Perceived Peer-Support-Need in Undergraduate Students Studying in Higher Educational Institutes

Description

Sonali, Vandana Kanwar, and Preeti Sharma (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab)

The present study investigated the extent and areas of peer-support need among undergraduate students in higher educational institutes (HEIs) and explored gender differences in perceived need for peer support. A total of 900 students (450 boys & 450 girls), equally distributed across gender and locale, participated in the study through non-random selection. Data were collected on socio-personal characteristics, perceived need of peer support in educational, social and emotional areas and gender differences in peer-support-need. Results revealed that the majority of students felt a frequent need for peer support. Gender comparisons indicated that girls perceived a higher need for peer support than boys across all areas-educational, social and emotional, with differences statistically significant at the 0.01 level. The study recommends that in higher educational institutions, undergraduate students need the support of their peers frequently, so opportunities need to be created on the campus where undergraduate students can interact frequently with their peers informally. It will also address the social needs of the undergraduate students that were clearly reflected in the results of the current research.