Influence of Peer Group on Academic Performance of Basic School Students in Business Studies in Delta State

Influence of Peer Group on Academic Performance of Basic School Students in Business Studies in Delta State

ABSTRACT

This study determined the influence of peer group on the academic performance of Basic School students in Business Studies in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. Three hypotheses were formulated (generated) to guide the researcher. The population of the study comprised of 3,319 basic secondary school students in 13 public secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State.  The sample of the study comprised of 209 male and female secondary school students selected through simple random sampling technique to represent the entire population in 11 secondary schools in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The instrument used for data collection is a structured questionnaire titled “The Influence of Peer Group on Academic Performance of Basic School Students in Business Studies. The questionnaire consisted of two sections. A draft copy of the questionnaire was validated by a lecturer from Department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba. The validator will inspect the questionnaires to ensure that the items are in line with the research questions. The modifications, corrections and suggestions made by expert were included in the final draft copy which enhanced face and content validity of the instruments. The researcher administered 209 copies of the questionnaire to secondary school students in Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. 197, representing 94.3% were retrieved by the researcher with the help of 2 trained research assistants. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation statistics. Findings of the study revealed among others that peer influence negatively affects academic performance of students in business studies to a high extent and there are varying effects of peer on academic performance of male and female students in business studies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to Study

