AL IBTIDA: JURNAL PENDIDIKAN GURU MI .
VOL 12 .
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DOI: http://dx.
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24235/al.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning Disabilities:
Do Parental Socioeconomic Status and Peer Influence Play Any Role? Temilade Silifatu Ayo* *Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education.
University of Ibadan.
Oyo State.
Nigeria E-mail: diligentmontesori@gmail.
Kelechi Uchemadu Lazarus** *Doctor of Philosophy in Special Education.
University of Ibadan.
Oyo State.
Nigeria E-mail: ppadaeze@yahoo.
Received: January 03th, 2025.
Accepted: October 23th, 2025.
Published: October 31st, 2025.
Abstract Social adjustment, a crucial aspect of everyoneAos life, is needed to cope with oneAos engagement with others in society and overall social life.
However, reports have shown that many in-school adolescents, particularly in Oyo State secondary schools, exhibit poor social adjustment.
Therefore, this study investigated the predictive influence of parental socioeconomic status and peer influence on the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
The study adopted the descriptive survey research design of the correlational type.
The multistage sampling procedure was used.
The three Senatorial Districts in Oyo State were enumerated.
Twenty-seven public senior secondary schools .
hree from each local government are.
were randomly selected.
The Screening Inventory for Learning Disabilities was adopted to identify 452 in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
The instruments used were Peer Influence .
=0.
Parental Socioeconomic Status .
=0.
, and Social Adjustment .
=0.
Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product moment correlation at the 0.
05 level of The findings showed that there was a significant relationship between peer influence and social adjustment .
=0.
as well as between parental socioeconomic status and social adjustment .
=0.
of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
Based on the findings, the researchers made some recommendations for relevant stakeholders.
However, the study calls for special educators and stakeholders to identify and support students with learning disabilities early, in order to enhance their social skills and long-term well-being.
Keywords: adolescentsAo social engagements, learning disabilities, peer influence, socio-economic status of parents.
Abstrak Penyesuaian sosial, aspek penting dari kehidupan setiap orang, diperlukan untuk mengatasi keterlibatan seseorang dengan orang lain dalam masyarakat dan kehidupan sosial secara keseluruhan.
Namun, laporan telah menunjukkan bahwa banyak remaja di sekolah, khususnya di sekolah menengah Oyo State, menunjukkan penyesuaian sosial yang buruk.
Oleh karena itu, penelitian ini menyelidiki pengaruh prediktif Copyright A 2025 Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
Department of Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teacher Education.
UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon.
Indonesia.
Temilade Silifatu Ayo.
Kelechi Uchemadu Lazarus.
Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA status sosial ekonomi orang tua dan pengaruh teman sebaya pada penyesuaian sosial remaja di sekolah dengan disabilitas belajar.
Penelitian ini mengadopsi desain penelitian survei deskriptif dari jenis korelasional.
Prosedur pengambilan sampel multitahap digunakan.
Tiga Distrik Senatorial di Negara Bagian Oyo dihitung.
Dua puluh tujuh sekolah menengah atas negeri .
iga dari setiap wilayah pemerintah daera.
dipilih secara acak.
Inventaris Skrining untuk Disabilitas Belajar diadopsi untuk mengidentifikasi 452 remaja di sekolah dengan disabilitas belajar.
Instrumen yang digunakan adalah skala Pengaruh Teman Sebaya .
=0,.
Status Sosial Ekonomi Orang Tua .
=0,.
, dan Penyesuaian Sosial .
=0,.
Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif dan korelasi momen produk Pearson pada tingkat signifikansi 0,05.
Temuan penelitian menunjukkan adanya hubungan yang signifikan antara pengaruh teman sebaya dan penyesuaian sosial .
=0,.
serta antara status sosial ekonomi orang tua dan penyesuaian sosial .
=0,.
pada remaja di sekolah dengan disabilitas belajar.
Berdasarkan temuan ini, para peneliti memberikan beberapa rekomendasi bagi para pemangku kepentingan terkait.
Namun, studi ini menghimbau para pendidik khusus dan pemangku kepentingan untuk mengidentifikasi dan mendukung siswa dengan disabilitas belajar sejak dini guna meningkatkan keterampilan sosial dan kesejahteraan jangka panjang mereka.
Kata kunci: keterlibatan sosial remaja, kesulitan belajar, pengaruh teman sebaya, status sosial ekonomi orang tua.
INTRODUCTION
Adjustment is the behavioral process of balancing conflicting needs in the Adjustment balances the individual's physical, psychological, and social needs (Deka, 2.
