his time with them. The peer group is therefore the first social group outside the home in which the child attempt to gain acceptance. Each peer group has its code of conduct which does not always confirm with advance standard.
The peer group becomes an agency of enculturation and learning. Even very young children develop a sense of self from their perception of important people in their surroundings including relatives, teachers and peer socio-economics status, ethnicity and parents occupation affects how families view themselves and the process by which they socialize their children (Bornstein, 2002). Later as children leave their 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 relationship influence behaviours. 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. At about age three, early friendship begins to have a more lasting influence (Parke, 1990) peer influence on behaviour gradually becomes more dominant.
Peer group can simply be said to be people of the same age and ability that is people who are knitted together by a feeling derived by a common concern as seekers of what was desirable for the group. The peer group is the child own friends, and equal member of the group often have common characteristics or interest. The peer group interests are short rage and temporary (Ezewu 2002). Smart and Smart (2000) defines peers as equal or in the usual meaning as friend of about the same class members of the same society such as the boys scout, girls, guide, chorister, football team, social clubs can form peer group. The peer group influence on students academic performance depends greatly on the skills and potential of the 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.
Christian Religious Studies (CRS) is one of the major subjects missionaries bequeathed to Nigerian education system on the establishment of schools by the 19th century missionaries. The major aims of inclusion of CRS in the education curriculum is to raise generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and feelings of others, appreciate dignity of labour and those moral values specified in the broad national aims as good citizens. While at the secondary school level the subject is meant to prepare learners for useful living through inculcation of Christian attitudes and values, and to prepare learners for higher education (Akubue, 1992, p.16). The uniqueness of Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) emerges from its dual function of simultaneous development of the intellectual ability and moral character of the students. It also emphasizes the affective domain of education taxonomy – the domain which many seem to be silent about or even neglect completely. Ocheoha (2005) opined that Christian Religious Knowledge has also as its duty the formation of personality and character in the students.
According to Ward, Stocker and Murray-Ward (2006) academic performance refers to the outcome of education; the extent to which the student, have achieved their educational goals. Academic performance is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate one’s knowledge verbally or written on paper (Answers, 2010). In the context of this study, academic performance refers to the extent to which students have achieved mastery of the objectives of Christian religious studies they are exposed to in school. According to (Aremu & Sokan, 2003), academic performance has been observed in school. The blame for poor academic performance among Universities students could be attributable to a variety of factors such as student inability to manage their time, peers influence, family factors and the likes. The way social interaction affect academic performance of secondary school students is important for parents, educators, and policy makers. The peer group’s influence on a students especially during adolescents and early adult hood is a powerful force for both pre-social and anti-social development. Therefore, and in-school students should avoid negative group such as loitering along the street during school hours holding parties at the expense of their study, skipping school and drug abuse. That will create room for poor academic performance. The students should move with people that study their books in order to have good academic performance.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Christian Religious Knowledge has been one of the most important subjects being taught in the Secondary Schools in Nigeria. This is because the subject helps to streamline the thought, character, moral and aspiration of the students. It also offers hope for the future, integrate, discipline, harmonious and progressive society. Poor performance occurs yearly and more students are running away from the subject of CRK. This alarming rate of poor performance in Christian Religious Knowledge has generated growing concern from various quarters, the parents, teachers, schools and the government (Lawal, 2002; Lawal, 2010). Unfortunately, despite the importance attached and efforts made to the learning of CRK as a subject, students‟ achievement in CRK does not equate the input made by the society which is relatively Christian dominated. There has been a fall in students‟ academic performance in CRK over the years as compared to other subjects in the school system. Despite the above relevance of Christian Religious Knowledge, observation reveals that students have not shown interest in the subject as well as performed credibly well in examinations administered to measure learning outcome. On the whole, more worrisome is the performance of students in external examinations on the subject. The West African Examination Council (WAEC) in the last three year (2012- 2014) results in seventeen popular subjects indicates that only 35.26%, 23.58% and 33.45% respectively passed CRK with credit passes.