Peer pressure is often seen during the adolescence stage of a teenagers because they often seek comfort among their peersand intend to do what their peers does without knowing if it is good or bad for them. Thus individuals are prone temptations in the social contextualization concepts, for example, socializing with others tend to do some activities such as napping and drinking during classes or work day (Bonein & Denont- Boemont, 2013).Adolescence social environment could affect teenagers in their adolescence, because mostly in this period teenagers tend to communicate more by their peers. As children grow and reach adolescence, teenagers become more dependent with their peers than their family especially in making choices and enhancing their moral values in life (Uslu, 2013). Human development is affected by its socialization with other people in the environment. Specifically, the academic achievements of students are conjectured to be correlation by the support given by the parents; the teachers and the peer of teenagers that affect their level of academic performance. In general teenagers spend more time with peers. Peer pressure is described to have a positive and negative impact among individuals and even without effect to a person because peer pressure is a continuous learning (Gulati, 2017).Peer pressure often seems to have various effects toward the student academic performance in school. It is how their peers affect them whether in a positive or negative way. Teenagers need to seek comfort from others that they found in the presence of theirpeers, and they are not even aware on how their peers influence them academically. Studies show that the influence of peer groups among student can boost their anxiety especially pertaining to their education (Kadir, Atmowasdoyo & Salija 2018). The relationship within the group with its peers are co-related with each other, hence the direction of this particular relationship should be monitored were these relationships should go considering all possible factors correlated within the groups outcome (Guzman, 2017). Peer pressure faced by many teenagers of the society, professionals understood the concept of peer influence that could affect teenagers in a negative way which can be prevented by educating and preparing teenagers to face the negative aspects caused by peer pressure (Temitope & Og0nsakin, 2015). Similarly peer influence among teenagers does not directly affect them in a negative way but it varies in how much and how the students receive the climate of the peers coming from the group (Mosha, 2017). When a student is influenced and motivated by peers he will perform excellent at school and got good grades in mathematics (Boechnke, 2018). Getting the support needed coming from the peer group, student tend to excel and exceed its capability and concentrate more pertaining to his studies and do good in the academic tasks in school (Olalekan, 2016). Adolescence gaining social support from its peers is an important factor to cope with different problems and illnesses by letting go of emotions by talking someone. Social support plays an important role for teenagers to lessen the effects of stressful situations and stressors through the support of the peers in the group (Esen & Gundogdu 2010). Despite the various studies conducted for understanding the effects of peer group in student’s academic performance, no one has yet understood the nature of peer effects among students (Zhang, 2010). Knowing how the teenagers interact with their peers and how they interact with each other and how presence of peer group affect student’s academic achievement in school plays an important role for various categories and even the whole educational system (Leka, 2015). Peer pressure is commonly described as peers encouraging other teenagers to do things (Santor, Messervey & Kusumakar, 2000). Peer pressure is also caused by parent’s lack of supervision towards their children during adolescence, children tend to enjoy their peers company and spend with their peers more during the adolescence period. There are different factors that could affects student’s academic performance in school whether it’s their family is giving proper guidance and motivation to their children with the healthy and harmonies interaction with their surroundings (Ezzarrooki,2016). Students interactions with its peers could help enhance their capability and increase their academic performance in school because they could seek help from their peers that could serve as a motivation than working alone (Porter & Umbach, 2006).Student peer group in school plays as an in socializing teenager with the peers to socialize with each other that help should the child adolescents (Uzezi & Deya, 2017). Interaction of students between its peer are likely to influence the students and can be crucial for the student to determine their choice and could affect student performance .Understanding peer influence towards teenagers is important for developing and understanding how to improve socioeconomic policies (Carman & Zhang, 2011). Peer among youth plays a vital role during the adolescence of a teenager. This is the time when teenagers develop deep friendship among their peers and become permanent during their adolescence (Guzman, 2017).Peer pressure towards persons behaviour is said to be a social phenomenon where the members of a particular society or may not be influence negatively but majority are affected by the undesirable behaviour of those people who resist what others do (Gulati, 2017).Looking to the different group of factors that influence adolescence in their completion of their academic excellence it is further hindered by developmental challenges (Chen, 2008). An individual seek emotional support towards communicating publicly and showing his private objectives or goals. Indeed through showing your emotions to others individual can get emotional benefits from it because it could help them to overcome temptation and could give them emotional benefits. (Borein & Boemont, 2013). Also, peer groups answer questions from teenager different concern from adolescence stage including physical appearance or changing bodies(Ademiyi & Kolawole, 2015).Peer pressure could easily affect the self-esteem of students that an important factor adolescence. Individual adapt attitudes towards a certain aspect that they encountered or they are aware of (Uslu, 2013). In many events student fantasizing and visualizing what they dreamed to became through with their colleagues atmosphere. Eventually, they pursue their choices through with the influence of peer pressure (Owoyele & Toyobo, 2008). The pressure among peer group among its member may engage to doing desired things or negative behaviour with the presence of a particular peer group leader who engage its member to do deviant acts or promote undesirable things to the group (Dumas, Ellis, & Wolfe, 2012). Peer group is important in the social context that plays a vital role in society and to determine the academic achievement that affect during development relatively with each other (Chen, 2008). Adaptive behaviour of the development increases become broader and complex and as the age increases. School that the students attend to serves an institution among students that determine their learning capacity based on the school environment that gives the learning experience toward students(Korir, 2014). Thus choosing major courses within an institution are major choices a student intends to make but it is affected by their interactions among other students (Porter & Umbach, 2006). Hence, the behaviour of an individual have seen similarities among the group due to the effect of their peers, it is still difficult to relate the consequences that the individual within the group are similar with each other or social to be pursuing their intentions together to have similar outcomes (Kremer &Levy, 2008). Interactions between students with their age mates appeal to enhance their learning capacity under the guidance of an adult educator (Kinderman, 2016)

