Peer Group Influences

            Peer network interactions might operate in a number of ways to develop and encourage attitudes, values, and behaviours related to learning. Pattison (1994) argues that social influence can be classified into three categories. Firstly, a social relationship may determine the type of information a person is exposed to. Secondly, typical patterns of social interaction may lead to social influence, i.e., when students develop a shared level of mathematics anxiety to show affinity to their peer group. And thirdly, social influence may occur when people perceive that their social position (e.g. as an active or not-active member of the peer network) has implications for cognition and behaviour.

Students with low performance (slow learner) try to move the same phase as those with higher achievements in mathematics, and if they failed to do so, they give up. Students with low performance’s belief that they will not do better, they then influence friends in their circle.