Page 119 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 119
The attitude to knowledge of low-performing students indicates they 119
do not value knowledge and education. Higher-performing students do val-
ue knowledge and, as for education, they are either indifferent to it (non-for-
malists, especially general upper secondary school students) or they value it
(motivated students, especially students of professional-technical schools and
vocational schools). The explanation as to the difference between these two
groups of high-performing students may be the fact that in professional and
vocational schools their chosen profession is more clearly defined and as they
are nearing the end of their schooling, this may have a positive effect on a
higher value assigned to education. A higher learning achievement was thus
noted in students who valued knowledge and had no pragmatic orientation
to education – they rejected pragmatism (the groups of non-formalists and
motivated students). A lower learning achievement was reached by students
who had a more pragmatic orientation and did not value knowledge (both
groups, pragmatists and unmotivated students). A positive correlation is thus
indicated between the value of knowledge and learning achievement and a
negative correlation between a pragmatic orientation to education and learn-
ing achievement. There is no linear correlation between the value of educa-
tion and learning achievement – even top-performing students (non-formal-
ists) do not value education. Low-performing students are thus no exception
in terms of their negative attitude to education. Results indicate a general so-
cial devaluation of education and inefficacy of competency-oriented educa-
tion to spur youths’ desire for learning and education (developed throughout
one’s life) and to present knowledge as a value.
How is this negative attitude to knowledge reflected in students’ learn-
ing motivation, more specifically in their interest in individual school subjects,
which is directly related to learning and learning outcomes in particular fields
of knowledge? The significance and value of knowledge, contained in one’s at-
titude to knowledge, are not only reflected through beliefs and views, but (ac-
cording to the Social Representations Theory) they also steer individuals’ be-
haviour in the direction of set goals. Accordingly, it can be expected that an
attitude to knowledge, similar to the one expressed at a more general level of
beliefs and views, will also be expressed in relation to learning motivation in
specific school subjects.
Attitude to Knowledge and Student Achievement
in Terms of Learning Motivation
The value assigned to knowledge can partly be discerned from one’s learning
motivation and some of its elements, e.g. intrinsic motivation (Deci and Ryan,
attitude to knowledge and adolescent´s learning achievement
do not value knowledge and education. Higher-performing students do val-
ue knowledge and, as for education, they are either indifferent to it (non-for-
malists, especially general upper secondary school students) or they value it
(motivated students, especially students of professional-technical schools and
vocational schools). The explanation as to the difference between these two
groups of high-performing students may be the fact that in professional and
vocational schools their chosen profession is more clearly defined and as they
are nearing the end of their schooling, this may have a positive effect on a
higher value assigned to education. A higher learning achievement was thus
noted in students who valued knowledge and had no pragmatic orientation
to education – they rejected pragmatism (the groups of non-formalists and
motivated students). A lower learning achievement was reached by students
who had a more pragmatic orientation and did not value knowledge (both
groups, pragmatists and unmotivated students). A positive correlation is thus
indicated between the value of knowledge and learning achievement and a
negative correlation between a pragmatic orientation to education and learn-
ing achievement. There is no linear correlation between the value of educa-
tion and learning achievement – even top-performing students (non-formal-
ists) do not value education. Low-performing students are thus no exception
in terms of their negative attitude to education. Results indicate a general so-
cial devaluation of education and inefficacy of competency-oriented educa-
tion to spur youths’ desire for learning and education (developed throughout
one’s life) and to present knowledge as a value.
How is this negative attitude to knowledge reflected in students’ learn-
ing motivation, more specifically in their interest in individual school subjects,
which is directly related to learning and learning outcomes in particular fields
of knowledge? The significance and value of knowledge, contained in one’s at-
titude to knowledge, are not only reflected through beliefs and views, but (ac-
cording to the Social Representations Theory) they also steer individuals’ be-
haviour in the direction of set goals. Accordingly, it can be expected that an
attitude to knowledge, similar to the one expressed at a more general level of
beliefs and views, will also be expressed in relation to learning motivation in
specific school subjects.
Attitude to Knowledge and Student Achievement
in Terms of Learning Motivation
The value assigned to knowledge can partly be discerned from one’s learning
motivation and some of its elements, e.g. intrinsic motivation (Deci and Ryan,
attitude to knowledge and adolescent´s learning achievement
