Peer Support and Academic Performance among Undergraduate Students in Public Sector Universities: A Gender-Based Comparative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-v.296Keywords:
Peer Support, Academic Performance, Public Sector UniversitiesAbstract
The study investigated students’ perceptions regarding peer support and academic performance in public sector universities. The objectives were to assess the level of peer support and academic performance, analyze the relationship between peer support and academic performance, and examine gender differences in both variables. The sample comprised 250 students from public sector universities. A 5-point Likert scale was used to collect data regarding peer support, while academic performance was measured through students’ CGPA. The reliability of the instrument, measured through Cronbach’s α, was 0.779. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation, and independent samples t-test, were used for data analysis. The findings indicated that peer support was not significantly related to academic performance at the university level. The mean score for peer support was 3.55 (SD = 0.604), whereas the mean score for academic performance was 2.86 (SD = 0.505). The results further revealed a negative but statistically nonsignificant relationship between peer support and academic performance (r = -0.101, p = 0.111), indicating that higher peer support was not associated with better academic performance. The study also found no significant difference in academic performance between male and female students (t = 0.512, p = 0.609). Similarly, no significant gender difference was found in peer support, although male students reported slightly higher peer support than female students (t = 1.91, p = 0.057). The findings suggest that academic performance in public sector universities may be influenced by factors other than peer support, and gender does not significantly affect either peer support or academic performance.
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