St.

John Academy of Visual and Performing

Arts

229 A. Mabini Ave., Tanauan City, Batangas

The Influence of Peer Pressure in Grade 11 STEM Students of St.

John Academy of Visual and Performing Arts that Affect the

Students from Choosing STEM Strand

Researchers:

Bazar, Ivan Benedict S.

Gliane, Justine

Reyes, San Gabriele M.

Umali, Aaron

Castillo, Alexa May

De Arca, Rhaven Nicole S.

Marasigan, Aliyah Chelsine A.

Sotelo, Cheryl Joy E.

Torres, Ashlee Kyve R.

Submitted to:

Tr. Melissa Caguicla

2022
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

The Introduction

In the school year 2016-2017, the Department of Education (DepEd) started

constituting the senior high school under the K to 12 programs in the Philippines. The two

additional years are intended to provide sufficient time as well as adequate knowledge and

skills to prepare students for future employment. The program included four tracks, including

an academic track that included the STEM strand. STEM stands for Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics. In comparison to other strands, the STEM strand focuses on

advanced concepts and topics. Students in this track are expected to become pilots, engineers,

dentists, nutritionist, nurses, doctors, and many other professions. Marine engineers may also

pursue this path. In recent years, based on Department of Education there are fewer students

who choose STEM strand. And this is very alarming problem because when students who

intend to enter college whose course is under the STEM strand choose another strand we will

experience a shortage of workers in the STEM field. Peer pressure or influence occurs when

person act in order to feel accepted and valued by peers. Peer influence can be beneficial or

detrimental. Coping with peer pressure requires striking the right balance between being

yourself and fitting in with your group. Choosing peers to be with is a choice; regardless of

how influential your peers are, learn how to say no and not to be involved with bad habits

(Mora et al., 2020). Some kids succumb to peer pressure because they want to be liked or

believe it will help them fit in. Some are concerned that if they do not conform to the group's

expectations, other children will tease them. Others join in because they are curious. Peer

Pressure is the influence exerted by a peer group, encouraging individuals to change their

attitudes, values, or behaviors in order to conform to group norms.

 One of the hardest things to do in our lives is decide for ourselves because it really

affects the path that we will take in the future. It is important to reach the ideal balance

between being sincerely you and fitting in with your group if you want to successfully

manage peer pressure. Decision will lead us to choose the career path that we want. Every

student who is in senior high school level need to choose their respective strand. Through

determining and selecting the strand that we want, they can easily improve their skills so they

will be ready for the job that they want in the future. And peer pressure has an influence or

effect on the students regarding choosing their senior high school strand. Peers play an

important role in the academic, social, and mental development of students. For every student,

peers are important. Because peers support students in their academic performance and peers

help students to reduce school stress. Senior high school strand decision may have a greater

influence on student’s future careers than junior high school decisions. Choosing a strand

because of peer pressure can also affect a person as it can decrease self-confidence and lead to

poor academic performance. Although peer pressure does not necessarily have to be negative,

the term ‘pressure’ implies that the process influences one to do things that may be resistant to

or may not be chosen to do otherwise (Mora et al., 2020). Peer pressure often is often seen

during the adolescence stage of a teenager because they often seek comfort among their peers

and intend to do what their peers do without knowing if it is good or bad for them (Moldes et

al., 20) . Peer acceptance and group membership have been shown to motivate academic

achievement and prosocial behaviors among adolescents ( Wentzel, Caldwell, 1997).

Therefore, one of the biggest choices a student has to make in their life is choosing a

career path that will lead them to success. Choosing a strand to be taken in senior high is

crucial decision for them. With the help of their parents and peers, students come up with a

firm decision on what strand should they take. The researchers want to determine the

influences of peer pressure to Grade 11 STEM Students of St. John Academy of Visual and

Performing Arts as to why have they chosen the STEM strand. Globally, demand for STEM

graduates is very high. So that the researchers wants to identify how big is the impact of peer

pressure in STEM students. The researchers believed that by considering this aspect, it
becomes an assurance that they choose the right strand for their future. However, the

researchers will only focus on the influence of peer pressure as an environment factor that

leads the students in choosing STEM strand. This study seeks to answer how students select a

strand specifically STEM and how it correlates with peer pressure. The researchers decided to

conduct research in order to have an in-depth understanding of the influence of peer pressure

and its effect on students choosing STEM strand. Another purpose is that this research is

conducted for the readers (the students, teachers, peers, future researchers, and the researchers

themselves) to be aware of the influence of peer pressure. Must this give the readers more

knowledge about it, for them to prevent, or avoid it from happening in the future. It then will

have a great influence on one’s decision makings and will lessen the mistakes to be made.

