The Impact of Peer Pressure On Learning :: Peer Pressure Essays

Allan failed his Advanced Algebra test and his parents are going to kill him. But this is not his fault, he was to busy with intramural basketball and his job at Fromm International. With these extra activities he has had no time to study for his math test or do most of the homework. He also has a group of friends who are more concerned with drinking and parting. He try’s to impress his friend by not studying and partying. The main reason why kids and him are not doing so well in school these days is because of their peers. Today’s students listen more to their friends rather than their parents or teachers. Beyond the Classroom and two other sources have backed up the idea of peer pressures effects on kids failing. The book Beyond the Classroom, written by Laurence Steinberg, is about why school reform has failed and what parents need to do. This book explains that schools these days are not as educational as schools back in the day. One of the chapters in this book was titled â€Å"The Power of Peers†. In this section they talked about how teens are effected by other teens. One main reason is teens are not studying and learning as well because of their peers. Kids need groups or â€Å"cliques† to fell important. These groups of peers influence one another. If one kid in the group tells another kid not to do their homework because it will make them look like a geek or a nerd, they will follow the idea because they want to be cool. Also kids involved in sports or extra activities do not do as well as other students, because of the less time to study. Also kids with after school jobs are more likely to fail courses or even classes. â€Å"These kids are not failing school because they don’t try hard or because they don’t study, it’s because they are to involved in other activities†, says Laurence Steinberg. The second source was an article in Family Life. The article â€Å"Adolescence & Peer Pressure† was written by Herbert G. Lingren. This article agreed with Beyond the Classroom and also states some of the same reasons. They said that â€Å"peers these days encourage poor school performance, and peers look down on kids who succeed in school†. The one scary thing is that parents don’t realize that their kids are doing poorly in till the last minute.