Influence of parental involvement on the choice of technical subjects in secondary schools

SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF COVID-19 ON THE EDUCATION PERFORMANCE OF SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). These viruses were originally transmitted from animals to people. SARS, for instance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while MERS moved to humans from a type of camel. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the looks like it is surrounded by a solar corona. The novel coronavirus, identified by Chinese authorities on January 7 and since named SARS-CoV-2, is a new strain that had not been previously identified in humans. Little is known about it, although human-to-human transmission has been confirmed.

 

Chinese health authorities are still trying to determine the origin of the virus, which they say likely came from a seafood market in Wuhan, China where wildlife was also traded illegally. On February 7, Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal species to humans through illegally-trafficked pangolins, which are prized in Asia for food and medicine. Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as possible sources of the virus.

 

According to the WHO, signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, multiple organ failure and even death. Current estimates of the incubation period – the time between infection and the onset of symptoms – range from one to 14 days. Most infected people show symptoms within five to six days. However, infected patients can also be asymptomatic, meaning they do not display any symptoms despite having the virus in their systems. (Wikipedia, 2020)

 

The number of fatalities from the new coronavirus has overwhelmingly surpassed the toll of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which also originated in China. SARS killed about 9 percent of those it infected – nearly 800 people worldwide and more than 300 in China alone. MERS, which did not spread as widely, was more deadly, killing one-third of those infected. As of April 4, more than 60,000 people worldwide have died of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has exceeded 1 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. While the new coronavirus is more widespread than SARS in terms of case numbers, the mortality rate remains considerably lower at approximately 3.4 percent, according to the WHO. Scientists around the globe are racing to develop a vaccine but have warned it is not likely one will be available for mass distribution before 2021. There have been five global health emergencies since 2005 when the declaration was formalized: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019.

 

As of April 13, more than 70,000 people worldwide have died of COVID-19, the highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 has exceeded 1 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Countries around the world are scrambling to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. This outbreak of covid-19 is a global health emergency, the WHO said on January 30, raising the alarm further on March 11 when it declared the crisis a pandemic. (Wikipedia, 2020)

 

Presently, COVID-19 has spread to about 200 Countries in the World including Nigeria. Nigeria is a country located in West Africa. The official name of the country is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The country has a population of 188,462,640 people, making it the 7th most populous country in the world. In terms of area, it is the 32nd largest country at 356,669 square miles. The country is a federal presidential republic with a president and vice president. The capital city is Abuja. On 28 January 2020, the Federal government of Nigeria assured citizens of the country of its readiness to strengthen surveillance at five international airports in the country to prevent    the    spread    of     coronavirus.     The     government     announced     the     airports as Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Kano and the FCT. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control also announced same day that they had already set up coronavirus group and was ready to activate its incident system if any case emerged in Nigeria. On 31 January 2020, following the developments of COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China and other countries worldwide, the federal government of Nigeria set up a Coronavirus Preparedness Group to mitigate the impact of the virus if it eventually spreads to the country. On the same day, the World Health Organization listed Nigeria among other 13 African countries identified as high-risk for the spread of the virus. (Wikipedia, 2020)

 

On 27 February, Nigeria confirmed its first case in Lagos State, an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria had returned on 25 February from Milan, Italy through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, fell ill on 26 February and was transferred to Lagos State Biosecurity Facilities for isolation and testing. Presently, Nigeria is having 199 covid-19 cases, two death and twenty recovered. In order to contain the spread of the virus in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Education has directed all educational institutions in Nigeria to shut down and allow students to go home as cases of reported COVID-19 increased to 13. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, told reporters on 19 March that the directive was part of the country’s overall strategy to contain the spread of the virus. Nigeria joins the growing list of countries in Africa which have closed schools and universities. Before the official announcement by the permanent secretary, most universities had already sent their students home. (Wikipedia, 2020)

 

