Parental Socio-Economic Status and Peer Pressure as Predictors of Social Adjustment among Secondary School Adolescents in Atibalocal Government Oyo

Abstract

Numerous scholars have examined the variable of secondary school students’ social adjustment. Despite these studies, little is known about the factors that actually predict the aforementioned variable. Past researches have shown that social adjustment among secondary school students as a major challenge which could debar them from making progress in their educational pursuit.This study, therefore was carried out toexamined the peer pressure and socioeconomic status as determinants of social adjustment among adolescents in secondary school in Atiba local government area Oyo. The expo-facto research design was used in this study. Using stratified random sampling, two hundred participants were selected from among the secondary school students in Atiba local government Oyo, Oyo state. Three validated research instruments were used to generate data. The instruments used were Social Adjustment Scale (α=0.77), socio-economic status (α=0.86), per influence scale (α=0.94). Three research hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and the t-test. The results showed a strong correlation between students' social adjustment and their parents' socioeconomic position (r =.490 p < 0.05) and peer pressure (r =.320 p < 0.05) and social adjustment among the participants. The shown that socio-economic status had significant influence on social adjustment among students [t (198) = 2.72; p < .01]. Further, students with low level of socio-economic status (X = 64.92; SD = 8.24) reported higher level of social adjustment than those with high level of socio-economic status (X = 61.99; SD = 9.88). Based on this finding, it is recommended that proper use of socio-economic status should be organized to fostered social adjustment among students. Positive use of peer influence should be encouraged among adolescents. Also, School Counsellor should intensify their efforts on the social network training of adolescent’s so as to enhance social adjustment.