Chapter I
The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
Peer pressure often seems to have a variety of effects on the student's 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 have found in the
presence of their peers, and they are not even aware of how their peers influence them
academically. According to Uslu (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.
Peers are considered a huge part of adolescence, a time of increased social
interaction and the development of esteem and self-worth. Friends and classmates are
often the primary sources of information, emotional support in times of adversities, and
validation that can greatly impact their career choices. Positive peer influence may
inspire students to think bigger and take their future seriously. On the other hand,
negative peer influence may lead to poor decision-making in choosing a career.
Peer pressure is often seen during the adolescence stage of a teenagers because
they often seek comfort among their peers and intend to do what their peers does
without knowing if it is good or bad for them. Adolescence is a period of an individual
that is transitory when a child reaches the point in changing its childhood to adulthood
(Adeniyi & Kolawole, 2015). 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 correlational by the support given by the parents, the teachers and
the peer of teenagers that affect their level of academic performance (Chen, 2008).
This study was also carried out to get the peer pressure of study habits on the
academic performance of students using some of academic skills to those selected
Junior High School Students in Tarlac City National High School.
Peers group and education are closely interdependent each; education can
mould the child behaviour and ensuring that students attain the mastery of educational
purposes through peers group. In the school observed that the student’s success on
academic performance determined and reflected by their level of peer pressure. So the
peer group is a crucial in transformation in many capacities of an individual’s life. Peer
group interaction is important role in each individual life for improving intellectual,
moral, rapid physical, emotional and social and psychological. Academic performance
also refers to that in what way sound a student’s achieving his activities and studies.
Steinberg (2005) suggests 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.
A peer group is generally known as a person who is of equal association with
another in a group. But pear group defined by various studies in different ways.
According to Castrogiovanni (2002) defined peer group as a small group of similar age,
fairly close friends, sharing the same activities. According to Olalekan (2016) it is
usually found that peer group has influence lot of on students.
This positive influence plays an important role model towards leading a high
academic goal attainment. However, peers group likewise have a negative influence on
one another such as encouraging academic priority neglected, skip classes, not to do
timely class activities and involving in the risky behaviour inside and outside the
learning palace. So the parents and school should be provided healthy environment.
School should organised counselling programme to establish peer relationship,
globalisation, socialisation and for building self-confident. Therefore this reviewed
research study of influence of peer group on academic performance of students is
important to be aware to the parents, society, school and counsellor to provide heathy
environments.
One of the most important decisions students make during their transition from
secondary education to adulthood is choosing a career. Such a decision defines not their
professional lives but also their self-aspirations and contributions to the society. In the
case of Grade 10 students of Tarlac National High School, this decision-making process
becomes an essential part of their future endeavors, in which peer influence is a
contributing factor.
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 their peers, and they are
not even aware on how their peers influence them academically. Eventually this study
aimed to know the relationship of peer pressure the Junior High School Students and
their academic performance.
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.
Studies show children and adolescents significantly adjust their behavior to
match their peers, particularly those with high social status. This conformity extends to
both externalizing behaviors (aggression) and internalizing behaviors (depression).
While Asch's research demonstrated conformity in adults, educational research
highlights its impact on academic achievement, especially among female adolescents.
Peer influence shapes not only negative behaviors but also positive ones, like academic
motivation. Children select friends with similar academic drive, and this shared
motivation persists even when peer groups change. Conversations about academic
choices further reinforce this conformity, highlighting the crucial role of peer
relationships in academic success and the need to consider them in educational
interventions.
Research on peer influence and academic performance reveals mixed results.
While some studies suggest that grouping weak students together improves
performance, others show that strong peers enhance grades. However, weak peers can
negatively impact strong students' performance. Peer influence also extends to negative
behaviors like drug use, which significantly harms academic achievement. Peers exert
influence through feedback on actions, appearance, and words, creating anxiety about
social acceptance and potentially leading to conformity or ridicule for non-conformity.
Although peer influence has always existed, its nature has evolved, impacting various
aspects of student life, from clothing choices to delinquent behavior.
Statement of the Problem
1) What is the profile of the students in terms of
a) Age,
b) Gender, and
c) GWA (Grade Weighted Average)
2) Are there significant relationship between peer pressure and academic performance
of Grade 10 students in Tarlac National Highschool?
3) How does peer influence affect a student’s motivation and engagement at school?