Theoretical Framework

This research is guided by the study of Erickson’s theory

States that peer pressure is needed for a person to develop, learn, grow and to form

into

an individual, it is through both positive and negative peer pressure that people form ang

develop their individuality and social status, this often starts in adolescence. It is commonly

thought to be an issue related being a teenager but pressure from society and peers starts at as

very young age and can continue into late adult hood. Peer pressure can range from

encouragement to indirect pressures to intense bullying. Both positive and negative

influences, people learn and develop personalities and traits from influences such as friends

and family. Adolescence seems to find who they are but still fit into social peer pressure this

adolescence needed a healthy transition to adulthood.

According to Erickson’s theory, peer pressure is necessary for a person to grow, learn

and become an individual. People develop their individuality and social standing through both

positive and negative peer pressure, which frequently begins in adolescence. Peer pressure

takes the form of aggression between one’s peer group and other peers, and as a result, it it

alters behavior. The transition from infancy to adulthood is what Erik Erickson's (1973)
 theory of social development classifies as the "teenage stage." This relates to our topic

because the stage of being an adolescent is between 12 and 20 years old. And we are the

people who fall into this category. We are at the stage where we are already socializing with

other people who will often be with us. This is the time when individuals can easily adopt

characteristics. And once this new habit is adopted, it is difficult to change it because we have

our own way of thinking.

Erickson’s theory of peer pressure has four (4) stages.

Failure, this is when a child cannot find himself/herself on where he/she fits. This

happens when a child experience negative pressure from friends that causes confusion. Not

only these peers are the ones who have this negative pressure, but also the people around us.

Some people/hey might say something bad that affects the thinking of a person under the

pressure of people around them.

Fitting in, teenagers begin to explore and assert their personal identities during

adolescence. Teenagers go through a process of figuring out where they fit in with their peers

and society at large during this developmental stage. Erickson states that this is where

adolescents often pull away from their parents and rebel. Fitting in has both positive and

negative consequences. The benefit of fitting in is that it allows them to try new things and get

out of their comfort zone. However, the negative effect is that some people start doing bad

things like smoking, drinking alcohol, and using drugs.

Autonomy, this states that children seek to become independent from their parents then

later, rely on their friends and peers to help them. Adolescents chooses to be independent from

their parents because sometimes they are shy to ask for help from them. Relationships with

peers begin to take precedence over relationships with family during adolescence. Although

family interactions are still important and necessary for a teen’s development, adolescents often

take place a greater emphasis on the perceptions and values of their peers.
 Success, the healthy stage begins. In this stage responsibilities, rules, and consequences

are understood. According to Erickson’s, successful completion of his fourth stage results in

the virtue of fidelity and the ability to be loyal to people and ideologies which is required for a

positive transition to adulthood. Adolescents find who they are but still fit into social peer

pressure. Coping well with peer pressure requires striking a balance between being yourself

and fitting in with your group.

This research is related to the identity shift effect theory by Wendy Treynor (2009).

