INFLUENCE OF PEER PRESSUREON MALE STUDENTS’ RETENTION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MBOONI WEST SUB-COUNTY, MAKUENI COUNTY, KENYA

In Mbooni West Sub-County, male student retention in public secondary schools remains a concern despite the government's provision of Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE). This study investigated the effects of peer pressure on male student retention, guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943). A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected through questionnaires and interview schedules. Validity was ensured through expert judgment. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27, employing descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, and percentages, as well as inferential statistics including Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically based on the study’s objectives and presented in narrative form. The study therefore, concluded that peer pressure were found to have a significant influence on male retention. From the findings the researcher recommended that the school should establish male student welfare programs to address genderspecific challenges and introducing motivational initiatives tailored to male students’ needs, the school should engage guest speakers to mentor and guide students on how to positively navigate peer influence, parents should be educated on the critical role they play in their children’s education through mandatory school-based sensitization meetings. Parents should be encouraged to develop new income-generating strategies to enhance their ability to pay school fees and meet their sons' educational needs.