Peer pressure is a social phenomenon with cognitive implications. It occurs when a peer group influences an individual to change his actions or attitudes and ends in mind control. A peer group is not just friends but people who are similar in age, ability, and social status. Usually, the individuals are put into an uncomfortable situation where they feel they will not fit in. Peer pressure is defined as the influence of peers(people of the same age or social group) on an individual’s behaviour, attitudes, beliefs, and decisions. Peer pressure can significantly impact social interaction, decision-making, and personal development. This influence can be positive (as one can become more assertive, creative and involved) or negative (as one can become hopeless, less motivated, and egoistic).  Positive peer pressure can inspire individuals to engage in healthy and constructive behaviours, such as studying, exercising, or community service. Negative peer pressure, on the other hand, can lead to unhealthy behaviours such as drug use, underage drinking, and skipping school. Peer pressure can be difficult at any age, but it can be even more difficult as an adult. Peer pressure can be particularly powerful during adolescence, a time when individuals are developing their identities and seeking social acceptance. Peers can exert pressure through direct persuasion, teasing, or exclusion, and individuals may feel compelled to conform to social norms or engage in activities that they would not otherwise choose. Young people have a harder time declining or refusing requests in front of a group than during childhood and adolescence. Peer groups may provide a positive context for adults to be a part of a beneficial relationship. They can also greatly influence their behaviours, beliefs and attitudes .Peer groups also play an important role in students’ social, emotional and academic development. Academic activities are aimed a ensuring that students master the educational objectives. Therefore, understanding peer group respective and issues is essential for the efficiency of educational institutions’ educational process and organizational structure to improve academic performance. Peer pressure often sabotages the goals set by parents and teachers when learning a second language. For many students, foreign language classes, especially English language classes, due to their high and dominant social status, can be more stress-provoking than the other courses they take. This stress can have many causes, such as visibility, lack of knowledge, self-doubt, shyness, or high expectations from others. However, the beliefs and actions of peers can also be direct sources of student anxiety. This anxiety is more common in females as they are more conscious of their image in front of their peers. The effects of peer pressure on gender are consistent with current research showing that girls are more vulnerable to peer pressure. Thus, peer pressure impedes successful language learning among women and can create negative attitudes. This is often due to performance factors related to language learning and can lead to feelings of embarrassment and anxiety. No matter who you are, everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. So, peer pressure has always been there among individuals of the same social group as they interact. Peer influence is reciprocal, thus raising questions, factors, mechanisms, and relationships between peer pressure and relationships with different aspects of adult personality. All these aspects play a role in social change and contextual factors in the period and space in which people live. From peer groups, students receive feedback on their performance. Knowing if what you are doing is better, as good or bad feedback from other students, leads to a different perception and worldview. This experience has a significant impact on academic development. This impact depends on how peer experiences are measured, outcomes determined, and progress made. Colleges and universities bring new environments, new situations, and different expectations. This leads to a new wave of peer pressure, sometimes in forms, students are not used to dealing with. It is important for individuals to be aware of peer pressure and to develop the skills and confidence to make independent decisions that align with their values and goals. Building strong relationships with supportive peers and adults can help individuals resist negative peer pressure and develop healthy behaviours and attitudes. 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. Allenin 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 abovementioned, 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 vigour 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 peer contexts, while giving the greatest priority to peer norms for behaviour (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 Bankoleand 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 behaviour 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 behaviours 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 behaviour of others, learners can avoid much wasteful random behaviour and come close to reproducing the behaviours 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. Filade et’al (2019) that referenced manski (2000) in his article on peer influence as a social interaction postulated that the relationship between an individual’s behaviour and other group member’s behaviour come from three diverse effects. In applying the concepts to the influence of peer group in education, he noted the following behavioural outcome:

1. Endogenous effects (or simultaneous effects) referring to a person’s behaviour varies with the mean behaviour 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.
2. 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.
3. Correlated effects: when 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 behaviour. 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 behaviour (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 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 under graduate 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 behaviour 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,2000).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 behaviours. In a case where such a child is influenced by the group behaviour, 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 behaviours in their children. And as such, the child would not resist such behaviours 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 behaviours 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 behaviours 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 behaviours 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 behaviour.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The low academic performance in schools has brought the need to investigate the factors influencing learning. The peer group influence is one of the factors causing low academic performance. The problem of peers is that they influence their selves negatively. They can encourage each other to skip classes, steal, cheat, use of drugs or alcohol, or become involve in other risky behaviours. Majority of adolescents with substance abuse problems began using drug or alcohol as a result of peer pressure. Negative peer pressure may influence in various ways like joining group who drink alcohol, smoke cigarette and Indian hemp among others. It may also lead to the decision to have a boyfriend/girlfriend; Peer pressure indulges youth into loitering about in the streets, watching films and attending parties during school hours, taping as alternative to stealing which may eventually graduate into armed robbery.