Treynor said in her theory that peers are the influence of a group or individual with

different characteristics that can be adopted by the students. And for us as adolescents, this

often happens. Usually, we learn a lot of habits from those we meet and adapt them to our daily

lives. Decision-making is one of them. According to Treynor’s original “identity shift effect”

peer pressure works in a process. When faced with the threat of external conflict (social

rejection) for failing to conform to a group standard, one’s state of harmony is disrupted. As a

result, while conforming to the group standard eliminates external conflict, internal conflict is

introduced because one has violated one’s own standards. Even though the peer pressure

process begins and ends in a state of harmony conflict and the conflict resolution process result

in a new identity.
Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the selected

students in the terms of:
There is no significant
 Gender Survey questionnaire. difference between the
 Age students’ profile and the
effect of peer pressure.
The Effects of Peer Application of statistical
Pressure: tools to analyze the data
gathered. Proposal plan of the
 Career study.
 Performance
 Productivity

THE INFLUENCE OF PEER PRESSURE TO GRADE 11

STEM STUDENTS OF ST. JOHN ACADEMY OF VISUAL
AND PERFORMING ARTS THAT AFFECT THE
STUDENTS IN CHOOSING STEM STRAND

Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the effects of peer pressure from choosing STEM Strand.

This study is conceptualized to analyze the effects of peer pressure in Grade 11 STEM

Students in St. John Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.

To be on better frame, figure 1 illustrates the direction of the study through input –

process – output (IPO) model.

The input box represents the variables of the study. This research intended to know the

demographic profile of respondents in terms of gender and age. This study intended to know

the effects of peer pressure to Grade 11 STEM Students in terms of career, performance, and

activity.
 The second box from left indicates the process of the design of the study. The research

study used survey questionnaire to gather data needed. These data will be analyzed and will be

subjected to a statistical treatment.

The statistical treatment will determine if there is no significant relationship between

the students’ profile and the effects of peer pressure and if there is any significant relationship

between career, performance, and productivity of Grade 11 STEM Students. Lastly, the study

formulated a proposal plan that will serve as the output or product of the study.

Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this study is to know the positive and negative effects of peer

pressure in Grade 11 STEM Students of St. John Academy of Visual and Performing Arts that

can affect the students from choosing the STEM Strand.

The following are the research questions that will guide in this study:

1.What are the demographic profile of respondents according to:

1.1 Gender

1.2 Age

2. What are the effects of peer pressure to the students in terms of:

2.1 Career

2.2 Performance

2.3 Productivity

3. How does peer pressure affect the performance level of learning of the students?

4. What action plan can be proposed?

Hypothesis

The researcher will be guided by the following alternative hypothesis:

 1.There is no significant effect between peer pressure and choosing the STEM strand

Significance of the Study

Based on the analysis of data, the following will be benefited with the importance of the

study:

Students

This study will help them know if peer pressure is affecting them positively or

negatively and also to know how to handle the situation if the current student is experiencing

peer pressure.

Parents

This study will help them to know if their child is experiencing this in a positive way or

negative way and to prevent overdoing it to their child. And also to understand how this simple

peer pressure will affect their child’s performance and health.

Teachers

This study will help them to know if their student is suffering from the effects of peer

pressure and help their student to overcome at least a little of the negative effect of it.

Future Parents

This will help them to know how to boost the confidence and competitive side of their

child without making them uncomfortable and pressuring them which might lead to negative

effects.

Future Researchers

This study will potentially guide them through the study’s findings, and ideas and it can

serve as a basis for those interested in conducting similar studies.

Scope and Delimitation

The scope of this research will be the effects of Peer Pressure to the Grade 11 STEM

Students. With the purpose of researching about the consequences of taking the STEM Strand

by means of Peer Pressure.

The respondents of this study will be limited to sixty (60) selected students from the

sections of Grade 11 STEM Students enrolled in academic year 2022-2023. With the ages
ranging from 16 years old to 18 years old, and gender – custom. This research will be

conducted on St. John Academy of Visual and Performing Arts at Mabini Ave, Tanauan,

Batangas.

Definition of Terms

Academic Performance. Is the extent to which a student, teacher, or institutions has achieved

their short or long term educational goals.

Behavior Issues. Symptomatic expression of emotional or interpersonal maladjustment

especially to a child indulging in such problems.

Career. An occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as

one’s lifework.

Detrimental. Negative implies obvious harm to something specific.

Grade 11 Students. These are the persons that has an important role of thesis, they are the

respondents of this study.

Influence. It is a person’s thing that affects someone or something in an important way. It also

the capacity to to have an effect on the character development or behavior of someone or

something or the effect itself.

