Relationship Between Peer Social Interactions and Students’ Socio-Emotional Development in Secondary Schools in Awka Urban of Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between peer social interactions and socio-emotional development in secondary schools in Awka Urban, Anambra State. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between peer social interactions (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making) and socio-emotional development of secondary school students. One research question guided the study. The study targeted the 8,642 senior secondary students (SS1–SS3) enrolled in the twelve public secondary schools of Awka Urban during the 2025/2026 academic session. The study utilized a sample of 384 students. The Peer Social Interactions Questionnaire (PSIQ) is a 18-item instrument designed to measure social interactions with 4-point Likert scale for responses. Reliability was established through pilot testing with 50 students from two schools in Awka North, demographically similar to the study population. Internal consistency for the PSIQ was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha statistic which indicated excellent reliability, with the correlation coefficient of 0.85. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant moderate-to-strong positive relationship between peer social interactions and socio-emotional development. Based on the findings, the study recommended that teachers should transit from seeing peer interactions as distractions to viewing them as pedagogical tools by integrating structured peer tutoring and cooperative learning. The study concluded that peer group dynamics serve as strong predictors of socio-emotional development among secondary school students.