A Correlational Study of Peer Social Support and Student Engagement Among Junior High School Students

Student engagement is widely regarded as a key determinant of successful learning, yet preliminary observations at a state Islamic junior high school (Madrasah Tsanawiyah) in South Sumatra indicated that students’ affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement had not yet developed optimally. One contextual factor thought to contribute to this pattern is peer social support, given that friendship relationships become increasingly important during early adolescence for meeting the psychological needs of belonging and relatedness. This study aimed to empirically examine the relationship between peer social support and student engagement among seventh- and eighth-grade students. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 205 students drawn from a population of 500 through simple random sampling based on the Isaac and Michael table at a 95% confidence level. Data were collected using two five-point Likert scales: a Student Engagement Scale developed from the affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement dimensions proposed by Lam et al. (2014), and a Peer Social Support Scale based on the appraisal, tangible, belonging, and self-esteem support dimensions proposed by Cohen and Wills (as cited in Schonfeld, 1991). Data were analyzed using simple linear regression with SPSS version 27. The results revealed a positive and highly significant relationship between peer social support and student engagement (r = 0.329; R Square = 0.108; p = 0.000), with peer support accounting for 10.8% of the variance in engagement. These findings indicate that greater peer social support is associated with higher student engagement, although most of the variance in engagement is explained by factors beyond peer support alone.