Education is administered by the federal, state and local governments. The Federal Ministry of Education is responsible for overall policy formation and ensuring quality control, but is primarily involved with tertiary education. School education is largely the responsibility of state (secondary) and local (elementary) governments. The country is multilingual, and home to more than 250 different ethnic groups. The languages of the three largest groups, the Yoruba, the Ibo, and the Hausa, are the language of instruction in the earliest years of basic instruction; they are replaced by English in Grade Nigeria’s education system encompasses three different sectors: basic education (nine years), post-basic/senior secondary education (three years), and tertiary education (four to six years, depending on the program of study). According to Nigeria’s latest National Policy on Education (2004), basic education covers nine years of formal (compulsory) schooling consisting of six years of elementary and three years of junior secondary education. Post-basic education includes three years of senior secondary education. The direction that all educational institutions in Nigeria should be shut down and allow students to go home as a measure to contain the spread of the virus. This thesis is aim to find out Social consequences of Covid-19 on the education performance of Social studies Students in Ethiope West Local Government Area. 

Statement of the Problem

In Nigeria, the Federal government announced the indefinite postponement of the 2020 West African Examination Council and the National Examinations Council (NECO) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The situation is depressing. The statistics are scary and the consequences are severe. The numbers are unprecedented and the implications are enormous. Never before have so many children and youths been out of school at the same time. The consequences are better imagined.

Even before the current closure of schools, the world was already experiencing a global learning crisis, as many students, who, even while the school system was in full swing, were not learning the fundamental skills needed for life,(World Bank  2020).The closure of schools has now further compounded the situation with remarkable impacts on students, teachers, families and far-reaching economic and social consequences.

In many countries like Nigeria, poor children rely on the school feeding system for their only meal for the day. But with schools now forced to close, millions of children are missing out on these meals.

Many social vices are associated with youths not actively engaged in schooling. Children and youths who are not in school are more susceptible to social vices such as alcoholism, substance abuse and other forms of criminal activities. Early marriage and child labour are also some of the consequences of school closures.

In an attempt to positively engage the children and also ensure that they are not left behind in their learning journey, many countries including Nigeria have adopted online teaching and learning, using radio, television and internet solutions to support access to education.

In order to provide another window for learning, UNESCO through its COVID-19 Education response, floated a platform tagged Learning Never Stops, to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities for children and youths during this period of sudden disruption in the school system.

Recently, the Ministry of Education in Nigeria uploaded on its website electronic learning resources and education chat rooms for the thirty-six states in the country and the Federal Capital Territory, for continuing education and individualized learning for children at home.

Laudable as these initiatives appear, they cannot be compared to classroom based instructions and the benefit to the very poor children who rely on schools not only for education, but also for food, healthcare and safety.

Moreover, these efforts may not achieve the set objectives, given the limited access of poor children to television, electricity, internet and other equipment needed to take advantage of the e-learning platforms.

Objectives of the Study

 

The main objectives of this study is to examine Social consequences of Covid-19 on the education performance of Social studies Students in Ethiope West Local Government Area.

The study sought to examine the following specific objectives:

1. To find out if COVID-19 Schools shutdown has effects on the academic performance of Social studies students in Ethiope West Local Government Area ,Delta State, Nigeria
2. To find out the perceptions of student on the effects of COVID-19 Schools shutdown down on the academic programme of Social studies students in secondary school students
3. To find out if Covid-19 pandemic have impact on reduction of manpower in secondary school education in Nigeria.
4. To give possible suggestions on how to re-open schools in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

Research Questions

1. Does COVID-19 Schools shutdown has effects on the Social studies students academic performance in  Ethiope West Local Government Area ,Delta State,Nigeria?
2. What are the perceived perceptions of Social studies student on the effects of COVID-19 Schools shutdown down on the academic performance in Ethiope West Local Government Area ,Delta State, Nigeria?
3. Does Covid-19 pandemic have impact on reduction of manpower in  secondary school education in Nigeria?

