10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

This study sought to determine the relationship between students’ attitudes and peer influence on academic achievement in senior secondary school mathematics in Central River Region South. A correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised senior secondary school students, from which a sample of 315 students was selected from nine schools. Data were collected using a Students’ Attitude and Peer Influence Questionnaire (SAPIQ) and a Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The reliability of the questionnaire was established using Cronbach’s Alpha, which yielded coefficients of 0.774 and the Mathematics Achievement Test was tested using the Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) which produced a reliability coefficient of 0.732, showing that the test was reliable. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analysis at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings showed that students generally had a positive attitude toward mathematics and experienced relatively high peer influence. There was a moderate positive and significant relationship between students’ attitude and academic achievement in mathematics (r = 0.394, p = 0.000 < 0.05), while Peer influence showed a weak but significant positive relationship with academic achievement (r = 0.172, p = 0.002 < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis indicated that students’ attitude and peer influence jointly had a significant effect on academic achievement in mathematics, accounting for 15% of the variance in achievement (Adjusted R² = 0.150). Students’ attitude emerged as the strongest predictor of academic achievement, while peer influence showed a weaker relative contribution. The study concluded that students’ attitude and peer influence significantly affect academic achievement in mathematics, with attitude playing a more dominant role. It was recommended that teachers use instructional strategies that promote positive attitudes toward mathematics and that schools encourage positive peer interactions to improve students’ academic performance.