According to Sasikumar .
, social adjustment involves adapting to societal norms, values, and expectations to be able to integrate and belong.
A socially adjusted person is one who strives to navigate and conform to the cultural and social context.
Adjustment facilitates social integration, leading to recognition and acceptance among peers.
Typically, in-school adolescents, particularly those with learning disabilities, experience difficulty adapting to a favorable school system.
However, these adjustments are significant in the lives and education of the students.
Adolescents with learning disabilities in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS .
transiting to Senior Secondary School 1 .
have dreams of what they want to become in the near future.
Nevertheless, these adolescents with learning disabilities encounter social problems (Khasawneh, 2.
, such as difficulties adjusting to social relationships and interacting with friends, peer rejection and isolation (Bruefach & Reynolds, 2.
, and a lack of effective communication skills (Khasawneh, 2020.
It should be noted that successful adjustment is critical to living a high-quality life (Weiten.
Dunn & Hammer, 2.
, especially for students in their adolescent years.
Many in-school adolescents with learning disabilities struggle with reading, spelling, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, and basic mathematical skills, resulting in academic and social failure (Franceschini.
Bertoni.
Gianesini.
Gori & Facoetti, 2017.
Kohli.
Sharma & Padhy, 2018.
Dominguez & Carugno, 2.
Learning disabilities involve persistent difficulties in acquiring and understanding reading, listening, writing, and speaking activities (Lazarus, 2.
Similarly, specific learning disability is a limitation in neurological processing .
, dyslexi.
, and it is associated with higher levels of independent living compared to intellectual and multiple disabilities (Krause & Ueno, 2.
Martyn-Ruiz.
Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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12 No.
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Kelechi Uchemadu Lazarus.
Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA Gonzylez-Valenzuela, and Infante-Cayete .
described the adolescence period as a sensitive stage marked by potential emotional and psychological challenges.
The authors conducted a study and found that adolescents with specific learning disabilities demonstrated more internalizing and externalizing symptoms than their peers, greater awareness of their emotional difficulties, and lower self-esteem and social integration and competence.
The authors concluded that there is the need for preventive interventions that promote the psychological well-being and mental health of adolescents within the school setting at an early age.
Researchers have documented several factors, including parental socioeconomic status and peer influence, that impact the adjustment needs of adolescents in school.
Previous research has demonstrated that a single variable, parental socioeconomic status (SES), influences the social adjustment of adolescents with learning disabilities (LD).
Some of those studies were conducted in different contexts and not actually within the Nigerian setting.
Higher SES buffers adjustment through improved support, but lower SES is associated with worsened social challenges because of resource constraints (Hosokawa & Katsura, 2.
addition, according to McNamara et al.
, peer influence is significant, with positive interactions promoting adjustment and negative dynamics exacerbating deficiencies.
The present study aims to focus solely on learning disabilities in teenagers and examine the combined effects of SES and peer influence, which could help overcome the limitations of earlier studies.
In other words, there are still important gaps, though, as previous research has mostly addressed SES and peer influence in isolation (Basuki.
Saputri, and Iswinarti, 2.
, which limits their applicability.
Parental socioeconomic status of an adolescent in any society has to do with the family's income, educational achievement, and occupational level, all related to one another.
Parental education significantly influences family income, which in turn affects the environment in which children are raised.
Research from Sengonul .
underscores that socioeconomic status (SES) is closely linked to children's cognitive development and academic achievement.
Children from higher SES families are more likely to have access to resources and opportunities that promote cognitive growth, leading to better educational Furthermore, parental involvement is an important factor that influences adolescents' social and academic trajectories.
A study by Zhang et al.
examining the influences of socioeconomic status on parental educational expectations found that higher SES positively influences parents' expectations and involvement in their children's education.
This increased involvement often includes setting educational aspirations and engaging in school-related activities, which are more prevalent among parents with higher socioeconomic Such engagement provides adolescents with the necessary tools to navigate social and academic challenges effectively, leading to improved social interactions and reduced behavioral issues.
Researchers such as de Laat.
Essink-Bot, van Wassenaer-Leemhuis, and Vrijkotte .
Garratt.
Chandola.
Purdam, and Wood .
and Jerrim and Sims .
have revealed that children who are from lower socioeconomic statuses tend to start school with less developed social adjustment skills compared to their peers from higher socioeconomic Parker.
Sanders.
Anders.
Shure.
Jerrim.
Noetel.
Parker.