There is need to look into peer group relationship and individual approach to learning, membership           of the peer group they belong and find out how factors such as sex, age, social status or ethnicity determine their membership in a group. In addition, what influence do parent and teachers have on the group? Efforts would be concentrated on the following:

1. Children interaction with their peers
2. Peer group influence on academic performance of the student

• Peer group relationship and individual approach to learning

1. The implication of a peer group on individual teachers, educational administration, policy makers etc.

The impact of peer group on academic performance of primary school pupils over the years has been an issue that cannot be over emphasized. Peer group have every vital roles to play in the academic achievement of primary school pupil and since children tend to learn a lot through social interaction in the school and outside the school system which in turn reflects in the child’s behaviour as well as the academic achievements of the child in school. Research over the years has shown that there are differences in the academic performance of primary school pupils and peer group. Through interaction over many years, acceptable social customs are taught and fostered. 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 effect of peer group influence on the academic performance of Basic school students in Business in Delta State.

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of peer group influence on the academic performance of Basic School students in Business studies in some selected secondary schools in Oshimilli South LGA of Delta State. Specific objectives include;

1. To investigate whether peer group affect the academic performance of adolescent.
2. To determine whether peer influence has any effect on academic performance of children in business studies from broken homes.

• To find out whether peer influence determines variation in academic performance of male and female students in business studies.

1. To investigate whether age determine the extent to which peer influence affects academic performance of students in business studies.

1.4       Research Questions

To guide this study, the following research questions were formulated

1. Does peer group influence have great effect on the academic performance of students?
2. Does peer influence have any effect on academic performance of children from broken homes?

• Does peer group influence have varying effects on academic performance of male and female students?

1. Does age determine the extent of peer group influence on academic performance of students

1.5       Research Hypotheses

Hypothesis I

H₀: Peer group influence does not have a significant effect on students’ academic performance.

H_i: Peer group influence has a significant effect on students’ academic performance

Hypothesis II

H₀: There is no significant relationship between peer group influence and gender

H_i: There is a significant relationship between peer group influence and gender

Hypothesis III

H₀: There is no significant relationship between peer group influence and students’ age

H_i: There is a significant relationship between peer group influence and students’ age

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will help in knowing more about the peer group and their stages. It will help in finding out the peer group influence on pre-adolescent and the implication on them. The work will help in finding out the influence of the peer group on the academic performance of students in business studies. The research will help in findings solutions to the problems caused by poser group influence. It will also help in relating the peer group of male and females together in terms of the relationship. The project will also help to find out the bad and good aspect of peer group.

Information gathered from this work is pertinent and will go a long way in unveiling the influence of peer group on the academic performance of students as well as making an effort to strike a balance in the educational system in line with the national policy on education. This study will also provide an insight into the impact of peer group on academic performance of adolescents.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is limited to assessing the influence of peer group on the academic performance of secondary school students in Business Studies in Delta State.

1.8 Area of the Study

The study is being carried out in Asaba, Delta State. Oshimili South Local Government Area of Delta State. The Local Government is one of the two Local Government Areas that host the capital city of Delta state. Oshimili South Local Government Area is a home of people of different walks of life such as civil servants, business men and women, and famers. The Local Government Area has a thick population of small scale businesses. The high presence of small scale businesses makes the Local Government Area a suitable area of this study.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Peer: Rank with equal, of the same age group, within the same age bracket

Group: A number of people or things that are together in the same place, or that are connected in some ways.

Influence: The power that something or somebody has to make something or somebody behave in a particular way.

Academic: Something based on subjects that are taught to develop the mind rather than to provide practical skills.

Academic Performance:  This is the level of achievement attained through efforts or skills during the learning processes (theoretical and practical) and has effect on the standard of education. It also refers to the intellectual ability of an individual when it comes to academic or education.

Pages:  107

Category: Project

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Chapters: 1-5                                          

Source: Imsuinfo

Material contains Table of Content, Abstract and References.