Significance of the Study

This study will provide an insight into the Perception of parents on the impact of covid 19 on secondary education in Nigeria. This study will help the administrators to ascertain the level of damages the schools close down has caused. Furthermore, the study will again be helpful for researchers, students and lecturers. Government official, policy makers and schools administrators will benefit from the recommendation of the study.

Scope

This research work is aim to Social consequences of Covid-19 on the education performance of Social studies Students in Ethiope West Local Government AreaDelta State .The study was limited to secondary school education in Nigeria and  COVID-19 side effects on secondary academic performance which include academic effects, students performance and their current state.

Definitions of Terms

Virus: A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea

Pandemic: A pandemic is a disease epidemic that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents, or worldwide. A widespread endemic disease with a stable number of infected people is not a pandemic. Further, flu pandemics generally exclude recurrences of seasonal flu.

Epidemic: An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic

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THE IMPACT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION PROCESS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EDUCATION DISTRICT ONE LAGOS STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study examinesThe Impact of information and communication Technology on school Administration process in senior secondary Schools in Education district one Lagos State. The population of the study consisted of all non-teaching staff of all secondary schools in District One, Lagos State. The study adopted Ex-facto design, while random sampling technique was used in selecting 344 respondents. The structured questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using T-test independent analysis. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that information and communication Technology has positive effect on school Administration process in senior secondary Schools in Education district one Lagos State. The study recommended that, Owing to the fact that lack of adequate facilities affects negatively the application of ICT in the school, it may be recommended that the school administration in cooperation with the parents and other stakeholders in the school should come up together and contribute towards the provision of the facilities to the school. This will help in improving the adequacy of ICT related facilities in the school.

Chapter One/Introduction

1.1Background to the Study

The in-cooperation of Information Communication Technology in the administration of schools has positive effects. These may include improvement of the school standards in terms of academics, financial status and in co-curricular activities. The Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer, and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. When such technologies are used for school administrative purposes, namely to support and improve School Administration, ICT can be considered as a sub field of Educational Technology (Kumar, 2008).

The potential of information communications technology (ICT) in enhancing human capabilities and revolutionizing the management of organizations was first realized in other sectors of human society, mostly in the business world and the military, other than in education (Ray & Davis, 2001). The importance of ICT contribution is also widely recognized both in the workplace and at home (Dawes, 2001). These examples are just a few pointers which show that ICT is becoming a vital enabling tool that can no longer be ignored in the administration of schools.

The purpose of teaching is primarily to assist the learner acquire the type of knowledge and skills that will produce desirable changes in him. This can be actualized if the teaching and learning process provide the enabling environment for the learner to think critically and analytically, and consequently, be an agent of change to self, his community and society at large. Generally, the educational system is subdivided into the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. In some cases, the pre-primary education is an integral part of primary level. The secondary level occupies a critical position in the educational system. According to the National Policy on Education (2010), secondary education is the education children receive after primary education and before the tertiary education. The broad goal of secondary education is to prepare the individual for useful living within the society and higher education. To achieve the stated goals, secondary education is of six years duration, given in two stages – a junior secondary school stage and a senior secondary school stage and each being of three years duration.

Education is known through out the world as a big business that requires effective and efficient management for it to succeed. Success in achieving educational objectives and goals irrespective of the country in question does not just happen; it results from a combination of factors among which are the style of administration and the freedom of power at a leader’s disposal to exercise such authority of powers. This is very paramount because the success of any business depends largely on the effectiveness and efficiency in leadership. Administrative competence in terms of availability of skills and knowledge are necessary in realizing organizational goals but in addition to those are the rights to exercise leadership powers and authority on school governance. The school administrator therefore, is often charged with the responsibility of being able to harness the available human and material resources within the organization in such a way that desired school organizational goals can be achieved.

The achievement of the above stated goals is dependent on the extent the secondary school principal; who is the chief executive officer in the school is capable of applying the appropriate administrative processes in the school operations. The principal does not work in isolation; he is in constant interaction with the Ministry of Education, School Based Management Committee/Board, teachers, learners and the external environment. The school is an open system that is in constant interaction with the environment. It receives inputs from the external environment in the form of human and material resources, processes them and empties same into the environment. Consequently, the administrative functions of the principal are very complex.

