Page 109 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
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ttitude to Knowledge 109
and Adolescent´s Learning
Achievement
Alenka Gril
Abstract: The paper deals with Slovenian adolescents’ attitude to knowledge in re-
lation to learning achievement. This attitude is defined as the importance and val-
ue of knowledge for an individual and is reflected through the individual’s beliefs,
views, perceptions, interests, learning motivation and behaviour, all in relation to
knowledge and education. The basis for this is the Social Representations Theo-
ry, which defines them as socially introduced systems of conceptions, evaluations,
beliefs and behaviour, oriented towards socially desired goals in a certain field. At-
titude to knowledge can thus be understood as social representations of knowl-
edge co-constructed through communication among members of a social group.
In light of this it is presumed that beliefs and conceptions of knowledge, and the
value of knowledge and education in a wider society and in school, co-construct
adolescents’ attitude to knowledge. In the last decade changes in education-
al policies and curricular documents have been witnessed. These, based on the
Treaty of Lisbon, introduce the development of competencies and youths’ train-
ing for the labour market as the aim of education. The prevailing value orienta-
tions of a knowledge society were reflected in an empirical study of the attitude to
knowledge adopted by Slovenian students, among whom a pragmatic attitude to
knowledge (in one third of the students) and a lack of appreciation of knowledge
and education (in more than half of the students) are prevalent. Underachieving
students place a negative value on knowledge, however, top-performing students
also do not hold education in high regard. TIMSS studies have likewise revealed a
decrease in the interest of Year 8 pupils in the last decade, which is negatively cor-
related with performance. For this reason, the author proposes some possible di-
rections in the learning process at school that could foster intrinsic motivation, in-
and Adolescent´s Learning
Achievement
Alenka Gril
Abstract: The paper deals with Slovenian adolescents’ attitude to knowledge in re-
lation to learning achievement. This attitude is defined as the importance and val-
ue of knowledge for an individual and is reflected through the individual’s beliefs,
views, perceptions, interests, learning motivation and behaviour, all in relation to
knowledge and education. The basis for this is the Social Representations Theo-
ry, which defines them as socially introduced systems of conceptions, evaluations,
beliefs and behaviour, oriented towards socially desired goals in a certain field. At-
titude to knowledge can thus be understood as social representations of knowl-
edge co-constructed through communication among members of a social group.
In light of this it is presumed that beliefs and conceptions of knowledge, and the
value of knowledge and education in a wider society and in school, co-construct
adolescents’ attitude to knowledge. In the last decade changes in education-
al policies and curricular documents have been witnessed. These, based on the
Treaty of Lisbon, introduce the development of competencies and youths’ train-
ing for the labour market as the aim of education. The prevailing value orienta-
tions of a knowledge society were reflected in an empirical study of the attitude to
knowledge adopted by Slovenian students, among whom a pragmatic attitude to
knowledge (in one third of the students) and a lack of appreciation of knowledge
and education (in more than half of the students) are prevalent. Underachieving
students place a negative value on knowledge, however, top-performing students
also do not hold education in high regard. TIMSS studies have likewise revealed a
decrease in the interest of Year 8 pupils in the last decade, which is negatively cor-
related with performance. For this reason, the author proposes some possible di-
rections in the learning process at school that could foster intrinsic motivation, in-
