The Influence of Socio-Psychological Factors on the Academic Performance
of Students at the University of Buea
Department: Educational Psychology
No of Pages: 51
Project Code: EPY12
References: No
Cost: 5,000XAF Cameroonian
: $15 for International students
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to find out the
influence of socio-psychological factors on the academic performance of
students at the University of Buea. The objectives of this study were to find
out the effect of peer pressure on the academic performance of students at the
University of Buea.
To find out the influence of family background on
the academic performance of students in the University of Buea. To find out the
influence of students’ self-efficacy on the academic performance of students at
the University of Buea.
In order to obtain the information from respondents questionnaires
were distributed to 50 respondents from the University of Buea. The research
used simple frequency tables and percentages to analyze the results.
From the results, it was seen that socio-psychological
factors influence the academic performance of students at the University of
Buea. From the findings, some recommendations and suggestions for further
research were made on how to deal with children at home by their parents and in
school by their teachers.
Socio-Psychological factors can be seen as how thoughts, beliefs and
behavior of individual are influenced by the actual imagined and implied
presence of others socio-psychological factors are combination of social
(family background and peer influence) while psychological beliefs
(self-efficacy).
All this play an important role in shaping the personality of an individual.
This chapter is mainly to highlight the influence of socio-psychological
factors on the academic performance of students.
Background
of the study
Historically, Socio-psychological factors like peer
pressure, family background, and students self-efficacy play a great role in students’
academic performance and are essential for the delivery of high-quality
teaching and learning process.
They remain the key
determinant of student academic performance (Fishbein, 1967; Bandura, 1986
& Brophy, 2001). There is also a general belief that human behavior and
actions are influenced by Peer pressure whereby peer pressure is seen as the
cause and behavior as the effect (Chepchieng, socio psychology factors can
influence academic performance both positively and negatively,
negative factors
distort teaching and learning techniques, positive psychosocial factors
facilitate academic performance positively and outright expression of both
lecturer and student intelligence because Universities or Colleges have no any
value without students or lecturers as they are the greatest paramount quality
for any educational institution
Contextually the development of any society is directly
connected with students’ academic performance (Mushtaq et al., 2012). Students
academic performance plays a crucial role in bringing qualitative graduates who
will move a country to the right path in the near future (Ali et al, 2009 ).
And poor students
academic performance is not only frustrating the students and parents, its
effects are equally grave on the society in terms of death of manpower in all
spheres of the economy and politics (Aremu and Sokan 2003)
Conceptually the study of socio-psychological factors on
students’ academic performance indicated that there exist several factors that
influence students ’academic performancebutpeer pressure, family
background,student self-efficacy
remained the key determinant of academicperformance (Maina, 2012; Li,
2012; Tenaw, 2013; Adeyemo, 2007; Fan, 2012 and Swan 2004).
According to Adunola
(2011) and Ganyaupfu (2013), lecturing is a collaborative process that
involvesinteraction between students’ and the lecturers that at the end brings
about change in the studentsbehavior.
But, socio
psychological factors in teaching and learning process is a multidimensional
concept thatmeasures various interrelated aspect of learning in educational
system which include peer pressure, students’ academic self-efficacy and family
background .
Therefore, consistent
checkup of the aforementioned socio psychological factors is very crucial most
especially amongstudents’ of the University of Buea since in practice, the
factors are directly linked with students’ academic performance(Maina, 2012;
Tenaw, 2013 and Fan 2012).
The social learning
theory state learners learn by observing and imitating or it is a theory of
learning process and social behavior which proposes that new behavior which
proposes that new behaviors can be acquired by observing and imitating others,
and this mostly takes place in a social context.
Again, the social
learning theory by Albert Bandura emphasis the importance of observing,
modelling and imitating the behavior, attitude and emotional reactions of
others.
It also considers how
both environment and cognitive factors interact to influence human learning and
behavior. Also, observational learning plays a great role in a student’s life
both positively and negatively dependency in the types of behaviors he
observed.
This study was also
guided by Maslow Hierarchy of Needs (1943). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
is a motivational theory in psychology comprising a five-tier model of human
needs; often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid.
From the bottom of the
hierarchy upwards, the needs are psychological (food clothing), safety (job
security) love and belonging needs (friendship) self-esteem and
self-actualization.Needs lower down in the hierarchy must be satisfied before
individual can attend to needs higher up.
This study would
equally be guided by Albert Bandura who originally proposed the concept a
personal Judgment of how well one can execute courses of action required to
deal with perspectives situations.
Educator Katty Kolbe
adds belief in inmate abilities means valuing one’s particular sets of
cognitive strengths. It also involves determination and perseverance to
overcome obstacles that would interfere with utilizing those inmates abilities
to achieve goals. There are both high self-efficacy and low self-efficacy
students.
Many
socio-psychological factors do influence student’s academic performance. The
learners learning outcome is affected by either peer pressure, family
background and student’s self-efficacy.
It has powerful influence
either positively or negatively and vary from one student to another. From my
personal point of view, socio-psychological factors greatly influenced the
academic achievement of students in the University of Buea in that, some of the
factors prompt to them to study hard thereby ending their goals.
For instance having
good friends that lead in a right way of life such as always attend all their
lectures, do assignment, always updated, study together make sure they be in
class on time, such will enable student positive achievement for the students.
Further, if a student
is from a family background where his/her
needs are being taken care of receive proper attention and motivation
positive teacher-parent relationship, then the is high rateof positive
performance and the academic work.
Also, with high
self-efficacy of the learners it is going to influence their performance
greatly. On the other hand, a student being influenced by bad companies that do
not attend to lectures, not punctual, and fail doing assignments then the
academic achievement must be negatively.
Again students from
poor family that lack providing the learners educational materials, school fees
or is no parents or the teacher, relationship. Low self efficacy will eventually
yield negative achievement.
It is for this reason
that i study seeks to investigate the influence of socio-psychological factors
on academic performance of students in the academic performance of students.
Objectives
of the study
- To examine the impacts/effects of socio-psychological factors on the academic performance of students in the University of Buea.
Specific
objectives
- To examine whether peer pressure affects the learning achievement of students in the University of Buea.
- To examine whether family background affects the academic performance of students in the University of Buea.
- To examine whether student’s self-efficacy affects the academic performance of students in the University of Buea.