This alarming rate of poor performance in Christian Religious Knowledge has generated growing concern from various quarters, the parents, teachers, schools and the government. One is also worried because of the relative importance of the subject to education excellence and moral development, if care is not taken, the country will be eroded of its moral values and cultures if the trends continue like that. The above state problem led to a study on peer group influence on Christian religious students’ and their performance in some selected secondary schools in Esan North East Local Government Area, Edo State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main aim of this study is to examine peer group influence on Christian religious students’ and their performance in some selected secondary schools. The specific objectives are;
- To examine how peer group influences academic performance of students offering CRS in Esan North East Local Government Area.
- To find out the relationship between peer group influence and academic performance in secondary schools.
- To ascertain if student’s gender differentials and age do influence their academic performance in Christian Religious Studies in Secondary Schools in Esan North East Local Government Area.
- To analyze means by which peer group influence student’s academic performance in Secondary Schools.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study is important for several reasons. Firstly, the study will give the researcher an in-depth insight into how the activities of the peer group really influences student’s academic performance.
Secondly, the researcher will also create a source of awareness for teacher and parents that uncontrolled negativities among peer groups to which their children belong can lower or increase the academic performance.
Thirdly, the study will help to highlight area where peer groups activities could have negative effect on the part of the school children so that they could be checked by the parents and teachers.
Lastly, the findings of the study will serve as a resource materials to future scholars with interest on this area of study.
1.5 Research Questions
The following questions were formulated to guide the study;
- Does peer group influences academic performance of students offering CRS in Esan North East Local Government Area?
- Is there any significant relationship between peer group influence and academic performance in secondary schools?
- Does student’s gender differentials and age do significantly influence their academic performance in Christian Religious Studies?
- What are the means by which peer group influence student’s academic performance in Secondary Schools?
1.6 Research Hypotheses
H0: Peer group does not influences academic performance of students offering CRS in Esan North East Local Government Area
H1: Peer group do influences academic performance of students offering CRS in Esan North East Local Government Area
H0: There is no significant relationship between peer group influence and academic performance in secondary schools
H2: There is a significant relationship between peer group influence and academic performance in secondary schools
1.7 Scope and Limitation of the Study
This research work focuses on peer group influence on Christian religious students’ and their performance. This research work covers some selected secondary schools in Esan North East Local Government Area, Edo State. In the course of the study, the researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;
The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study. The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher have to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study. Finance to source for the materials couple with the school fees, also contribute to the limitation of the study.
1.8 Definition of Terms
For the purpose of clarification, the following terms which are used in the content of study are hereby defined.
Peer group: This refers to children or adolescents who are of the same age or maturity, level and have regular contact with each other, or a group of people of approximately the same age, status, and interests.
Peer Influence: Peer influence can be described as the pressure adolescents feel from their peers.
Academic performance: This has to do with children programmes at school work in the area of ability to read and write, ability to speak good English, to solve problems in CRS and ability to use their initiated under any circumstances.
Adolescent: This refers to the transitory period where a child moves to adulthood. The adolescent years fall with 12-18 years.
Social time: This has to do with discipline and good responses to academic work by both teachers and students alike. The ability to submit willingly to constituted, where this exist, there is adequate room for academic achievement.
In-school adolescent: This refers to the adolescents who are still in the formal school system as opposed to those who have dropped out of school.
Social status: This has to do with the academic and home background of the parents of the children who are subject of this research. It is observed that children from higher social background usually perform better to some extent in academic work than those from the lower social background in the area of ability to speak simple and correct English and to write.
Truancy: It is unjustified absence from school on a child’s own initiat5ive without the permission of parents or school. a truant is any child that is irregular at school for he finds other places more attractive than school work, and all it stands for. He may be an individual who just does not want to go to school and makes plan to do some other things else. He wanders away from these difficulties and in at least held the drift into delinquency.
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