K to 12. The K to 12 Program includes Kindergarten and 12 years of fundamental education. In

order to foster lifelong learners, give students enough time to master concepts and skills, and

prepare graduates for tertiary education.

Peers. Are the people who are the same age as you, the one belonging to the same social group

especially based on age, grade, or status.

Peer Pressure. Influence from members of one’s peer group. The way that people of the same

social group can influence on another individual to take a certain action, adopt certain values,

or otherwise conform in order to be accepted.

Performance. The degree to which a student, teacher, or institution has met their short-term or

long-term educational objectives.

Poor Decision Making. Selecting the wrong answer on a test is a mistake; not studying for that

test is a bad decision.

Productivity. Measure of a person's efficiency in completing a task.

Schematic Diagram. A graphical re-prevention of a plan or model that is presented in a

straight forward, understandable manner.

Senior High School. Is a secondary school that students attend in the three of four highest

grades before college.

STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – a Strand under the Academic

Track of the K to 12 Program.

St. John Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. It pertains to the school to be used in

research.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough and

in – depth search done by the researchers.

A. RELATED LITERATURE

Foreign Literature

Studies show that the influence of peer groups among student can boost their anxiety

especially pertaining to their education (Kadir, Atmowasdoyo & Salija 2018). The relationship

within the group with its peers are co-related with each other, hence the direction of this

particular relationship should be monitored were these relationships should go considering all

possible factors correlated within the groups outcome (Wilson, 2016). Peer pressure faced by

many teenagers of the society, professionals understood the concept of peer influence that

could affect teenagers in a negative way which can be prevented by educating and preparing

teenagers to face the negative aspects caused by peer pressure (Temitope & Og0nsakin, 2015).

Similarly peer influence among teenagers does not directly affect them in a negative way but it

varies in how much and how the students receive the climate of the peers coming from the

group (Mosha, 2017). When a student is influenced and motivated by peers he will perform

excellent at school and got good grades in mathematics (Boechnke, 2018). Getting the support

needed coming from the peer group, student tend to excel and exceed its capability and

concentrate more pertaining to his studies and do good in the academic tasks in school

(Olalekan, 2016).

Korir (2018) stated that A Career choice is a complex decision for students since

itdetermines the kind of profession that they intend to pursue in life. As students try to

makecareer choice, they face problems of matching their career choices with their abilities

andacademic performance
 Is often seen during the adolescence stage of a teenagers because they often seek

comfort among their peers and intend to do what their peers does without knowing if it is good

or bad for them. Adolescence is a period of an individual that is transitory when a child reaches

the point in changing its childhood to adulthood (Adeniyi & Kolawole, 2015). Thus individuals

are prone temptations in the social contextualization concepts, for example, socializing with

others tend to do some activities such as napping and drinking during classes or work day

( Bonein & Denont- Boemont, 2013)

Knowing how the teenagers interact with their peers and how they interact with each

other and how presence of peer group affect student’s academic achievement in school plays an

important role for various categories and even the whole educational system (Leka, 2015).

There are different factors that could affects student’s academic performance in school whether

it’s their family is giving proper guidance and motivation to their children with the healthy and

harmonies interactions with their surroundings (Ezzarrooki, 2016). Students interactions with

its peers could help enhance their capability and increase their academic performance in school

because they could seek help from their peers that could serve as a motivation than working

alone (Sotinis, Mirco & Michael, 2013). Student peer group in school plays as an socializing

teenager with the peers to socialize with each other that help should the child adolescents

(Uzezi & Deya, 2017). Interaction of students between its peer are likely to influence the

students can be crucial for the student to determine their choice and could affect student

performance (De Giorgi ,n.d.).

