Peer Support and Academic Adjustment among Stem-11 Students in a Faith-Based School

Authors

Mary Jellian Dherich J. Galgao*

Mindanao Mission Academy (Philippines)

Janet Beatrice P. Bias

Mindanao Mission Academy (Philippines)

Mattea Princess Janelle G. Aviles

Mindanao Mission Academy (Philippines)

Zoe Arabelle D. Diu

Mindanao Mission Academy (Philippines)

Scott L. Gahum

Mindanao Mission Academy (Philippines)

Article Information

DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS.2026.10200572

Subject Category: Social Sciences

Volume/Issue: 10/2 | Page No: 8002-8017

Publication Timeline

Submitted: 2026-03-02

Accepted: 2026-03-07

Published: 2026-03-21

Abstract

This study looked at how peer support affects adjustment for Grade 11 STEM students at a faith-based school. The goal was to see how peer support these students get in terms of emotional help, information and practical assistance as well as how well they adjust to school in terms of staying engaged handling stress and managing their time. The researchers used a survey to collect data from 150 Grade 11 STEM students at Mindanao Mission Academy in the Philippines. They made sure every student had a chance of being selected. The survey questions were based on tested ones. The results showed that these students generally get moderate to levels of peer support especially when it comes to emotional and practical help. They also do moderately well in adjusting to school with most of them being engaged in their studies. The researchers found a connection between peer support and how well students adjust to school. They also found that getting information from peers helps students cope with stress and emotional support helps them manage their time better. These findings are important because they show how peer support can help students deal with the challenges of STEM education in a faith-based school. The study can help teachers and school administrators understand how to support their students. For example they can set up peer mentoring programs, group study sessions and wellness programs to help students stay motivated and do well in school. More research is needed to understand how things, like self-confidence and motivation affect how students adjust to school.

Keywords

Peer support, Academic adjustment, STEM students, Faith-based education, Senior high school

Downloads

References

1. Amalia, R., & Latifah, M. (2019). Parental support, academic emotion, learning strategy, and academic achievement on first year student. Journal of Family Sciences, 4(1), 41-53. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bradley, G. L., Ferguson, S., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J. (2021). Parental support, peer support and school connectedness as foundations for student engagement and academic achievement in Australian youth. In R. Dimitrova & N. Wiium (Eds.), Handbook of positive youth development: Advancing research, policy, and practice in global contexts (pp. 219–236). Springer Nature Switzerland AG. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Camacho-Morles, J., Slemp, G. R., Pekrun, R., Loderer, K., Hou, H., & Oades, L. G. (2021). Activity achievement emotions and academic performance: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 33(3), 1051–1095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09585-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chen, C., Bian, F., & Zhu, Y. (2023). The relationship between social support and academic engagement among university students: the chain mediating effects of life satisfaction and academic motivation. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17301-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Davenport Huyer, L., Callaghan, N. I., Dicks, S., Scherer, E., Shukalyuk, A. I., Jou, M., & Kilkenny, D. M. (2020). Enhancing senior high school student engagement and academic performance using an inclusive and scalable inquiry-based program. npj Science of Learning, 5(1), 17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Fernández Lasarte, O., Ramos Díaz, E., Goñi Palacios, E., & Rodríguez Fernández, A. (2020). The role of social support in school adjustment during secondary education. Psicothema, 32(1). http://hdl.handle.net/10810/55974 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Gallardo-Lolandes, Y., Alcas-Zapata, N., Flores, J. E. A., & Ocaña-Fernández, Y. (2020). Time Management and Academic Stress in Lima University Students. International Journal of Higher Education, 9(9), 32-40. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Iskandar, I., Abu Bakar, A. Y., Defrianti, D., & Setiawan, M. E. (2024). Emotion regulation and gender as the key predictors of academic stress among STEM students in Islamic universities. Cogent Psychology, 11(1), 2406640. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Jayme, S. M., Aparecio, M., Bendanillo, A. A., Arana, A. M. M., Dumdum, J. P., Ikeshiro, N., & Toring, K. (2023). Time management on task completion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students of ECT Excellencia Global Academy Foundation, Inc. Science and Education, 4(2), 1160-1170. https://openscience.uz/index.php/sciedu/article/view/5183 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Manzoor, Z., & Ahmed, A. (2023). Relationship between Academic Stress, Coping and Engagement Strategies among Adolescents. Academy of Education and Social Sciences Review, 3(3), 255-263. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Nick, E. A., Cole, D. A., Cho, S., Smith, D. K., Carter, T. G., & Zelkowitz, R. L. (2018). The Online Social Support Scale: Measure development and validation. Psychological Assessment, 30(9), 1127–1143. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000558 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Sailo, H., & Varghese, D. (2024). Academic stress, its sources, effects and coping mechanisms among college students. International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research, 9(3), 124–132. https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20240316 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Schultz, B. E., Corbett, C. F., & Hughes, R. G. (2022). Instrumental support: A conceptual analysis. Nursing Forum, 57(4), 665–670. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12704 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Sengsouliya, S., Soukhavong, S., Silavong, N., Sengsouliya, S., & Littlepage, F. (2020). An investigation on predictors of student academic engagement. European Journal of Education Studies. https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejes/article/view/2793/5431 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Shao, Y., Kang, S., Lu, Q., Zhang, C., & Li, R. (2024). How peer relationships affect academic achievement among junior high school students: The chain mediating roles of learning motivation and learning engagement. BMC Psychology, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01780-z [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Sivagami, A., & Samundeeswari, R. (2023). ASSESSMENT OF ACADEMIC STRESS AND COPING MECHANISM AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS. Multidisciplinary Handbook of Social Exclusion Research, 93. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Tinajero, C., Martínez-López, Z., Rodríguez, M. S., & Páramo, M. F. (2020). Perceived social support as a predictor of academic success in Spanish university students. Anales de Psicología / Annals of Psychology, 36(1), 134–142. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.344141j [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Worley, J. T., Meter, D. J., Hall, A. R., Nishina, A., & Medina, M. A. (2023). Prospective associations between peer support, academic competence, and anxiety in college students. Social Psychology of Education, 26(4), 1017–1035. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09781-3 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Yadav, N., Yadav, K., Khare, A., Goel, O., & Goel, P. (2023). Dynamic self-regulation: A key to effective time management. International Journal of Novel Research and Development, 8(11), d854-d876. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Zhu, Y., Lu, H., Wang, X., Ma, W., & Xu, M. (2025). The relationship between perceived peer support and academic adjustment among higher vocational college students: The chain mediating effects of academic hope and professional identity. Frontiers in Psychology, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1534883 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

Metrics

Views & Downloads

Similar Articles