The Impact of Social and Economic Factors on the Academic Performance of Youth in Slovenia

Authors

  • Stanka Setnikar Cankar University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Administration, Gosarjeva 5, 1000 Ljubljana
  • Franc Cankar National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Poljanska 28, 1000 Ljubljana
  • Tomi Deutsch National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Trg revolucije 7, 1000 Ljubljana
  • Veronika Petkovšek University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Administration, Gosarjeva 5, 1000 Ljubljana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4335/13.2.661-679(2015)

Keywords:

municipalities, socio-economic indicators, primary school, academic achievements

Abstract

In this research, we assessed the impact of the socio-economic status (average net wages, the registered unemployment rate), education structure and demographic risk (the age dependency ratio) of residents of different Slovenian municipalities on scores on the nationwide, external assessment of knowledge given to pupils in grade 9 of primary school. The analysis was conducted using data for 201 Slovenian municipalities where the National Assessment of Knowledge (NAK) was given to 9th-grade primary school pupils in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014. This test assesses learners’ knowledge of the Slovene language and mathematics. The data were used to calculate basic descriptive statistics, as well as coefficients, correlations and validated regression models. The findings show that registered unemployment rate, average educational attainment and the age dependency ratio influence achievements in mathematics. The findings for the Slovene portion of the National Assessment of Knowledge are not as expressive, but do indicate that the registered unemployment rate and age dependency ratio have an impact.

Author Biographies

  • Professor
  • Head of Department for Quality and Research
  • Senior Adviser
  • Senior Lecturer

