Influence Of Student’-Peer Interactions on Academic Delinquency Amongst Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties- Kenya

Susan N. Githaiga; Francis Kirimi; Catherine Thuita

doi:10.37284/eajes.6.1.1091

Susan N. Githaiga Mount Kenya University
Francis Kirimi, PhD Mount Kenya University
Catherine Thuita, PhD Mount Kenya University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajes.6.1.1091

Keywords: Peer Interaction, Academic Delinquency, Undergraduate Students, Public Universities

Share Article:

Abstract

Many public universities in the world including Kenya have been experiencing diverse social challenges that include academic delinquencies and moral deterioration. Hence, the purpose of this study was guided by the study objective which sought to analyse the influence of Student-Peer interactions on academic delinquency amongst undergraduate students in public universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties, Kenya. It adopted mixed-method research which enabled the researcher to use quantitative and qualitative methods. The target population for this study comprised 2 counsellors, 2 registrars, 2 exam coordinators, 12 Heads of Department, and 120,000 undergraduate students from Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, public universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties. The schools were stratified sampled; 12 heads of departments were then randomly selected. The undergraduate students were also randomly selected, 192 (384/2) from each university. Further purposive sampling was used to select academic staff. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from students, whereas interview guides were used to collect data from academic staff. Piloting was conducted among 40 undergraduate students of mixed gender from the University of Nairobi to establish the validity, reliability, credibility, and dependability of research instruments. Reliability was determined using Cranach’s alpha method. Credibility was established through the triangulation of data from multiple instruments, whereas dependability was established through repeated trials. Analysis of data began by identifying common themes from the participants’ descriptions of their experiences guided by research objectives. Frequency counts and percentages of the responses were then obtained to generate information about the respondents and to illustrate the general trend of findings on the various variables that are under investigation. Qualitative data was analysed thematically guided by research objectives and presented in narrative form, whereas the quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Packages for Social science version 23. It was found that the students’ peer interactions influence academic delinquency amongst undergraduate students in public universities in Kiambu and Nairobi Counties-Kenya. Student-peer interaction influences students greatly on academic delinquency. Peers copy bad behaviours from each other including exam fraud. The study recommends the need to encourage the students to be themselves and not be influenced.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Anteneh A. and Asres B. (2014). Cheating on examinations and its predictors among undergraduate students at Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Science, Hawassa, Ethiopia. Desalegn and Berhan. BMC Medical Education, 14, 89 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/14/89

Baumeister, R. F., Bushman, B. J., & Campbell, W. K. (2000). Self-esteem, narcissism, and aggression: Does violence result from low self-esteem or from threatened egotism? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 26–29

Burton, J. H., Talpade, S., & Haynes, J. (2011). Religiosity and test-taking ethics among Business School students. Journal of Academic and Business Ethics, 4, 1.

Carrell, S. E., Maghakian, T., & West, J. E. (2011). AA’s from ZZzzzs? The causal effect of school start time on the academic achievement of adolescents. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 3(3), 62-81.

Carrell, S. E., Maghakian, T., & West, J. E. (2011). A. A’s fromZZzzz’s? The causal effect of school start time on the academic achievement of adolescents. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 3(3), 62-81.

Childs, K. K., & Sullivan, C. J. (2013). Investigating the underlying structure and stability of problem behaviors across adolescence. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 40(1), 57-79.

Creswell, J. W. (2009). Mapping the field of mixed methods research. Journal of mixed methods research, 3(2), 95-108.

Gicharu, R. N. (2016). Influence of adolescence developmental changes on academic performance of students in public secondary schools in Nakuru Municipality, Nakuru County, Kenya (Doctoral dissertation, Egerton University).

Gifford-Smith, M., Dodge, K. A., Dishion, T. J., & McCord, J. (2005). Peer influence in children and adolescents: Crossing the bridge from developmental to intervention science. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 33, 255-265.

Godden, B. (2004). Sample Size Formulas. http://williamgodden.com/samplesizeformula.pdf

Hingowei, Y. Perry, L. Rishi, S, Byron, R. & Brandon (2016). What Contributes to college Students Cheating? A Study of Individual Factors. Ethics & behaviour Journal.27 (1), 401-422.