Peer group is important in the social context that plays a vital role in society and to

determine the academic achievement that affect during development relatively with each other

(Chen, 2008). Adaptive behavior of the development increases become broader and complex

and as the age increases (Yonus, Mushtaq & Qaiser n.d.). School that the students attend to

serves an institution among students that determine their learning capacity based on the school

environment that gives the learning experience toward students (Korir, 2014). Thus choosing

major courses within an institution are major choices a student intends to make but it is affected
by their interactions among other students (Porter & Umbach, 2006). Hence, the behavior of an

individual have seen similarities among the group due to the effect of their peers, it is still

difficult to relate the consequences that the individual within the group are similar with each

other or social to be pursuing their intentions together to have similar outcomes (Kremer &

Levy, 2008). Interactions between students with their agemates appeal to enhance their learning

capacity under the guidance of an adult educator (Kinderman, 2016). Therefore, Peer Pressure

cannot directly be shown to have negative or positive impact towards student’s academic

performance but one can realize the appropriate coping mechanism for a problem as a

technique to avoid and fight peer pressure optimistically.

Local Literature

Students, peer pressure and their academic performance in school Vangie M Moldes,

Ch L Biton, Divine Jean Gonzaga, Jerald C Moneva International Journal of Scientific and

Research Publications 9 (1), 300-312, 2019 Adolescent have higher tendency to experience

peer pressure in school. Peer pressure is clustered in four categories such as social

belongingness, curiosity, cultural-parenting orientation of parents and education, this research

design used is descriptive correlation. The researchers conducted the survey among the

students in the Senior High School. With 96 respondents who completed the survey.

Quantitative data were processed by using chi-square. The result would show the correlation

between the perceived level of peer pressure in terms of social belongingness, curiosity,

cultural-parenting orientation of parents and education. Generally, students are expected to face

the effects of peer pressure optimistically to cope up the negative impact of peer pressure in

their studies. Students may use positive or negative approach towards peer pressure. Teacher

may guide and help them in facing the problems.

Based on the study of Mary Rose A. Bosila (2012) cited in the study of Borgatta (2002)

stated that gender is the division of people into two categories men and women. Through

interactions with caretakers, socialization in childhood, peer pressure in adolescence and

gendered work and family roles women and men are socially constructed to be different in
behavior, attitudes and emotions. The gendered social order is based on and maintains these

differences.

Based on the study of Agnes G. Castillo (2012) cited in the study of Biddle Bank and

Marlin conducted a study to examine parental and peer pressure on adolescents. The researcher

found that peer behaviors are more likely to affect the adolescent than parental behaviors. Peer

pressure has the potential to serve as either mediating or moderating influences. Peer group can

act as a moderating influence by inhibiting the pro-academic resources being generated through

involvement in multiple influences. In other words, peer pressure can discourage members

academic performance. (cited in the study of Ricardo Salazar).

Though others (Koyama, 2004), cited by Joann Alcantara (2016) offer many definitions

of peers, we define a peer group as any set of same age peers linked by a common interest of

identity with which individuals engage in sustained interaction. Sustained interaction suggests

that individuals interact with the same set of peers on a regular basis over a significant amount

of time. To ensure this sustained interaction, individuals must be invested in their peer groups

and feel a sense of accountability to other members. Peer groups can refer to a student set of

close friends, a student's classmates, or a student's teammates. Students can be part of or

influenced by multiple peer groups at the same time. As such, students might simultaneously

feel pushed to achieve through a group of peers in a class, but receive clues from their close

friends that academic achievement is not valued. Student's success is also shaped by their

position within peer groups and various social network.

According to World Book: Bullied by Friends (p.6) the influence that comes from peers

is called peer pressure. It can often come from a group, where the pressure is fit in with a

certain set of attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs. For example, your classmate has a popular set of

cool kids. Everyone inside the group feels the pressure to keep up the cool image. People

outside experience pressure to be like the popular kids and to be liked by them. If you have a

boyfriend or girlfriend, he or she may exert influence over you, too. You want to please this
person. Everyone experiences peer pressure—not just young people. It can be both a positive

and negative influence in life.

B. RELATED STUDIES

Foreign Studies

Luo and Jamieson-Drake (2015) offer additional evidence for a possible peer effect on

study abroad participation. These authors found that high school students who expected to join

fraternities, sororities, or other student groups in college were more likely to intend to

participate in study abroad. Additionally, their findings indicated that high school students who

spent time socializing with friends were more likely to intend to study abroad. These results

suggest that students who plan to be more active in campus life, and who intend to surround

themselves with peers from their institutional environments, are more likely to study

internationally.

