N Peer Influence, Home Environment as Predictors of School Dropout Risk among Senior Secondary Students in Oyo East Lga, Oyo State, Nigeria

School dropout among adolescents in Nigeria poses a significant educational and socio-economic challenge. This study investigated the predictive influence of peer influence and home environment on school dropout risk among senior secondary students in Oyo East Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive correlational research design, the study sampled 450 students selected through a multistage sampling technique to ensure representation across urban-rural and school size categories. Standardized instruments were employed to measure school dropout risk, peer influence (positive and negative), and home environment dimensions including parental involvement, academic support, family structure, and socioeconomic status. Results from Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed strong negative correlations between school dropout risk and both positive peer influence (r = -0.67) and home environment (r = -0.74), while negative peer influence showed a strong positive correlation (r = 0.71) with dropout risk. Multiple regression analysis showed that peer influence and home environment jointly predicted dropout risk significantly (F(3, 420) = 247.86, p < .001), explaining 64.1% of the variance (Adjusted R² = 0.638). Hierarchical regression further identified home environment (β = -0.47) as the strongest individual predictor, followed by negative peer influence (β = 0.30) and positive peer influence (β = -0.19). These findings accentuate the critical role of environmental contexts in shaping students’ educational trajectories. It is concluded that family engagement, peer relationship quality, and holistic support systems should be prioritized in intervention programs to reduce dropout rates among Nigerian adolescents. Future research should explore longitudinal and mixed-methods approaches to capture causal mechanisms and contextual nuances across broader populations.