Ciarrochi, and Marsh .
examined the relationship existing between school average socioeconomic status and social Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA skills of 9369 Australian children.
The researchers collected reports from both parents and It was found that students from more advantaged schools were more likely to possess better prosocial behaviors and lesser peer and conduct disorders.
The relationship between family and school socioeconomic status reveals that the link is more pronounced among children from lower-income backgrounds.
Ogunsola .
found that students with learning disabilities are socially adjusted positively due to their parent's socioeconomic status.
Parents must consider their own socioeconomic status when assessing their childrenAos social Socioeconomically disadvantaged families often lack the support that families with high socioeconomic status enjoy regarding financial, social, and educational resources.
To support and promote the development of their children, there is a need to make resources available in their community.
A study by Zahra and Hidayat .
revealed that families with low socioeconomic status are often characterized by limited access to resources like finances and parental time, resulting in reduced opportunities for personal growth and increased risk of behavioral issues such as rejection, running away, and rebellion.
In addition, studies in Indonesia found that the higher the socio-economic status of parents, the greater the opportunity to fulfill the needs of the child's talent development, so that children are able to attain achievements during their learning process (Oryza & Listiadi, 2021.
Kharisma & Latifah, 2.
, consequently leading the children to experience favorable social adjustment.
When parents get involved in the education and general well-being of their children, this leads to a positive impact on students' academic success, emotional well-being, and social development (Toraman.
Aktan & Korkmaz, 2022.
Putri & Yustiana, 2.
Active parental engagement and involvement are related to studentsAo happiness at school, decreased academic stress, and improved academic processes (Taseer.
Khan.
Yasir.
Kishwer & Iqbal, 2023.
Toraman et al.
, 2.
Moreover, parental involvement is linked to better student outcomes, including improved behavior, attitudes, and personality, which in turn influence cognitive and social development in all students (Martino.
Hernyndez.
Payeda.
Mon & de Mesa, 2.
, including those with disabilities (Weingarten.
Zumeta Edmonds & Arden, 2.
Lorentzen.
Bauger, and Ambugo .
conducted a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 17,941 adolescents from a Norwegian county who were aged 14 to 19 years.
The finding of the study revealed some positive effect of the adolescentsAo family socioeconomic status on their well-being.
The authors submitted that the findings enhanced researchersAo understanding of the pathways by which socio-economic status affects adolescent mental health and the factors that may protect against the negative influences of living in low socioeconomic environments.
Other researchers have reported that students from low parent socioeconomic background are prone to the following: smaller family social network (Goldblatt.
Castedo.
Allen.
Lionello.
Bell.
Marmot,.
& Nyss 2.
, less desirable living conditions (Duncan.
Magnuson, & Votruba-Drzal 2017.
Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, having fewer friends and experiencing more bullying (Hjalmarsson, 2018.
Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, poor interpersonal relationships with oneAos teachers and other students (Hjalmarsson, 2018.
Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, limited availability for safe and quality recreational activities in the community (Alliott.
Ryan.
Fairbrother & Van Sluijs, 2022.
Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, lower participation in organized leisure activities (Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, lower academic skills and outcomes (Goldblatt et al.
, 2.
, poorer neurocognitive functioning, including language.
Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA executive function and memory ability (Duncan.
Magnuson & Votruba-Drzal, 2017.
Farah, 2017.
Lawson.
Hook & Farah 2.
and unfavourable lifestyle patterns (Mielke.
Brown.
Nunes.
Silva & Hallal, 2017.
Philbrook.
Saini.
Fuller-Rowell.
Buckhalt, & El-Sheikh, 2020.
Mayne.
Mitchell.
Virudachalam.
Fiks & Williamson 2021.
Alliott.
Ryan.
Fairbrother & Van Sluijs 2.
Several aspects of teen culture have powerful socializing influences.
Due to various attitudes, skills, and forms of knowledge acquired through role-play in school, adolescents become involved with a social group of Aulike minds and interestsAy (Famolu, 2.
Many peers look up to their peers as role models, often admiring and emulating their qualities, achievements, or behaviors (Korir & Kipkemboi, 2.
Children learn important socialemotional skills such as empathy, cooperation, and problem-solving skills through interactions with peers (Pepler & Bierman, 2.
This phenomenon implies that the influence of peer interactions can contribute immensely to social adjustment of both young children and adolescents since they are all in developmental stages of life.
Korir and Kipkemboi .
conducted a correlation study in Sabatia District of Vihiga County in twenty-one public secondary schools.
