CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Environment plays major role in the life of every individual whether a student, teacher, employer or employee. Though, some people are yet to believe that environment brings about better performance. The school environment, which includes the classrooms, libraries, technical workshops, laboratories, teachers’ quality, school management, teaching methods, peers, etc are variables that affect students’ academic achievement (Orlu, 2013). Hence, the school environment remains an important area that should be studied and well managed to enhance students’ academic performance.
The issue of poor academic performance of students in Nigeria has been of much concern to the government, parents, teachers and even student themselves. The quality of education not only depends on the teachers as reflected in the performance of their duties, but also in the effective coordination of the school environment (Owoeye and Yara, 2011).
When children move out from the family to child care centres, schools, and the community at large, they begin to form attachments, and friendships emerge through their play. Even infants and toddlers are observed reacting to other infants by touching them, by crying when others cry and later by offering nurturance or comfort. But about age three; early friendships begin to form and children’s peers begin to have a more lasting influence (Barbour, Barbour and Scully, 2002). These children begin to think and act like their friends and they begin to see that there are other values, opinions, and rules besides those set by their parents (Ajuba, 2011).
Young people in their adolescence, join different peer groups and identify themselves with these groups by participating in their activities in order not to be rejected. A peer group is a source of great influence during the time of adolescence (Majeed, 2010). In a contemporary society, peer groups have become an increasingly important context in which adolescents spend time. Modernization has led more and more to age segregation-in schools, work place, and in the community. How much time one spends with friends will play a great part in the development of the adolescent into the mature adult (Barbour, Barbour and Scully, 2002).
The adolescent spends much of his time with the members of his peer group. He follows the ideals of the group; he would want to be fully accepted. Nothing can be more devastating to the adolescent than to be rejected by his age mates (Vishala, 2008). Adolescents are mainly influenced by their peers in such a way that their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors are conditioned by what is conceived to be okay by other people (Dewey, 2008). According to Castrogiovanni (2002), a peer group is defined as a small group of similar age, fairly close friends, sharing the same activities. It is against this backdrop that this research seeks to examine the nexus between school environment and peer influence on students’ academic achievement in economics with a special reference to some selected secondary schools in Alimosho LGA of Lagos State.