Information Communication Technology and Public School Administration in Osun State, Nigeria Put succinctly, the administrative functions of the principal are decision making, planning, organizing, communicating, influencing, coordinating and evaluating. These tasks are applied in areas of curriculum development, instructional supervision, staff and student personnel administration, guidance and counseling, finance, community relations, construction and maintenance of facilities, and special services.

These tasks are very complex, nebulous and time consuming. For the principal to function efficiently and effectively in the present computer age, he/she must rise to the challenges of adopting new technological resources and services in the management of the school. According to Moore (2008), technology is the application of knowledge to the achievement of particular goals or to the solution of particular problems. This undoubtedly involves deployment and exploitation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in facilitating and accelerating administrative processes in secondary schools.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While different people debate the obvious advantages of ICT in School Administration, systematic research is needed to confirm that the school administration is actually acquiring and using the skills that are being taught on use of ICT in administration, and that the use of ICT in School Administration is the best way to achieve the outcomes in a school environment.

Application of ICT in any field is perceived having potentials of improving the standards from a lower level to a high level. In this case, application of ICT in schools is expected to improve the standards of the school from one level to the other. There are a number of the schools that have embraced the use of ICT in administration, but still they never improve in the standards. These schools have been faced by various challenges such as mismanagement of school resources, low academic performance of students of which have resulted due to poor school administration strategies (Karsenti (2004). The question that beckons for an answer is: has ICT been effectively used in school administration? Based on this question, this study sought to establish the impact of information and communication Technology on school Administration process in senior secondary Schools in Education district one Lagos State.

1.3 Objectives of Study

The objectives of the study are to:

1. Find out the available ICT resources in performing core administrative duties

2. To find the impact of school information communication technology on school Administration process.

3. To study the impact of information communication technology on school administration process.

4. To investigate the principals’ perception of the use of ICT resources in performing administrative tasks.

1.4 Research Questions

What are the available ICT resources in performing core administrative duties

2. What is the impact of school information communication technology on school Administration process?

3. What is the impact of information communication technology on school administration process?

4. what is the principals’ perception of the use of ICT resources in performing administrative tasks.

1.5 Hypothesis

1. There is no significant influence of available ICT resources in performing core administrative duties

2. There is no significant impact of school information communication technology on school Administration process

3. There is no significant impact of information communication technology on school administration process.

4. There is no significant influence of principals’ perception of the use of ICT resources in performing administrative tasks.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings accumulated by this study would provide significant benefits to the following groups or individuals:

The government would benefit from this study in view of the fact that they would learn how an Information communication technology resources enhances office administration and operations in secondary school.

The outcome of this research is hoped to be of immense use to students of education and information management science since it contains information on information communication technology.

The significance of this study will be of help to all those who use the information from the study like researchers or students of organizational behaviour, performance management, productivity, human resources and business administration.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

It is inevitable that a survey research of this nature must have some constraints which impact on this study. The materials for a proper and effective research work constituted a major limitation and even the decision to use questionnaire in data collection constituted some limitation of the study, that is, how to get the true and required information from the workers.

Finally, there was an anticipation of the problem of convincing the respondents on the filling of the questionnaires and to give the true and required information. But for the quick intervention the class representatives the departments took time to clear the air and convince their course mates, helped me to accomplish my assignment.

1.8       Delimitation Of The Study

This study was delimited to The Impact of information and communication Technology on school Administration process in senior secondary Schools in Education district one Lagos State. The period of the study was 2017/2018.

1.9 Definition of terms

ICT: this term has been used in the study to refer to the application of information and technology in school administration in secondary schools. These include the use of computers and its constituent programs. It also covers other technologies involved in the transaction of financial resources and management of human and physical resources.

Measures: This refers to interventions or strategies that can be undertaken in order to solve a given challenge.

