THE PEER GROUP PRESSURE AS CORRELATE TO THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND CAREER CHOICE OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ANAMBRA STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was on the peer group as a correlate to career choice and academic achievement of public secondary school students from Anambra State, Nigeria. The correlation survey design was used. The population of the study was 12,460 students from public secondary schools in Anambra State. The sample size was 1000 students drawn through simple random sampling technique. The instrument was a researcher developed questionnaire with two clusters measuring peer group pressure as correlate to career choice and academic achievement of public secondary school students from Anambra state Nigeria. The reliability of the instrument was established using split half method and which was found to be 0.74. The questionnaire was administered using three research assistants. The data collected from the administered questionnaire were analysed using parsons’ product moment of correlations. The analyses revealed that a positive correlation exist between peer pressure, academic achievement and career choice of students from public secondary schools in Anambra state. The following recommendations among other were made and they include; parents are to monitor their children’s peer group because of its strong influences. Stakeholders and institutions are to create proper awareness of the implications of peer influence among parents, teachers and family counsellors.