A qualitative research on the peer influence and adaptation behaviors in religious education in adolescence

Adolescence is a period of rapid physical and emotional development. In this period, there were also changes in the field of social development. Adolescents' interest turns to their peers, and they share more with their friends. Adolescents are, therefore, very open to the social influence of their peers. This social impact should also be considered in religious education in this period. This research focuses on peer influence and conformity behaviors in adolescent religious education. The study aims to reveal the peer influence on adolescent religious education and the conformity behaviors of young people in this period with their peers in the group about religion. Furthermore, in the field of religious education, it is aimed to determine how adolescents are influenced by their peers and their compliance behaviors in this regard. Phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred in the research. In this study, in order to enable students to examine peer relations in the context of religious education, easily accessible case sampling, one of the purposive sampling methods, was preferred. The study group of the research consists of 22 students studying in an Imam Hatip High School and an Anatolian High School in the same region of the Ministry of National Education in the Etimesgut district of Ankara. Since there was a friend/peer group to be reached in the study group, the students were selected as a group voluntarily. Data within the scope of this research was obtained with semi-structured interview questions and subjected to descriptive analysis. In the findings of the study, it was concluded that adolescents were influenced by their peers regarding religious attitudes and behaviors during adolescence and showed conformity behaviors.