The interconnection of students’ familial environments and contacts with peers has a profound impact on the formation of their moral beliefs, personalities and goals. A supportive family environment serves as the basis for nurturing, resilience, and personal growth. Negative peer influence, on the other hand, might impede a student's intellectual growth by leading them astray. Parallel to this, negative parental influence can also negatively affect a student's holistic development. It may have a bigger impact on a student’s ability to control their emotions and adjust, deviating them from beneficial pathways.
In precis, the following blog explores the intricate web of students’ holistic development within the elements of interpersonal relationships and academic development. The relationships with parents and peers collectively shape the academic, social, cognitive, and emotional dimensions of a student's growth. The interplay between familial environments and peer interactions significantly impacts the formation of moral beliefs, personalities, and goals.
Student engagement, academic motivation, and academic self-efficacy
Self-efficacy explores the judgment of a student's capabilities to execute and organise the actions required for comprehensive academic development. According to Vroom’s theoretical paradigm theory, a student's level of self-efficacy has a big impact on their emotional investment as well as their behavioural patterns. Essentially, students are more willing to engage in learning endeavours when they think their efforts will result in beneficial outcomes such as academic achievement and personal progress. Self-efficacy and engagement among students in schools have a positive reciprocal relationship. The ability to effectively complete tasks is a strong predictor of student engagement. Students who have higher levels of self-efficacy are more likely to see obstacles as manageable and approach assignments with assurance and passion.
As a result, students show more perseverance, initiative, and engagement in their studies, which in turn promotes higher participation in learning activities and involvement in school. On the other hand, by giving students the chance to experience successes and conquer challenges, the engagement itself can further boost students' self-efficacy and help them believe in their talents. The mutually beneficial relationship between self-efficacy and engagement supports school children’s motivation and academic success.
Academic motivation is characterised as a student's behaviour as reflected in their attitude, resolve, and eagerness, all while viewed as their proficiency relative to a benchmark of distinction. The relationship between self-efficacy and motivation was explored by Albert Bandura, depicting how confidently pupils feel they can accomplish tasks, which turns out to be essential for how students encourage themselves towards learning and academic attainments. In addition to general academic motivation, there are two further subtypes: First, intrinsic motivation refers to a student's innate interest in studying, which results from individual curiosity and satisfaction from understanding a subject. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, refers to outside forces that influence a student's dedication to academic goals, such as grades, rewards, or social acceptance (peer, parental, and teacher influence).
The concept of self-efficacy encourages people towards goal-oriented behaviour, sincere dedication, determination, and the capacity to overcome challenges with resilience. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that these self-efficacy beliefs are associated with performing exceptionally well in social, emotional and academic attainment rather than only serving as motivation boosters. Student educational engagement is inextricably linked to academic motivation as measured by students' level of involvement and their innate desire to learn and succeed. Students are more likely to be engaged in their studies when they are organically motivated, have a sincere interest in the material, and want to comprehend it.
This cumulative evidence substantiates the pivotal role that student engagement, motivation, and academic self-efficacy play in steering students towards fostering an environment conducive to their holistic development.
Impact of Peers
During the holistic development of the student amidst all-encompassing growth within academic and personal spheres, peers play a significant role in shaping learning, moral values, scholastic achievement, behaviour, temperament, and a sense of belonging.
The collaborative nature of peers not only fosters positive learning engagement but also self-directed learning. Positive peer interactions, mutual encouragement, and shared learning experiences in a school environment cultivate a sense of belongingness and increase self-esteem. Shared learning activities in formal and informal school settings not only cultivate academic interest but also active engagement and mutual motivation among students.
Peer influence and peer interactions can motivate students’ learning and engagement behaviour and adaptability to a social environment. This influence has the potential not only to catalyze academic trajectories but also to hinder support during academic growth. Moreover, negative interactions can lead to self-doubt and apathy and diminish students’ belief in academic excellence, leading to reduced enthusiasm for learning and involvement in the classroom.
Impact on Parents and Family
The hierarchy of attachment figures gradually shifts throughout adolescence, causing young students to focus more and more of their attachment and preoccupations on peers rather than only their parents. Adolescents are better equipped to independently manage their developmental journey and pursue other important goals like romantic endeavours, social relationships, and exploration, all of which help them grow and become more adaptable.
That said, active parental engagement improves students’ academic experiences, such as consistent attendance, academic excellence, and motivation. Parental involvement and participation in the student’s academic pursuits by being involved in school events, monitoring student advancement, and engaging in conversation with students create a positive environment that leads to cultivating active student engagement in classrooms. In contrast, differential parenting patterns, negative parental interactions, and unrealistic expectations could be driven by fear of failure, propagate external validation, and undermine students’ confidence in their academic development.
Drawing from past research, it can be inferred that adolescents' scholastic achievements are enhanced when they receive combined support from parents and peers. Understanding how the nature of different interpersonal relationships affects the holistic development of students in formal and informal settings is vital for educators, policymakers, and school management to create strategies and interventions to promote engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy.
Adolescents frequently put peer relationships and extracurricular activities before academics and family interactions. The intertwined relationship between peers and parents' influence on academic development is mediated by various social, behavioural, cognitive, and environmental determinants. Peer acceptability and family environment become crucial determinants for forming their identity. Adolescents' choices in clothing, music, and hobbies are influenced by these cliques, which can be rigid and hierarchical. Student’s self-esteem, academic success, and capacity to fend off harmful peer influences like substance use are all greatly impacted by the strength of their relationships with their parents and other adults in their lives. Students can be given the confidence to make wise decisions by having open and honest conversations with their parents. On the other hand, tense parent-student relationships might make students rely more on their friends for advice, which could lead to subpar academic results and hazardous behaviour choices.
Jasleen Kaur
