Relationship between Peer Influence, Students’ Interest in Schooling and Academic Achievement

This research explored the connection between peer influence, student interest in education, and academic success. The research utilized a descriptive correlational design. A total of 500 students were intentionally chosen from 10 intentionally chosen secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. Two instruments were utilized: the Interest in Schooling Scale, with a reliability coefficient of r=0.79, developed by Mitchell and adapted by Umoinyang for the Nigerian context, and a revised ten-item Peer Effect Rating Questionnaire created by Tella, which has a reliability of r=0.72, to collect data for the study. Two research questions were formulated to direct the study, and the data gathered to respond to the research questions were examined using Pearson Product Moment correlation. The findings show that both peer influence and student interest have a significant correlation with academic success. The educational consequences of this indicate that instructors and educators ought to leverage positive peer influence to boost students’ interest and involvement in learning. These findings emphasized recommendations for Nigerian parents on how to further enhance students' academic achievement.