Hirschi, T., & Gottfredson, M. (1993). Commentary: Testing the general theory of crime. Journal of research in crime and delinquency, 30(1), 47-54.

Hope Sr, K. R. (2019). The police corruption “crime problem” in Kenya. Security Journal, 32(2), 85-101.

Jaggers, J., Church, W. T., Tomek, S., Bolland, K. A., Hooper, L. M., & Bolland, J. (2013). Predictors of gang involvement: A longitudinal analysis of data from the mobile youth survey. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 4(3), 277-291.

Kombo, K. (2006). Sociology Education. CUEA Publications. ISBN 9966-909-42-7.

Kothari, S. P., Leone, A. J., & Wasley, C. E. (2005). Performance matched discretionary accrual measures. Journal of accounting and economics, 39(1), 163-197.

Krueger, L. (2014). Academic dishonesty among nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 53(2), 77-87. doi:10.3928/01484834-20140122-06

Lashbrook, J. T. (2000). Fitting in: Exploring the emotional dimension of adolescent peer pressure. Adolescence, 35(140), 747.

Lavy, V., & Shlosser, A. (2007). Mechanisms and Impacts of Gender Peer Effects at School. NBER Working Paper 13292. National Bureau of Economic Research. Cambridge, MA lecturers. Accounting Education

Low, S., Sinclair, R., &Shortt, J. W. (2012). The role of economic strain on adolescent delinquency: A micro-social process model. Journal of Family Psychology, 26 (4), 576–584.

McCabe, D., Butterfield, K., & Treviño, L. (2012). Cheating in college: Why students do it and what educators can do about it. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press

Musau, P. (2016). Hidden Facts and the Role of Truthfulness in Academic Dishonesty. East and Central African Journal of Surgery, 21(3), 143-145.

Ngale, I. F. (2009). Family structure and Juvenile delinquency: correctional centre betamba, Centre Province of Cameroon. Internet Journal of Criminology, 1(1), 1-19.

Payne, D. C., & Cornwell, B. (2007). Reconsidering peer influences on delinquency: Do less proximate contacts matter? Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 23, 127-149.

Roszak, T. (2017). On academic delinquency. Academic Ethics. Taylorfrancis.com.

Salmi, J. (2012). Evolution of a World-Class University: Balancing Local Growth and Global Appeal. http://blogs.worldbank.org/education/evolution-of-a-world-class-university-balancing-local-growth-and-global-appeal

Santoso, A., & Cahaya, F. R. (2018). Factors influencing plagiarism by accounting lecturers. Accounting Education, 28(4), 401-425.

Schwartz, S. E., Kanchewa, S. S., Rhodes, J. E., Cutler, E., & Cunningham, J. L. (2016). “Iddidn’t know you could just ask:” Empowering underrepresented college-bound students to recruit academic and career mentors. Children and Youth Services Review, 64, 51-59.

Shailja, D., Tiwari, G., Dubey, S. K., & Verma, A. K. (2022). Socio-economic and Family Factors Attributing Enhanced Juvenile Delinquency: A Review. Journal of Community Mobilization and Sustainable Development, 17(4), 1065-1069.

Siegel, L. & Welsh, B. (2011). Criminology: The Core (4th ed.). Cengage Learning publications

Siswandari, S., & Muchsini, B. (2020). Seven types of student behavior that trigger corruption.

Starovoytova, D., & Namango, S. (2016). Factors Affecting Cheating-Behavior at Undergraduate-Engineering. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(31), 66-82.

Steinberg, L., & Monahan, K. C. (2007). Age differences in resistance to peer influence. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1531.

Vaquera, E., & Kao, G. (2008). Do you like me as much as I like you? Friendships reciprocity and its effects on school outcomes among adolescents. Social Science Research, 37, 55–72.

Weldon, P. R. (2016). Out-of-field teaching in Australian secondary schools.

Zafar, M. (2012). Causes of Juvenile Delinquency among Teenagers in Pakistani Context. Elixir International Journal, 5,10897-10900.