Discussion

This study aimed to discuss the impact of having companions on students’

performance by finding related literature and conducting a virtual experiment. The
results showed that there is a significant difference between the participants that
collaborated on the project as a group and the students that performed individually. To
support the hypothesis, relevant literature may be included. To begin with, as stated by,
(Ukume, Uguma & Agbinya, 2020) believed that there is a consensus that students do
better in a social setting. A student may lose motivation to study if they are constantly
surrounded by people who are not willing to learn.  On the contrary, having a
companion who is determined to learn can help those who lack the motivation to
succeed in school. There are several ways in which friends affect scholastic success.
One of the methods is model similarity. A student may be inspired to raise his or her
standards after seeing another student's accomplishment. Teachers may use students'
existing social connections to facilitate learning-based group activities and encourage
peer counseling. Negative peer group socialization can also be possible. Furthermore,
(Uguma & Usani, 2016) states that the impact that students' companions have on their
academic success is contingent on the student's sense of self, self-respect, and
autonomy. Their actions may inspire and encourage other students to work hard and
realize their full potential. Friends may often provide a positive example. A student's
academic performance might suffer when they are exposed to negative influences. The
academic performance of a class as a whole improves when stronger students serve as
role models. Academic effort and success are impacted by students' motivation, goals,
and expectations, as well as the norms and standards of their groups. In the study by
Sofroniou and Poutos (2016), group work allows students to develop a variety of critical
thinking and communication skills, as well as successful teamwork, appreciation, and
respect for other views, strategies, and problem-solving methods which encourage
active learning and improve student learning. This shows that students learn more
depending on the objective of the group work and the sort of task assigned to them. As
previously stated, the overall goal of having a companion in doing an activity is for
students who engage to learn something. According to Johnson (2013), Cooperative
learning has powerful effects on academic achievement. Gillies, R. M. (2003) also
highlights that students working together are more motivated to achieve than they would
be when working individually. Thus, set out how working together on a common task will
make it a success to finish it. This study was conducted virtually at Laguna State
Polytechnic University Sta. Cruz Main Campus. A 15-minute virtual experimentation
was held on October 19, 2022, beginning at precisely 2:30 p.m. and completing at 3:30
p.m. The researchers are concerned that this may have an effect on the collected data
and conclusions. As a result, the researchers concluded that the majority of students
held the belief that participating in educational activities in groups was beneficial to their
education, especially with regard to the acquisition of academic performance.