Peer grouping, drug use and academic performance among school adolescents. A case study of Good Shepherd High School, Bweyogerere

Abstract

The study sought to examine the relationship between peer grouping, drug use and academic performance among school adolescents. The study adopted a correlational research design. A total of 80 questionnaires were randomly distributed among the respondents. The researcher used self-administered questionnaires which consisted close ended questions to collect information from the respondents at Good Shepherd High School, Bweyogerere. Data was entered into the computer using the Statistical Package for Social Scientist (SPSS). Pearson Correlation Co efficient was used to test the three hypotheses. Findings of the study indicated that there was a significant relationship between peer grouping and drug use among school adolescents. There was no significant relationship between drug use and academic performance among school adolescents and that there was a significant relationship between peer grouping and academic performance among school adolescents. It was recommended that school administrators should sensitize the students about the effects of peer grouping and drug use. Other main stakeholders in schools like the Ministry of Education should take an active part in designing policies to govern schools so as to control the behavior of students. Local communities around schools together with the parents should be involved and be sensitized to cooperate with the administration in ensuring that students observe the school rules. School administrators should also encourage positive peer grouping activities which would help to increase academic performance among school adolescents. And lastly, through the department of guidance and counseling, the Ministry of Education could design counseling programs focusing on peer grouping and drug use to be adopted by all private and public secondary schools in Uganda.