ABSTRACT 

This study examined peer group activity and teacher factors as correlates of academic achievement in physics among senior secondary school students in Owerri Education Zone 1 of Imo State. The study was a correlationalresearch design. Three research questions and threenull hypotheses guided the study. The sample for the study consisted of 365students drawn throughmultistage sampling technique from a population of 4223senior secondary school students. The instrument named “Peer Group Activities in Physics Questionnaire (PGAPQ), Teacher Factors for Physics Questionnaire (TFPQ) and Physics Achievement Test (PAT)with ten, eighteen and twenty items, respectively was used for the study. The instrument was validated by three experts in Science Education, and Educational Psychology, from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The data obtained through the trial testing were used to determine the reliability of the items which yielded reliability index of 0.70 and 0.74 for PGAPQ and TFPQ, respectively and internal consistency reliability of 0.83 and 0.76 for PGAPQ and TFPQ, respectively. The data collected were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha methodsince the items of the instrument were not dichotomously scored. The internal consistency of the items was determined usingKuder Richardson Formula 21 (KR-21) method which yielded a reliability estimate of 0.69 for the PAT. Kuder Richardson Formula 21 (KR-21) method was used since the items of the instrument had multiple choice questions.Pearson’sProduct Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was used to answer the research questions as well as to test hypotheses raised for the study. The result among others showed that peer group activity, teacher’s use of instructional materials, teacher’s use of teaching method have positive and high relationship with students’ academic achievement in physics. The result further showed that peer group activity, teacher’s use of instructional materials and teacher’s use of teaching method have significant relationship with students’ academic achievement in physics.Drawing from the result of this study, it was concluded that peer group activity and teacher factors have positive and signficant realtionship with the academic achievement of students in physics in Owerri Education Zone 1 of Imo State. Based on these findings it was recommended that peer group activity in academic circle should be encouraged byteachers since it is found to have positive relationship with student’s performance especially in physics. The school administration should encourage the teachers to always used instructional materials in teaching physics since it is positive related to students’academic achievement in physics.