Influence Of Peer Group On Academic Achievement Of Students In Mathematics In Secondary Schools

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Mathematics being the foundation of scientific knowledge receive greater attention from the parents, teachers, communities, leaders and governments. The success and failure of students’ achievement in mathematics in our secondary schools are determined by student’s interest in mathematics. Peer groups are among the most influential social forces affecting adolescent behavior from mundane decisions concerning clothing, hairstyle, music, and entertainment, to more significant decisions concerning short and long-term education plans. During the formative adolescent years, peers are arguably even more important than parents, teachers, counselors and the peer-influence decisions of youth can have long-lasting consequences (Coleman et-al, 1966). Parents recognize the importance of peer groups and through their choice of neighborhoods, schools, and activities (Lareau et-al, 2003). Attempt to guide and direct their Children’s friendship selections, in school which can be increasingly challenging during adolescence. Peer group has always been a menace in our societies, social relations, and students’ achievement.

Regardless of socio-economic status, parents want their children to be surrounded by the best possible social networks, especially during adolescence, when youth are increasingly independent from parents. During these formative years, educational goals take form, and youth make a series of decisions that shape their educational trajectories, even as their friendship networks gain influence upon these decisions. Unfortunately, the peer effects literature is lacking in two main areas. The first is that peer effects are assumed to be uniform across class, gender, and race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity is especially likely to be important because adolescents are more likely to choose friends of the same racial and ethnic group (Hamm, Brown & Heck 2005); introducing the possibility that peers have differing effects by race and ethnicity. The second problem is that few studies focus on academic decisions that are directly influenced by friends, such as course or track selection and college choices. Instead, most studies of peer effects focus on educational outcomes that are indirectly influenced by friends, such as early cognitive development, grades, promotion, and, most commonly, test scores (Zimmerman et-al, 2003). Hanushek et al, (2003) have pointed out that if innovations to behavior form an important avenue through which peers affect outcomes, in mathematics the inability to capture such behavior might lead to a serious underestimation of peer influences. Thus, behavior decisions may lie at the intersection between peers and achievement – effectively acting as a mediator through which the influence of peers passes prior to shaping students’ achievement in mathematics.

The research intend to find out the level of students interest in mathematics and the problem associated with the achievement of the subject as a result of peer group interaction as well as solution to the problem in the study area and even beyond are to be highlighted.

There are many factors affecting achievement in mathematics, peer group influence is one of the major factor especially in physical science, particularly mathematics which is consider as the mother of natural and applied science as well as technology..

The peer group to the examining here are between the ages of (15-21) years with interest or ideas, some groups are slightly closed observed while others are closed kink. They may be social or anti-social creative in common places.
Influence of peer group is as strong during adolescent stage of child development as such parents are concern about the attitude and behavior of their children most especially during this time. Children behavior and attitude are shaped by the influence of their groups especially when they reach the age of poverty. Children who had entered adolescent were most likely to report what they are willing to follow within their peers on all matters whether positive or negative depending on the group interest. Also Cole (1991) made similar observations that “peer relation have an important in social development of adolescence and effect which can be positive or negative depending on the group norm and value”.

The count of influence exerted by children depends on several factors:-

The more time students spend with each other, the more likely influence each other. In this respect children always display their behavior when they are in mixed with their friends and others will copy them thinking it is good to do so.

The less active involved children with their parents the more they tend to copy what they observe in peer group.
Children who held in high esteem by the group have more effect and low status children are in turn more susceptible to group influence than popular children.

Peer group attitude have propounded influence achievement towards many values for example education in general and mathematics in particular, peer group plays a vital role in the achievement of students in schools, also it can be a motivating factor for learning.

This study will focus its attention in finding out whether peers could affect the achievement in mathematics of student in school, because schools are motivational influence, for example when students a sense of belongings they may more likely to adopt goals valued by the schools like wise if students feel disconnected from school they likely to reject school goals.

