Introduction

Peer refers to a person of equal standing, rank, or ability within a social group. It can also refer to a member of the same age, social status, or professional group, such as "academic peers" or "workplace peers." According to Reeves (2023), peer refers to a person of the same age, grade, or social status, forming a "peer group" with shared interests and activities. Children and adolescents, for example, develop a significant part of their social and emotional skills through interactions with their peers. This developmental process may be referred to as mentoring.

Mentoring is a relationship that takes place between different individuals to share knowledge, skills, or even experiences. It is defined as a relationship in which a mentor facilitates the personal and professional growth and development of another practitioner (the mentee) (Ersin & Atay, 2021). Similarly, Egbo (2025) defined mentorship as a relationship between two people where the person with more experience, knowledge, and connections is able to pass along what he has learned to a more junior person within a given field.

The term 'peer mentoring' is usually defined as a reciprocal relationship that fosters the development of skills, knowledge, potentials, and competencies, benefiting all parties involved. It is a form of mentorship that usually takes place between a person who has lived through a specific experience (mentor) and a person of similar age who is new to that experience (mentee) (Chapman & Collins, 2019).

Online Peer Mentoring

Online peer mentoring, also known as e-mentoring or virtual mentoring, is a structured or informal relationship where individuals (mentees) receive guidance, support, and advice from their peers (mentors) through online platforms. It differs from traditional face-to-face mentoring by utilizing technology for communication and interaction. Online peer mentoring can help combat feelings of isolation, particularly in online learning environments, by providing a sense of belonging and support.

According to Rex (2021), this form of mentoring can take place through various online platforms, like video calls, messaging apps, or dedicated online learning platforms. Dike (2023) posited that online peer mentoring can foster a sense of community, promote social connectedness, and provide academic or psychosocial support, particularly beneficial for those who may face barriers to traditional face-to-face interactions.

Statement of the Problem

It has been observed that peer mentoring is not given adequate attention in secondary schools in Enugu State, despite the declining status of secondary school students' academic performance. This situation is further aggravated by the fact that little or no time is allotted for mentoring in secondary schools. These being the case, secondary school students are demoralized and do not model after reputable peers within the school environment, resulting to a complete and total behavioural disorder and poor academic performance in secondary schools in the state.

It is unfortunate that while the potential of online peer mentoring is acknowledged, it seems not to be universally adopted practice in Nigerian secondary schools, hence the need to explore counsellors' perception of online peer mentoring on academic performance of students in secondary schools in Enugu State.

Method

Descriptive survey research design was utilized for this study. The population for the study comprised all the 55 secondary school Guidance counsellors in the 298 public secondary schools in Enugu State under the control of Post Primary School Management Board. The entire population of 55 secondary school Guidance counsellors was used for the study. No sampling was done because the population is manageable.

A self-structured questionnaire named "Counsellors' Perception of Online Peer Mentoring on Students' Academic Performance Scale (CPOPMSAPS)" was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient stood at .82, indicating that the instrument is reliable and suitable for the study. Out of the 55 copies of the instrument administered, only 48 were correctly filled and returned.

Results

The results show that male and female guidance counsellors perceived that online peer mentoring to a great extent influenced students' academic performance in secondary school in Enugu State. Male guidance counsellors had mean scores ranging from 2.00 to 3.50, while female guidance counsellors had mean scores that ranged from 2.00 to 3.48. The respondents had cluster means of 3.00 and 2.97, with corresponding standard deviations of .89 and .90 respectively.

The findings revealed that there was no significant difference in the mean scores of male and female guidance counsellors' perception on their perception of online peer mentoring on students' academic performance in secondary school in Enugu State, with t(46) = .178, P = .859 (P > 0.05).

Discussion of Findings

Male and female guidance counsellors perceived that online peer mentoring to a great extent influenced students' academic performance in secondary school in Enugu State. The finding is in consonance with the findings by Dike (2023) who posited that online peer mentoring can foster a sense of community, promote social connectedness, and provide academic or psychosocial support, particularly beneficial for those who may face barriers to traditional face-to-face interactions.

The finding agrees with Beilu (2022) who stated that online peer mentoring can be more accessible for individuals who may have geographical, time, or physical limitations that prevent them from participating in face-to-face mentoring. Being that online peer mentoring provide academic support, psychosocial support, and help mentees navigate challenges in their learning or professional development, stakeholders in education should champion campaigns on adoption of online peer mentoring in secondary school students in Enugu State.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that stakeholders in education should champion campaigns on adoption of online peer mentoring in secondary school students in Enugu Education Zone of Enugu State. Online peer mentoring should be encouraged and adopted in secondary schools so as to improve students' academic performance in Enugu State.