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.
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The above statement suggests strongly, the unprecedented effect of peer group in almost all facet of adolescent’s growth. Such effect could be seen in social and emotional lives of young people, which does not end at the above mentioned, but could also manifest in their attitude towards educational activities and careful consideration of these elements has shown that they reflect in the academic performance of students.
PEER GROUP
A group of people of approximately the same age who have similar interests, background, or social status. The members of this group are likely to influence an individual’s beliefs and behaviors. In childhood, peer groups consist of individuals who spend time and interact with each other. In adolescence, peer groups are based increasingly around the reputation of its members. Therefore, peer groups play a particularly important role in socialization. Further, peer groups may not only provide a positive context for children and youth to be a part of beneficial relationships but can also have a large influence on the behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes of the individual members of the group. It is therefore important to consider that while there are often many benefits to being a part of such groups, it is also possible that aspects of these groups present certain risks to children and youth. The rest of this chapter will examine peer groups across the lifespan through an evolutionary lens by considering gender differences and potential costs and benefits of memberships in such groups.
STRATIFICATION OF PEER GROUPS
The transition from childhood to adolescence marks a period of rapid stratification of individuals into peer group structures as adolescents move from elementary school to middle and high school. This period is characterized by increased levels of autonomy as peer relationships begin to supersede familial relationships. Further, during this period, adolescents experience new levels of reduced supervision. From a psychoanalytic perspective, this progression facilitates the process of individuation, which may be described as the manner in which adolescents restructure relationships with parents and caregivers to accommodate new and different kinds of relationships with one’s peers. This novel degree of independence from one’s parents sparks feelings of vulnerability and anxiety in adolescents which, in turn, they attempt to quell through supportive and intimate relationships with their peers. Similarly, from a cognitive-developmental perspective, these new peer relationships are qualitatively different from previous relationships with adults, particularly in regard to the imbalance of power. The horizontal nature of friendships allows adolescents to explore opposing ideas and multiple perspectives, thus facilitating an advanced understanding of other persons as having independent thoughts and emotions.
STUDY TIME
The study time is the time (expressed in hours) the target student needs to complete the learning activities and assessment activities of a study programme or part of a study programme. Since grade is a primary parameter of such learning, if a learner earns high grades it is thought that he/she has learned well while low grades indicate poor learning outcome. However, many have also found out that several factors contribute to the grades. No single factor can be taken in isolation as predicting grades. It has been an influence of so many factors such as gender, IQ, study habits, study time, age, year of study, level of parent’s educational attainment, social status, number of children, birth order, etc. Study time problems that have to do with student’s engagement in home work, assignments, reading and note taking, study period procedure, students’ concentration in examination and teachers’ consultancy services necessitated this study
PEER GROUP AND STUDY TIME AMONG STUDENTS
One of the major determinants of the success achieved by a student is peer group influence. Peer group can do a lot of things to students. The influence can be positive or negative. The influence of peer group these days can be seen in the time spent on studies by students. Most students who associated themselves with others that like to study tend to create more time for their studies while those that associate themselves with those that hate studies tend to have less study time. There is a significant relationship between study time and peer group in virtually all institutions whether those in secondary or higher institution.