The findings demonstrated that school environment and peer influence had significant contributions to the studentsAo academic performance.
The present researcher draws inference from this study suggesting that the role of peer influence on the academic performance of secondary school students could have a ripple effect on their social adjustment.
This is because the more academically sound a student becomes, the higher the likelihood that the student will adjust better in school and society.
According to social learning and bonding social capital theories, close friends can have a strong impact on adolescents, whether positive or negative, due to their significant influence (Fujiyama.
Kamo & Schafer, 2.
Furthermore.
Nwauzoije.
Ugochukwu.
Ogbonnaya, and Onyekachi .
examined the influence of peer relationships on the self-consciousness and social adaptation of school-aged children in the Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Nigeria.
The sample was six hundred and two .
primary school children from 58 schools in the Local Government Area.
The finding revealed a moderate positive relationship between peer relationships and social adaptation.
Basuki.
Saputri, and Iswinarti .
posited that during adolescence, peer groups play a significant role, fostering strong bonds and reliance on friends for enjoyment and emotional After undertaking a systematic review of 15 studies, the authors concluded that peer group influence among adolescents tended to have more negative impacts .
or instance, dating violence, withdrawal, aggression, smoking, alcohol use, and other.
than positive impacts like boosting adolescent self-confidence and prosocial behavior.
According to the finding of Istia et al.
, peer conformity is strongly associated with self-confidence in high school Adolescents often spend their time interacting with other peers and adhering to what their peers like or dislike in terms of hairstyles, fashion, musical tastes, and other things (Permata & Nasution, 2.
Furthermore.
Yuliantari and Herdiyanto .
reported that peer relationships tend to become a crucial source of pleasure and attachment.
form strong emotional bonds with their friends.
Oni .
examined peer group pressure affecting adolescents' social adjustment in Nigerian schools, focusing on the Ikeja Local Government Area.
The author reported that adolescents' social adjustment is related to pressure from their peers, and adolescentsAo gender Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA can also be a determining factor when social adjustment is considered.
It is known that specific learning disability is a hidden disability.
therefore, many adolescents with learning disabilities do exhibit specific characteristics that may affect their educational, psychological, and social adjustment.
One of these characteristics may be the inability to form lasting relationships, which will result in poor social adjustment.
In contrast, the study by Adeniyi and Kolawole .
investigated the influence of peer pressure on adolescent social The study involving 100 respondents who were randomly selected from five secondary schools in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Education District of Lagos State.
Nigeria, found no significant relationship between peer pressure and social behavior, self-concept, gender, and parental rearing pattern of adolescents.
A critical examination of the available literature reveals the need for further studies similar to the present one.
Of particular interest are the studies conducted by Oni .
and Adeniyi and Kolawole .
The studies by both Oni and Adeniyi and Kolawole were conducted within Nigeria, and they reveal some similarities as well as contrasts.
Both studies under consideration took place in Lagos State, albeit in distinct local government areas.
Both studies considered the social adjustment of adolescents with respect to the influence of peer Although the respondents sampled did not have learning disabilities, the results do not also point in the same direction.
The implication of these discoveries is that there is the need to investigate similar subjects and variables using adolescents with learning disabilities so far that we are in an era of inclusion globally.
It will be necessary to equally understand the impact of peer influence and parental socioeconomic status on adolescents with learning disabilitiesAo social adjustment.
This study set out to fill this gap.
Socioeconomic status (SES) significantly shapes the lives of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities (LD), particularly when parents have low SES, often restricting their relationships to similar peers (Hosokawa & Katsura, 2.
This study examines how parental SES and peer influence predict social adjustment in these adolescents.
Special education specialists require sustainable solutions to identify and support LD adolescents in public secondary schools for brighter futures.
Therefore, the researcher decided to ascertain if there are relationships between the independent variables .
arental socio-economic status and peer influenc.
and the dependent variable .
ocial adjustmen.
of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
The finding will benefit in-school adolescents with learning disabilities because it will broaden their knowledge, and they will have a better understanding about their learning problems.
The result will be of assistance to parents and guide those of them whose wards have learning problems on how to make a living by taking up a vocation.
The result will inform studentsAo class teachers and subject teachers that there are students in their various classes that need special attention and help from both academic and social perspectives.
By investigating how peer influence and parental socioeconomic status (SES) interact to shape social adjustment in adolescents with learning disabilities (LD), this study offers a fresh viewpoint.