The teachers and adult can promote positive peer culture through increase awareness of adolescent social system enhance the status of achievement in mathematics and avoid making achievement in game of winners and losers.
In fact, many studies have been conducted on the influence of peer group on students’ achievement in mathematics within the country but no research have done on the influence of peer group on students’ achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Dutsin-ma metropolis. In light of these the study tends to find out the influence of peer group on students’ achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Dutsin-ma metropolis.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Peer group being group of children of the same age sharing similar interest can affect the behavior of the individual child in school or environmental setting basically the achievement in mathematics.

Thus a good interaction process promotes mutual relations and achievement, while negative peer influence will have negative effect on student’s achievement in mathematics. However it seems that the peer group students interact with either negatively or positively, motivate and influence them. It appears that when students get to school their minds tend to be like a “tabula rasa”, but experience shows that when students mix with their peers, they tend to be greatly influenced. Reports from mass media show that students caught for anti-variance behavior such as stealing, telling lies, examination mal-practices, sneaking out of school are those that seem to be influenced by their peers. Therefore, solution must be source in order to stem the prevailing poor achievement in mathematics especially in the secondary schools. In light of this, the study will find out the Influence of peer group on students’ achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Dutsin-ma metropolis.

1.3 Objective of the Study

The objectives of this research are to:

1. Investigate the influence of peer group on secondary school students’ mathematics achievement in Dutsin-ma metropolis.
2. Determine if there exist significant difference between influence of peer group on male students’ achievement in mathematics and female students’ achievement in mathematics;
3. Identify if there exist significant difference between influence of peer group on senior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics and junior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics.

1.4  Research Questions

Base on the objectives, the following research questions are to be examined:

1. Is there any influence of peer group on secondary school students’ mathematics achievement in Dutsin-ma metropolis?
2. Is there any significant difference on the influence of peer group between male students’ achievement in mathematics and female students’ achievement in mathematics?
3. Is there any significant difference on the influence of peer group between senior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics and junior secondary school students’ achievement in mathematics?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Based on the research questions, the following null hypotheses are formulated:

Ho: There is no significant influence of peer group on secondary school students’ mathematics achievement in Dutsin-ma metropolis.

Ha: There is a significant influence of peer group on secondary school students’ mathematics achievement in Dutsin-ma metropolis.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study will be of great importance in such that the findings of the study would help students to develop new literature in the area of peer group influence on secondary school students’ achievement in Nigeria secondary schools examinations. It also helps teachers by providing relevance information, regarding the effects of peer group on secondary schools students’ achievement in mathematics. It further serve as a reference to mathematics teachers who are wishing to conduct similar research work. The study findings would also assist school administrators to eradicate negative peer group influence on students’ achievement in mathematics.

The findings of the study will benefit government in both federal, states and local levels in developing and implementing policies that will promote student achievement mathematic in relation to peer group influence. On the side of the curriculum planners it will help them in planning a standard curriculum that will lead to attainment of the desired educational goals. It will also help the curriculum planners in making good choice of instructional aid for each topic in mathematics that will foster retention and interest in teaching mathematics.

The study also helps parents to find out whether the students have acquired the knowledge that are expected to or not and also to find out whether their behaviors have changed as a result of new experience.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The primary focus of this study is to investigate the influence of peer group on students’ achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Dutsin-ma metropolis.

The study will take six (6) Secondary schools into consideration which are listed below:

S/N Name of Schools

Government Girls Arabic Secondary schools (GGASS)

Government Girls Senior Secondary Schools (GGSSS)

Government Pilot Senior Secondary schools (GPSSS)

Government Senior Secondary School Darawa (GSSS)

Government Science Secondary Schools (GSSS)

Community Day Secondary Schools (CDSS)

1.9 Definition of Terms

Word change meanings when used in different contexts. For the study, the following terms are defined the way they were used:

Peer Group:

Peer group being group of people of the same age bracket sharing similar interest which can affect the behavior of the individual student in school or environmental setting.

Influence:

Means, the power to affect, control or manipulated students’ achievement in selected aspects of mathematics on their achievement in mathematics.

Students’ Achievement:

Refers to the knowledge attained or skills develop in mathematics subject by test scores.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample size, and selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.