Determinants of Academic Performance of In-School Adolescents in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Adolescence is the period following the onset of puberty during which physical and psychological occur. In-school adolescent academic performance can be determined by factors such as peer pressure, learning environment and home background. Peer pressure is commonly associated with episodes of adolescent risk taking (such as delinquency, drug abuse, sexual behaviours), because this behaviour commonly occurs in the company of peers. It can also have positive effects when youth are pressured by the peer toward positive behaviour. The interaction of various characteristics of school and classroom climate can create a support that enables all members of the school community not only to learn but also to teach at optimum levels. Nevertheless, a negative school climate interferes with learning and development and can affect academic performance of in-school adolescents. A functioning family is beneficial to a child than a dysfunctional one. Family separation was a great contributor of child neglect which generally leads to child deviant behavior. For example, leaving home and addicted to vices and the like from parental and family neglect, lack of supervision and guidance, lack of supervision and the absence of close relationships between teenager and his or her parents are factors that influence delinquency and poor academic performance.It is obvious that secondary schools should have guidance services with a competent counsellor to counsel students from broken homes, child raised by single parent and parents who do not pay adequate attention to their children and wards’ education and those students experiencing challenges in schools; and peer pressure.