According to Joel J. P. Ogutu, Peter Odera, and Samwel N. Maragia (2017), their

research examined the influence of peer pressure on students’ career decision making.

Stratified, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to obtain a sample

size 364 respondents across the seven (7) sub-Counties. Questionnaire was used to collect

data from respondents. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation (rho) and

Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR. Peer pressure had a weak positive significant

correlation with student career decision making (rho (364) = 0.165, p <0.01). The results

suggested that peer pressure directly influences student’s career decision making such

that as peer pressure increases, career decision making among students also increases

significantly in the same direction. With MLR, the overall relative risk ratio of the regression

model was statistically significant p<0.05). This implied that there is a statistically significant

influence of peer pressure on career decision making among students. From the research, it

was concluded that peer pressure influenced career decision making among secondary

school students in Busia County. It was recommended that career guidance in schools be
enhanced to create awareness on career decision making without over emphasizing on

peer pressure.

González Canché and Rios-Aguilar (2015) found evidence that community college

students who were surrounded by peers taking a greater number of credit hours were more

likely to take more credit hours themselves. Moreover, these researchers provide evidence that

this peer effect on credit hour enrollment was more pronounced among African American and

Latino males. In other words, African American and Latino males who interacted with African

American and Latino male classmates with higher-credit-hour loads took a significantly higher

number of credit hours themselves. Results of studies such as this one shed new light on

theories that posit a substantial role for student involvement and engagement with their peers in

student success

Consequently, some students are more likely to have friends who are careless about

school learning and are less likely to associate with peers who care about school. The students

may drop out of secondary school due to pressure of rejection by peer making them to feel

lonely and disassociated from having friends to fit with into a group (Mutwol, Cheserek, Boit,

& Mining 2012).

Outside influences-brought by friends and peer pressure from other high school

dropouts, lack of interest in gaining education and teen pregnancies which has accounted for a

higher percentage of girls who drop out of secondary schools. These categories can only be

managed by the head of the institutions with the support of the parents and other education

stakeholders. Moreover, prefects and schools guidance and counseling masters are equally key

in this regard (Mudis & Yambo 2015).

Local Studies

Similar studies have been gathered in the Philippines. They found out that not only

parental expectations are involved in the factors but also about the self-expectations that

students imposed over themselves (Calaguas, 2012). Most of the studies, such as the study of

Bayot, Carrera & Gonzales (2013-2014), were focused on the influences of these factors
towards the academic performances of secondary students. Nevertheless, some of information

were still relevant to the research.

Magbanua (2016) stated in the study entitled "Peer Pressure" it says that Peer Pressure

can be either be positive or negative. It depends on the way you looked at it. It can be so good

in a way that it may change you to be a better person but on the other hand, it can also be

harmful to the point that it may lead you to do no good.

Alegre (2017) conducted a research "The Impact of peer pressure at Selected grade 12

in Academic Performance in DBGC". According to him, peer groups influence social and

academic developments, and that these influences begin at the very start of formal education.

influences and motivations for all kinds of adolescents behavior, including study habits and

personal academic development, come mostly from their peers to whom they come into close

contact.

According to Calingayan (2017) who investigated the "Influence of peers in the study

habits among bachelor of elementary education students", out of hundred students, most of

them said that they were being influenced by peers in a positive way. It is also said that peers

support students with regards their academic performance.

According to Mascardo, Mauricio and Espinosa (2013), who conducted the study

entitled "The Effects of Peer Pressure to the selected students of CNHS". Some teenagers give

in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other

teens may make fun of them if they do not go along with the group others may go along

because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. In this way, teens are

influenced in either good or bad effects.

Barrera (2015) stated in her study entitled "the Interplay of Self-Control and Peer

Influence in Filipino Delinquency", that self-control and differential association have direct

effects on delinquency, but self-control does not render differential association-delinquency

relationship spurious. In fact, differential association mediates the effects of self-control on

delinquency. These results suggest that self-control and differential association are
complementary, thus indicating that integration of these concepts might be a better way of

modeling Filipino delinquency.