School Administrators: This term has been used to refer to those who are involved in day to day administration of schools. e.g. B.O.G chairman, PTA chairman, principals, D. principals, senior master among others

Administered: This can be defined the activities that are done in order to plan organize and run a school or other institution.

Administrator: This is referred to a person whose job is to manage and organize the affairs of an institution.

Militate: This means prevention of something, that is, to make it difficult for something to happen or exist.

Secondary school: This referred to s school for the young people the age of 11 and 16 or 18.

Principal: A principal is a person who is in charge of a college. He is seen as the head of the school

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Peer group and environment on junior secondary school student

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Home Environment is a descriptive profile which yields a systematic assessment of the caring environment where the child is reared. It refers to aspects of peoples’ domestic lives that contribute to their living conditions. These factors may be physical such as poverty, psychological conditions due to parenting and social circumstances. Various home environment factors have been shown to be important such as parents’ responsiveness, discipline style, and involvement with the child; organization of the environment; availability of appropriate learning materials; opportunities for daily stimulation. Research has revealed that parents who provide a warm, responsive, and supportive home environment; encourage exploration; stimulate curiosity; and provide play and learning materials, accelerate their children’s intellectual development, compliant behaviour and make them less vulnerable to risky sexual behaviour Schunk DH, Pintrich PR, Meec  (2008⁾

Adolescence is a time of transformation in many areas of an individual’s life. In the midst of these rapid physical, emotional, and social changes, youth begin to question adult standards and the need for parental guidance. (Nicole, 2004 in Castrogiovanni, 2002). It is also a time for individuals to make important decisions about their commitment to academics, family, and perhaps religion. Young adults begin to ask questions such as, “Is school important to me?” and “How do I want to spend my time?” The choices that adolescents make regarding their motivation, engagement, and achievement in school (and in life) and the satisfaction they obtain from their choices depend, in part, on the context in which they make such choices (Ryan, 2000 as cited in Castrogiovanni, 2002).

Teachers, parents, and peers all provide adolescents/students with suggestions and feedback about what they should think and how they should behave in social situations. These models can be a source of motivation or a lack thereof. Modelling refers to individual changes in cognition, behaviour, or effects that result from the observation of others (Ryan, 2000 in Castrogiovanni, 2002). Observing others perform a particular behaviour or voice a certain opinion can introduce an individual to new behaviours and viewpoints that may be different from his or her own. Observation also enlightens an individual on the consequences of such behaviour and opinions. Depending on these consequences, observation of a model can strengthen or weaken the likelihood the observer will engage in such behaviour or adopt such beliefs in the future.

Peer group effect/influence is an important component in determination of student outcomes. A typical student learns from discussions with his peers and can possibly be affected by their personality and attitude towards learning. Peer students can also be motivated by working together. It is well established that the quality of peers could affect a wide range of student outcomes from school performance to health conditions or even juvenile criminal behaviour. Economists have investigated in the peer effects for a variety of peers include proximity based peers such as schoolmates. (Evans et al., 1992, Sacerdote, 2001, Hoel et al., 2005), classmates (Ammermueller and Pischke, 2009), or linkage based peer, such as friendship (Cooley 2009, Bramoulle et al., 2009).Children’s peer relationships in the early grades have consequences for children’s short-term and long-term school adjustment, including academic achievement (Bierman, 2004; Ladd, 1990). The most frequently studied aspects of peer relations are peer acceptance/rejection and friendships. Low peer acceptance (or high peer rejection) forecasts school avoidance and disaffected patterns of engagement from kindergarten through the middle grades (Buhs & Ladd, 2001; Furrer & Skinner, 2003; Ladd, Birch, & Buhs, 1999; Wentzel, 1998). Longitudinal studies with elementary students have clarified processes responsible for the impact of peer acceptance on achievement, highlighting the mediating roles of both classroom participation (Buhs, Ladd, & Herald, 2006) and self-perceived academic competence (Flook, Repetti, & Ullman, 2005). With respect to the role of friends on achievement, having a close friend may promote academic achievement due to the buffering effect of friendships on children’s feelings of loneliness, which predicts lower academic motivation and achievement (Kochenderfer & Ladd, 1996).