Although academic issues in LD have been the subject of previous research, this study is unique in that it focuses on social results, an area that has received less By combining peer influence and socioeconomic status, it fills a knowledge gap about how elements outside of a person's disability impact their social integration and provides new perspectives on the overall development of adolescents with LD who are enrolled in school.
The study investigated the relationship existing between parental Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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12 No.
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Kelechi Uchemadu Lazarus.
Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA socioeconomic status and peer influence as independent variables and the dependent variable, which is social adjustment among in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in Oyo State.
Nigeria.
Specifically, the study set out to .
examine the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and social adjustment among in-school adolescents with learning .
ascertain the relationship between peer influence and social adjustment of inschool adolescents with learning disabilities.
METHODS
The study adopted a descriptive research design of the correlational type.
The study examined the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable, in which the researcher did not manipulate the independent variables since they had already The population of this study comprised all in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in the senior secondary school one (SS.
in Oyo State.
The selection of the sample was based on the characteristics of learning problems or difficulties among the students.
The multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the study.
The first stage involved enumeration of the three senatorial districts in Oyo State.
These are Oyo Central.
Oyo South, and Oyo North.
The second stage was the adoption of a simple random sampling technique for the selection of three Local Government Areas (LGA.
from each of the senatorial districts, making nine in total.
The third stage was the selection of three secondary schools from each of the LGAs, using a simple random sampling technique.
A total number of twenty-seven secondary schools were therefore involved in the study.
The fourth stage was the use of the purposive sampling technique for the selection of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
Screening Inventory for Learning Disabilities (SILD), adapted from the scale by Herriot .
, was used for screening the students.
It was adapted and used to identify the respondents across art, commercial, and science classes in each of the schools.
The statement that describes them reads.
0-AoneverAo, 1-Aoalmost neverAo, 2-AosometimesAo, 3-AooftenAo, 4-Aoall the timeAo.
The number of students with learning problems varied from each of the selected schools due to their population and educational standards.
The scale is administered to the students in each of the schools.
Those students with learning disabilities were identified In all, four hundred and fifty-two in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in Senior Secondary School One were considered as the respondents for the study.
Data collected in this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentage to analyze the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Pearson product moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between the independent variables and dependent variables.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Relationship between Parental Socioeconomic Status and Social Adjustment of InSchool Adolescents with Learning Disabilities.
To provide a clearer picture of the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and social adjustment in adolescents with learning difficulties, the following data is presented in the table 1.
Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA Table 1.
The Relationship between Parental Socioeconomic Status and Social Adjustment Variables Social Parent socioeconomic Mean Std.
Dev.
p-value Remarks Sig.
* Correlation is significant at the 0.
05 level .
-taile.
Table 1 shows that there is a significant relationship between socio-economic status of parent and social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities .
=0.
n=452, p<0.
Hence, socioeconomic status of parents influenced the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in the study.
This indicates that an adolescent from a high socioeconomic status will display better social adjustment and vice versa.
The null hypothesis is rejected.
The Relationship between Peer Influence and Social Adjustment of In-School Adolescents with Learning Disabilities To provide a clearer picture of the relationship between peer influence and social adjustment in adolescents with learning difficulties, the following data is presented in the Table 2.
The Relationship between Peer Influence and Social Adjustment Variables Mean Std.
Dev.
Social p-value Remarks Sig.
Peer *Correlation is significant at the 0.
05 level .
-taile.
Table 2 shows that there is a significant relationship between peer influence and social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities .
=0.
46, n=452, p<0.
Hence, peer group influenced the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in the study.
This implies that positive peer influence will result in better social adjustment.
The null hypothesis is therefore rejected.
The finding of hypothesis one is significant according to the result.
It was found that there was a significant relationship between the socioeconomic status of parents and the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
This implies that there is an effect present.
The present finding is in consonance with the finding of de Laat et al.
and Garratt.
Chandola.
Purdam, and Wood .
, who revealed that children from lower socioeconomic statuses tend to start school with less developed social adjustment skills compared to their peers from higher socioeconomic statuses.
Also, the present finding is in consonance with the discoveries of Parker.
Sanders.
Anders.
Shure.
Jerrim.
Noetel.
Parker.
Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
Vol.
12 No.
October 2025 Temilade Silifatu Ayo.
Kelechi Uchemadu Lazarus.
Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA Ciarrochi, and Marsh .
, indicating that students from more advantaged schools were more likely to possess better prosocial behaviors and lesser peer and conduct disorders.
