MCHS
Alyssa Sobere 32
I-12 March 7, 2013
Science I Investigatory Project
Term 3
Research Statement
Does friendship among freshman students affect their academic performance? If yes, how?
I. Background of Study
In a student’s academic achievement, friendship, peer pressure, and popularity have been debated to have a major impact on it. Friends may either boost your academic performance or cause your downfall. This is what high school is about; looking for the right friends. Nowadays, grades may be an important characteristic for friendships, especially to their parents. Having friends with higher grades may help you in your studies, while befriending schoolmates with unsatisfying grades might influence negatively.
Students should choose peers, who will influence him or her and help him or her to strive for excellence, in order to improve their personality and excel in academic performance. Students should choose peers who will make them happy and have an enjoyable time together, and at the same time remind them of every day’s schoolwork.
People may say that one’s peer group is the most influential in a student’s academic life. No, it is not. There are other factors in which one’s academic performance is affected. One of these is a student’s peer group. Let’s take a look on how influential a student’s peer group is.
II. Review of Related Literature
A. Related Literature
Friendship does have an effect on an individual’s academic life. Here are some facts. 35% of African American students in the fourth grade said that “My friends make fun of people who try do well in school.” In short, geeks and nerds. It is very visible in the media, such as television shows and movies that students who have very high grades were or are still bullied on. By 8th grade, it reduced to 23%.
The pressure of fitting in, very visible in high schools, is very