COHABITATION AND PEER PRESSURE AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study examined cohabitation and peer pressure as predictors of academic performance among undergraduates in public universities in Anambra state. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. Conceptual, theoretical and empirical studies were reviewed. The study adopted correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 10,450 undergraduates (6420 from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and 4030 from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University) living off campus who shared accommodation with the opposite sex. The sample consisted of 3,916 students (2116 from UNZIIC and 1800 from COOU). Stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to draw the sample. Three instruments were used for data collection. The instruments were subjected to face validation. The reliability of the instruments were established using Cronbach Alpha. The result gave coefficient values of 0.72, 0.81 and 0.72 for CQ, PPS and AEQ respectively. The researcher administered the instruments with the help of six research assistants who were briefed on how to administer and collect copies of the questionnaire. The completed copies of the questionnaires were collected on the spot. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the research questions while simple regression analysis was used to test hypotheses 1-6 while multiple regression analysis was used to test hypothesis 7 at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that cohabitation has negative predictive value (-.337 < 1.00) on academic Performance of university students. The results also showed that peer pressure has low predictive value (- .183 <1.00) on academic Performance of university students. The study also showed that male students had low predictive value (-.318 <1.00) and the females had low predictive value (- .370 <1.00). Gender was therefore not a factor in determining what status both is involved. Based on the findings, the study recommends among others that university counsellors should counsel students against cohabitation and its attendant consequences on their academic performance. Also, there is need for the government to organize workshop, seminar

and conferences on cohabitation and peer pressure as they relate to academic performance.