4) What are some positive aspects of peer influence?
5) What leads to negative peer groups?
6) What are the effects of peer pressure on the student's academic competence?
Scope and Delimitation
The study only focuses on Grade 10 students enrolled during the School Year
(SY) 2025-2026. It particularly explores peer influence within the school setting of
Tarlac National Highschool, including classmates, friends, and other societal groups.
Other extrinsic influence, such as parental guidance, teachers' advice, and socio-
economic factors, are given credit but are not the primary focus of this study. The results
of this study are limited to the students' perspectives and experiences, and does not
purposefully intend to generalize to other secondary schools.
The scope is further delimited by time constraints, as the study will be conducted
within a specified period only and the available resources for data collection. Moreover,
the study will not investigate long term effects of career decisions but mainly focuses
on the present influences and factors during the decision-making process of Grade 10
students.
Significance of the Study
This study is significant and beneficial to the following:
The study will be helpful in the field of education. It is important for students,
parents, educators and policy makers in understanding the way social interactions affect
academic achievement. In particular academic achievement and the often
corresponding level of the educational attainment tend to predict the average earnings
an individual may secure over a lifetime. For this reason, isolating the peer effects on
academic achievement will make a significant contribution to education reform.
This study will also provide an insight into the impact of peer group on academic
performance of adolescents.
To students: The results will help them become more aware of their peer influence to
their career choices and decision-making. By conducting this study, they are able to
think about their career choices through peer influence, and an assertive yet informed
and rational decision-making process.
To Teachers and Career Guidance Counselors: This study will provide them
insights into the extent and nature of peer influence on Grade 12 students' career
choices. These insights can guide and assist in the development of career guidance
programs and/or policies, mitigation of peer pressure, and conduct of seminars in career
assessment.
To parents: They will benefit from understanding the significant role peers play in
their children's career goals. This awareness can help them communicate effectively
with their children and offer support for their aspirations.
To School Administrators: I The findings can serve as a basis for implementing
policies and guidelines that foster a positive school environment. They can also assistin
mitigating negative influences and promoting constructive peer-to-peer relationships.
To Future Researchers: This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge
about career decision-making, specifically in the context of Philippine secondary
schools. It can also serve as reference for future researchers to conduct similar studies
on a larger scale.
Definition of Terms
Peer influence refers to the impact that people of the same age group, social status, or
group identity have on an individuals attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making. This
influence can be direct, such as through encouragement or pressure, or indirect, like
observing and emulating the actions of peers. In this study, peer influence is explored
and examined in relation to career decision-making.
Decision-Making refers to the process of identifying and selecting a course of action
from a set of alternatives to achieve a desired outcome. It is an essential cognitive
function that involves evaluating information, weighing the pros and cons, and
considering the potential consequences of each option.
Pressure it is the burden of physical or mental distress. It is the feeling that you are
being pushed toward making a certain choice either good or bad. In this study, pressure
it is a problem of an physical or even mental. In this study, pressure it is a problem of
an physical or even mental distress of person. It is also a feeling that you are being
pushed towards deciding a certain situation or choice either it is good to you or bad.
Peers Pressure is the way that people of the same social group can influence on another
individual to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order
to be accepted. In this study, peer pressure it is a way that a group of people that has
the same social group.
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that
typically occurs between childhood and adulthood. It's a period of significant changes,
both internally and externally.
Academic achievement is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has
attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of educational
benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and bachelor's degrees represent
academic achievement. In this study, is a knowledge and skills that students have
mastered in a subject or a source. It is a measure of how well student performed in the
various assessment and academic achievement.
Environment refers to the factors that can affect a person’s behaviour. There are social
and physical environments. Social environment include family members, friends and
colleagues. Physical environment is the size of a room, the ambient temperature or the
availability of certain foods.
Adolescence is defined as the transitional stage of development between childhood and
adulthood, represents the period of time during which a person experiences a variety of
biological changes and encounters a number of emotional issues.
Misbehaviour is a negative response of an individual, group, or species to its
environment.
Antisocial behaviour is [opposition] to society or to existing social organization and
moral codes” and “aggressive, impulsive and sometimes violent actions that flout social
and ethical codes such as laws and regulations relating to personal and property rights.
Conformity is the act of matching one's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms
or to the expectations of influential others. It's a fundamental aspect of human social
behavior, driven by a desire to fit in, avoid social rejection, or gain approval.