Peer group is an important influence throughout one’s life but they are more critical during the developmental years of childhood and adolescence. Adolescents always emulate their mates in whatever form of behaviour they exhibit, particularly that which interest them thus, since socialization only refer to changes in behaviour, attitudes having their origin in interaction with other persons and those which occur through integration, a child learn more through interaction with peers. (Bierman, 2004; Ladd, 1990).

Socialization being a life-long process cannot be limited to the family members alone. As a child grows older and more matured, it become more necessary for the external bodies to be involved in his/her life. The family is not expected to provide all the education required by the growing child. The school which is an established academic institution in which the behaviour of an individual is sharpened to get him/her equipped for occupational socialization. In the school system, the child gets into the social group of “like minds” and interest. As a result of the various attitudes, skills, knowledge is acquired through role-play. Peer group as an agent of socialization is the most important socializing is the most important socializing agent for the developing child. Peer group is the pivot of social change and during interaction peers; the child’s life is transformed from the helpless child into a mature adult. (Bierman, 2004; Ladd, 1990).

According to Peter and Pellegrini, (2001) each peer group has its code of conduct which does not always conform to adult standards. The important thing is that each child takes his/her membership of the peer very serious and attempts to do anything to ensure he/she is accepted and recognized. Lack of acceptance by t he peer disturbs the child especially at adolescent age. Some children have been known to do badly in school not because they lack the academic ability to do well but because they are disturbed by the fact they are not accepted by their peer group. What makes learning comparative is the fact that the child has equal status with the other children. There is an atmosphere of freedom in which each child learns the way of the world from others. The peer group thus becomes more and more important to the child as he advances in age. Other ways in which the peer group can help the child include, teaching the culture of the society at large, making possible social mobility, providing opportunity for the child to play many social roles such as that of a leader, a follower, teacher or student. The peer group also help the child to win his/her independence easily from domination and set before him a goal which is more easily attainable than the expectation of adults. This in itself provides motivation for learning and is mainly responsible for the fact that all children at one stage or the other regard their membership of peer group as very important.

When the family is not supportive for instance, if the parents work extra jobs and are largely unavailable, their children may turn to their peer for emotional support. This also occur when the conflict between parents and children during adolescence or at any stage during a child’s development becomes so great that the child feels pushed away and seeks company elsewhere. Most children and adolescents in this position do not discriminate about the kind of group they join. They will often turn to a group simply because the group accepts them even if the group is involved in negative tendency. (Peter and Pellegrini, 2001). The need for affection or closeness is often greater than the need to do the right thing. For some adolescents who feel isolated and abandoned by members of their family being part of a peer group provides such individual with acceptance and security not available at home. In the Nigerian society today, the influence of peer group cannot be over emphasized in a child’s life most especially child education. Peer group has in one way or the other influenced the life of children both academically, socially, morally, psychologically and otherwise. Socialization such as family, religion, mass media, and school among others help in modifying the behaviour of the child.

 

 

            1.2 Statement of problem

Research has shown that most children who have positive peer relationship (i.e. have friends and/or are liked by classmates) also do well academically (Cohen, 2004; Ladd, Birch & Buhs, 1999; Ladd, Kochenderfer, and Coleman, 1996; Ladd & Price, 1987; Wentzel & Caldwell, 1997); and that children who are rejected by peers early on tend to encounter more academic difficulties in later years (Ladd, 1990; Wentzel and Caldwell, 1997). However, it remains unclear if children perform better academically during the years they have more positive peer group experiences.

Children socialize with the people with which they associate. Through interaction over many years, acceptable social customs are taught and fostered. Other children as well as adults can have a great impact on a broad range of issues in the child’s life including achievement in schools. The research is geared towards having a proper understanding of the way social interaction or peer group influence 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 student’s academic performance.Download Full Material-N5000