DRIVING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH PEER MENTORSHIP: HOW AGE AND GENDER SHAPE OUTCOMES IN LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IDEMILI NORTH, ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study examined the effect of a peer mentorship programme on academic 
achievement among secondary school students from low socio-economic 
backgrounds in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. 
A quasi-experimental design was employed with 65 students, comprising 36 in 
the experimental group who received an eight-week peer mentorship intervention 
and 29 in the control group who continued with the standard curriculum. 
Academic achievement was assessed using pretest and posttest scores in English 
and Mathematics. The moderating roles of age and gender were also investigated. 
Findings revealed increase in achievement for the experimental group (M gain = 
10.62) compared with the control group (M gain = –0.42), with ANCOVA 
confirming a significant group effect, F(1, 61) = 5.01, p = .029. Age significantly 
moderated outcomes, F(4, 53) = 4.32, p = .004, with younger students (aged 9
12) showing the largest gains (M gain = 17.50). Gender did not significantly 
moderate outcomes, F(2, 57) = 0.94, p = .398, indicating equitable benefits for 
males and females. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the Effectively 
Maintained Inequality hypothesis, the findings suggest that peer mentorship is a 
promising strategy for enhancing achievement and promoting educational equity 
in disadvantaged contexts. Practical recommendations include implementing age
sensitive mentorship structures and ensuring gender-equitable mentor–mentee 
pairings to maximise impact.