References

<p align="justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Cambria">Battle, J. & Lewis, M. (2002) The increasing significance of Class: The relative effects of race and socioeconomic status on academic achievement, Journal of Poverty, 6(2), pp. 21-35, doi: 10.1300/J134v06n02_02.
Burchinal, M. R., Peisner-Feinberg, E., Pianta, R. & Howes, C. (2002) Development of academic skills from preschool through second grade: family and classroom predictors of development trajectories, Journal of School Psychology, 40(5), pp. 415-436, doi: 10.1016/S0022-4405(02)00107-3.
Cankar, F., Deutsch, T., Setnikar Cankar, S. & Barle Lakota, A. (2011) Povezanost regionalnega razvoja in učnih dosežkov učencev, Pedagoška obzorja – Didactica Slovenica, 26(3), pp. 115-132.
Cankar, F., Deutsch, T. & Sentočnik, S. (2012) Approaches to building teacher-parent cooperation, CEPS journal, 2(1), pp. 35-55.
Caro, D. H. (2009) Socio-economic Status and Academic Achievement Trajectories from Childhood to Adolescence, Canadian Journal of Education, 32(3), pp. 558-590.
Duncan, G., Morris, P. A. & Rodrigues, C. (2011) Does Money Really Matter? Estimating Impacts of Family Income on Young Children's Achievement with Data from Random-Assignment Experiments, Developmental Psychology, 47(5), pp. 1263-1279, doi: 10.1037/a0023875.
Dunlop, T. (2013) Family Engagement in Student Learning: A Conversation with Dr. Maria C. Paredes, Education Digest, 78(8), pp. 34-38.
Eamon, M. K. (2005) Social-demographic, school, neighborhood, and parenting influences on academic achievement of Latino young adolescents, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(2), pp. 163-175, doi: 10.1007/s10964-005-3214-x.
Engle, P. I., Grantham-McGregor, M., Black, M., Walker, S. & Wachs, S. (2007) How to avoid the loss of potential in over 200 million young children in the developing world, Child Health Education, 1(2), pp. 68-87.
Engle, P. L. & Black, M. M. (2008) The effects of poverty on child development and educational outcomes, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1136, pp. 243-256, doi: 10.1196/annals.1425.023.
Fan, F. A. (2012) The Relationship between the Socio-Economic Status of Parents and Students’ Academic Achievements in Social Studies, Research in Education, 87(1), pp. 99-111, doi: 10.7227/RIE.87.1.8.
Farooq, M. S., Chaudhry, A. H., Shafiq, M. & Berhanu, G. (2011) Factors Affecting Students’ Quality of Academic Performance: A case of secondary school level, Journal of Quality and Technology Management, 7(2), pp. 1-14.
Flere, S., Klanjšek, R., Musil, B., Tavčar Krajnc, M. & Kirbiš, A. (2009) Kdo je uspešen v slovenski šoli? (Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut).
Heyneman, S. P. (2005) Student background and students achievement: What is the question?, American Journal of Education, 112(11), pp. 1-9, doi: 10.1086/444512.
Hochschild, J. L. (2003) Social Class in Public Schools, Journal of Social Issues, 59(4), pp. 821-840, doi: 10.1046/j.0022-4537.2003.00092.x
Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (2014) Development Report 2014 (Ljubljana: Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development).
Jeynes, W. H. (2002) Examining the effects of parental absence on the academic achievement of adolescents: the challenge of controlling for family income, Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 23(2), pp. 189-210, doi: 10.1023/A:1015790701554.
Johnson, W., McGue, M. & Iacono, W. G. (2007) How parents influence school grades: hints from a sample of adoptive and biological families, Learning and Individual Differences, 17(3), pp. 201-219, doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2007.04.004.
Klebanov, P. K., Brooks-Gunn, J. & Duncan, G. J. (1994) Does neighbourhood and family poverty affect mothers’ parenting, mental health, and social support?, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 56, pp. 441-455.
Krahn, H. & Taylor, A. (2007) “Streaming” in the 10th grade in four Canadian provinces in 2000, Education Matters, 4(2), pp. 16-26.
Krueger, A. B. (2004) Inequality, too much of a good thing. Inequality in America (Cambridge: MIT Press).
Laidra, K., Pullmann, H. & Allik, J. (2007) Personality and intelligence as predictors of academic achievement: A cross-sectional study from elementary to secondary school, Personality and Individual Differences, 42(3), pp. 441-451, doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2006.08.001.
Magajna, L., Kavkler, M., Čačinovič Vogrinčič, G., Pečjak, S. & Bregar Golobič, K. (2008) Učne težave v osnovni šoli: Koncept dela (Ljubljana: Zavod Republike Slovenije za šolstvo).
Marjanovič Umek, L., Bajc, K. & Lešnik, V. (2006) Kaj vse se “skriva” v šolskih ocenah?, Šolsko polje, 17(3/4), pp. 3-26.
Marjanovič Umek, L., Sočan, G. & Bajc, K. (2006a) Psihološki in družinski dejavniki šolske ocene, Sodobna pedagogika, 57(2), pp. 108-129.
Marjanovič Umek, L., Sočan, G. & Bajc, K. (2006b) Šolska ocena: koliko jo lahko pojasnimo z individualnimi značilnostmi mladostnika in koliko z dejavniki okolja, Psihološka obzorja, 15(4), pp. 25-52.
Marjanovič Umek, L., Sočan, G. & Bajc, K. (2007) Vpliv psiholoških dejavnikov in izobrazbe staršev na učno uspešnost mladostnikov, Psihološka obzorja, 16(3), pp. 27-48.
Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Gregory, K. D., Hoyle, C. & Shin, C. (2000) Effective Schools in Science and Mathematics, IEA's Third International Mathematics and Science Study (Boston: The International Study Center, Boston College).
Maurin, E. (2002) The impact of parental income on early schooling transitions: A re-examination using data over three generations, Journal of Public Economics, 85(3), pp. 301-332.
McLoyd, V. C. & Wilson, L. (1990). Maternal behavior, social support, and economic conditions as predictors of distress in children, New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 1990(46), pp. 49-69, doi: 10.1002/cd.23219904605.
Mega, C., Ronconi, L. & De Beni, R. (2014) What Makes a Good Student? How Emotions, Self Regulated Learning, and Motivation Contribute to Academic Achievement, Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), pp. 121-131, doi: 10.1037/a0033546.
Morakinyo, A. (2003) Relative efficacy of systematic desensitization, self statement monitoring and flooding on students test anxiety, PhD. Thesis (Ibadan: University of Ibadan).
Mullis, I. V. S., Martin, M. O., Gonzalez, E. J. & Chrostowski, S. J. (2004) TIMSS 2003, International mathematics report: Findings from IEA's trends in international mathematics and science study at the fourth and eighth grades (Boston: The International Study Center, Boston College).
Murnane, R. J. (2007) Improving the education of children living in poverty, Future Child, 17(2), pp. 161-182.
Narayan, D. and Petesch, P. (2002) Voices of the poor: From Many Lands (New York: Oxford University Press for the World Bank).
Narayan, D. & Petesch, P. (2007) Moving Out of Poverty: Cross-Disciplinary perspectives on Mobility (Washington: The Word Bank).
National Examinations Centre (2014) National Assessment of Knowledge in nine-year primary education (Ljubljana: National Examinations Centre).
Ravallion, M. (1992) Poverty Comparisons: A Guide to Concepts and Methods, Working Paper 88 (Washington: World Bank).
Rouse, C. E. & Barrow, L. (2006) U. S. elementary and secondary schools: Equalizing opportunity or replicating the status quo?, The Future of Children, 16(2), pp. 99-123, doi: 10.1353/foc.2006.0018.
Saifi, S. & Mehmood, T. (2011) Effects of socioeconomic status on students achievement, International Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 1(2), pp. 119-128.
Shah, M., Atta, A., Qureshi, M. & Shah, H. (2012) Impact of Socio Economic Status (SES) of Family on the Academic Achievements of Students, Gomal University Journal of Research, 28(1), pp. 12-17.
Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A meta-analytic review of research, Review of Educational Research, 75(3), pp. 417-453, doi: 10.3102/00346543075003417.
Stivenson, D. L. & Baker, D. P. (1987) The family School relation and the Child's School Performance, Child Development, 58(5), pp. 1348-1357, doi: 10.2307/1130626.
Suleman, Q., Aslam, H. D., Shakir, M., Akhtar, S., Hussain, I. & Akhtar, Z. (2012) Effects of Family Structure on the Academic Performance of Students at Elementary level in District Karak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan), Journal of Sociological Research, 3(2), pp. 211-224, doi: 10.5296/jsr.v3i2.2358.
Sum, A. M. and Fogg, W. N. (1991) The adolescent poor and the transition to early adulthood (Washington: Center for National Policy Press).
Vellymalay, S. N. (2012). Parental Involvement at Home: Analyzing the Influence of Parents’ Socioeconomic Status, Studies in Sociology of Science, 3(1), pp. 1-6, doi: 10.3968/j.sss.1923018420120301.2048
Willms, J. D. & Somers, M. A. (2001). Family, classroom, and school effects on children's educational outcomes in Latin America, International Journal of School Effectiveness and Improvement, 12(4), pp. 1861-1879, doi: 10.1076/sesi.12.4.409.3445.
Žakelj, A. & Ivanuš-Grmek, M. (2011) Rezultati učencev pri nacionalnem preverjanju znanja in socialno-kulturno okolje, Pedagoška obzorja, 26(4), pp. 3-17.</span></p>

Published

2015-07-31

Issue

Section

Conference Paper (Annual Conference 2020)