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Abstract

Peer influence on student performance in school is the focus of this paper. The ethonographic study was conducted with high school dropouts and non-dropouts in a Colorado community. The contextual interactive model is used to explain the peer membership and influence process. One of the tenets of this model, supported by the findings, posits that peer group organization is interrelated with other student social networks including the family and school interactions. This multi-level approach to peer group influence examines the students' school performance from the students', parents' and teachers' perspective. Although the issue of dropouts and peer group influence have been studied widely, there is little research on how peers influence students' decisions regarding school.

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Adolescent Peer Influence and Differential School Performance

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