Assessment of the Perceived Impact of Peer Pressure on Female Secondary School Students in Some Selected Schools in Addis Ababa
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Date
2021-12
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AAU
Abstract
Currently, peer pressure has become a concern for many secondary and preparatory school
students as well as parents in Ethiopia. It is believed to be the biggest factor in determining
preparatory school students’ academic performance. The major objectives of the study was to
assess the influence of peer pressure on female secondary school students’ academic
performance and indicate some coping mechanisms of negative peer pressure on some selected
secondary schools in Addis Ababa . Mixed research approach was employed in this study. The
study generated the required data from a representative sample of 320 adolescent female
students drawn from the study population through random sampling. Data were collected
through questionnaire, focus group discussion, and interview. Accordingly the following results
are obtained: Negative peer pressure is highly observed on female adolescents of the study area
they get fooled by the fun and pleasure found with accompany of their friends and because
secondary and preparatory students are between the age of 15_18 and most of the time they are
influenced by negative peer pressure. Want to look fun and relaxing and to avoid being treated
as “far” are some of the reasons why female students are susceptible to negative peer pressure.
There is a statistically significant negative relationship between positive peer influence and
negative peer influence. The same is true about the relationship between perceived academic
performance and negative peer influence. There is also statistically significant relationship
between perceived academic performance and positive peer influence. That means, positive peer
influence contribute to female students’ academic achievement. Positive peer pressure has
strong association with better academic performance of the secondary and preparatory female
students. Positive parents-female adolescent relationship would help to protect female from
negative peer pressure. The supervision of school community and parents on controlling the use
of mobile phone at school and home would play vital role towards to minimize the negative peer
pressure. Open discussion and parental advice and support would help secondary and
preparatory female students to cope with negative peer pressure and assisted the students to
perform better at school