Conference Program

Peer influence plays a significant role in shaping educational choices(Rosenqvist, 2018; Smith, 2023), particularly during adolescence and the transition from secondary education to higher education. This study proposes a general theoretical framework aimed at clarifying how peer effects have been conceptualized in the scientific literature and how they contribute to educational decision-making. The research builds on a bibliometric exploration of international studies on peer influence in educational contexts, followed by a qualitative meta-analysis of a selection of highly influential contributions. The objective is to provide a synthetic and integrative understanding of peer effects and their role in educational trajectories.

The study is grounded in a sociological perspective that emphasizes the relational dimension of educational choices. During adolescence, reference groups (Merton & Rossi, 1968) represent a central social environment in which individuals develop aspirations, evaluate opportunities, and construct their educational orientations (Osterman, 2000; Jacobs et al., 2002). Educational decision-making is therefore understood not only as an individual process driven by personal preferences or resources, but also as a socially embedded process shaped by interactions, relationships, and shared contexts. Peer relations provide access to information, symbolic support, and models of comparison, contributing to the formation of expectations and perceptions of what is possible and desirable (Raabe & Wölfer, 2019).

Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative meta-analytical approach based on the interpretative reading and conceptual analysis of selected influential studies. Through an inductive process of coding and synthesis, the analysis identifies recurring themes and interpretative perspectives that characterize the literature. This approach makes it possible to highlight the complexity of peer influence and to move beyond fragmented or discipline-specific interpretations, offering a more coherent theoretical framework. The findings suggest that peer influence should be understood as a multidimensional relational mechanism that connects individual choices to broader social environments. Peer groups function as contexts in which meanings, aspirations, and expectations are constructed and negotiated through social interaction. In this sense, educational choices emerge not only from individual reasoning but also from processes of social comparison, interaction, and belonging (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Witkow & Fuligni, 2010; Colombo, 2011).

This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of peer effects by emphasizing their relational and contextual nature. By integrating insights from sociology and social network perspectives, it highlights the importance of considering educational decision-making as embedded within social relationships. This framework provides a broader basis for interpreting how educational trajectories are shaped and underscores the relevance of relational contexts in understanding educational inequalities, aspirations, and opportunities.