Similarly, the present finding corroborates the finding of Zahra and Hidayat .
that demonstrated that families with low socioeconomic status are often characterized by limited access to resources like finances and parental time, resulting in reduced opportunities for personal growth and increased risk of behavioral issues such as rejection, running away, and The finding is also in line with the finding of Zhang et al.
that revealed that higher SES positively influences parents' expectations and involvement in their children's Also, it has been documented that the higher the socio-economic status of parents, the greater the opportunity to fulfill the needs of the child's talent development so that children are able to attain achievements during their learning process (Kharisma & Latifah.
Oryza & Listiadi, 2.
, consequently leading the children to experience favorable social adjustment.
This finding relates to in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in Oyo State.
Nigeria, in that this study has revealed that there is the possibility, to an extent, that the majority of the in-school adolescents in the public secondary schools come from low socioeconomic status homes.
Due to the poor parental socioeconomic status of these adolescents, the studentsAo parents may find it an unnecessary expense because they do not have extra textbooks except the ones given by the Oyo State government.
There is no standard library in schools, and very few secondary schools in the state have functional computer The teachers improvise or make provision for learning materials on their own.
AdolescentsAo interest in academic work and socializing with peers portrays his/her parents` status as shown by the present finding.
Furthermore, hypothesis two is significant as well.
It was found that there was a significant relationship between peer influence and social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
This implies that peer group influence has some effect on the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in the study.
Thus, the presence of positive peer group influence among in-school adolescents will lead to better social Conversely, when in-school adolescents with learning disabilities do not experience positive peer group influence, their social adjustment will be poor.
It clearly shows that without positive peer group interaction, there would be serious social problems among inschool adolescents with learning disabilities.
This implies that peer rejection at the childhood stage or adolescence stage is a good predictor of social problems in life.
This finding is in support of the report of Bruefach & Reynolds .
that students with learning disabilities suffer social rejection, often leading to poor social adjustment.
The present finding is in tandem with the finding of Nwauzoije.
Ugochukwu.
Ogbonnaya, and Onyekachi .
that revealed a moderate positive relationship between peer relationships and social adaptation.
The finding corroborates with the finding of Oni .
that indicated that there is a relationship between adolescents' social adjustment and peer pressure.
However, the finding of the present study does not correspond with the finding of Adeniyi and Kolawole .
that revealed no significant relationship between peer pressure and social behavior, selfconcept, gender, and parental rearing pattern of adolescents.
Perhaps the reason for this contrary finding could be two-way.
Firstly, the respondents in the present study have learning disabilities, while those in the former study do not.
Secondly, the present study examined only Al Ibtida: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru MI.
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Social Adjustment among in-School Adolescents with Learning DisabilitiesA social adjustment as the dependent variable, while the former study examined social behavior, self-concept, gender, and parental rearing pattern of adolescents as dependent variables.
Nonetheless, the present finding is also in agreement with the finding of Istia et al.
, who reported that peer conformity is strongly associated with self-confidence in high school students.
Therefore, the more adolescents display loyalty to the dictates of the peer group, the better the social adjustment.
Similarly, this finding drives home the point that when adolescents spend their time interacting with other peers and adhering to what their peers like or dislike (Permata & Nasution, 2.
, they get to become better adjusted.
By so doing, the present finding is in consonance with the finding of Yuliantari and Herdiyanto .
that peer relationships tend to become an important source of pleasure and attachment as adolescents form strong emotional bonds with their friends.
From the foregoing, the researchers conclude that for the social adjustment of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities to improve and for them to have a good education, the studentsAo relationships with intelligent peers and their parental socioeconomic status have to change for the better.
CONCLUSION
This study has reported both significant and insignificant correlations between peer group influence and parental socioeconomic status and social adjustments among in-school adolescents with learning disabilities in Oyo State.
Nigeria.
The findings of this study established that out of these two predictor variables, parental socioeconomic status had the highest relative contribution and highest total in influencing social adjustments of in-school adolescents with learning disabilities.
The study showed that there is a significant relationship between parental socioeconomic status and social adjustments in school adolescents.
This variable is an important predictor in the public secondary schools and in the educational sector as a whole.
Based on the findings of this study, the special educators especially, those serving secondary school students with learning disabilities, should identify in-school adolescents with learning and social adjustment problems in their schools for the purpose of timely intervention strategies.
For further, special educators should encourage in-school adolescents with learning problems and comorbid poor social adjustment, to develop effective study skills, form good relationship with their peers and teachers, and curb anti-social behaviours in order to improve their social adjustment problems.
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