Page 166 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 166
listen to them even if they do not agree with them. Parents’ occasional criti-
cism and anger is reported by approximately one half of study participants,
but less than 10% report parents’ recurrent criticism or anger.
The results are consistent with the findings of previous research, which
have shown that adolescents maintain a positive attachment to their parents
(e.g. Mayseless, Wiseman and Hai, 1998; Puklek, 2001; Steinberg, 1990), that the
relationships with parents in this period are for the most part not conflicto-
ry (e.g. Bosma, Jackson, Zijsling, Zani, Cicognani, Xerri, Honess and Charman,
1996; Puklek Levpušček, 2001) and that parents remain an important object
of attachment for adolescents (e.g. Paterson, Field and Pryor, 1994; Paterson,
Pryor and Field, 1995). Results of the Slovenian study (Puklek Levpušček, 2003)
have revealed slightly more than 60% of 15-year-olds can be classified in the
group of adolescents who show a moderate attachment to parents or a very
harmonious relationship with their parents.
Nearly 90% of the adolescents interviewed replied in the affirmative when
asked if their parents like spending time with them, and approximately the
same percentage believe parents are proud of what their children do. Approx-
166 imately 85% of adolescents think parents let them know they are appreciated,
and approximately 80% of 15-year-olds report that their parents talk to them
whenever they do not approve of their behaviour. The results suggest that the
majority of the participating 15-year-olds have a harmonious relationship with
their parents, which is consistent with previous research in this field (e.g. Pukl-
ek Levpušček, 2001, 2003; Steinberg, 1990).
Correlations between the responses of 15-year-olds regarding the ele-
ments of parenting styles used by their parents and their own performance
in mathematical, scientific and reading literacy in PISA were relatively low. All
correlation coefficients were lower than 0.20. The highest correlation with ad-
olescents’ performance was shown for responses to the statement ‘My par-
ents ask about my opinion when deciding about something that concerns me’
(r = 0.10–0.13). The highest correlation was perceived between the responses
to this statement and adolescents’ performance in reading literacy. The high-
er the extent to which Slovenian parents make 15-year-olds part of the deci-
sion making process, regarding something that concerns the adolescents’own
lives, the better the performance in PISA reading literacy tests delivered by
these 15-year-olds. Researchers (Rutar Leban et al., 2009) interpret this correla-
tion as being related to fostering the development of the competency of argu-
mentation and evaluation of the context, which is also assessed in PISA read-
ing literacy tests. By encouraging children to think about the wider context of
a situation, and to consider the future in doing so, parents foster the develop-
ment of children’s competencies related to independent argumentation and
evaluation of specific contents. By granting children a greater degree of au-
tonomy and responsibility in thinking, parents most likely encourage an an-
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
cism and anger is reported by approximately one half of study participants,
but less than 10% report parents’ recurrent criticism or anger.
The results are consistent with the findings of previous research, which
have shown that adolescents maintain a positive attachment to their parents
(e.g. Mayseless, Wiseman and Hai, 1998; Puklek, 2001; Steinberg, 1990), that the
relationships with parents in this period are for the most part not conflicto-
ry (e.g. Bosma, Jackson, Zijsling, Zani, Cicognani, Xerri, Honess and Charman,
1996; Puklek Levpušček, 2001) and that parents remain an important object
of attachment for adolescents (e.g. Paterson, Field and Pryor, 1994; Paterson,
Pryor and Field, 1995). Results of the Slovenian study (Puklek Levpušček, 2003)
have revealed slightly more than 60% of 15-year-olds can be classified in the
group of adolescents who show a moderate attachment to parents or a very
harmonious relationship with their parents.
Nearly 90% of the adolescents interviewed replied in the affirmative when
asked if their parents like spending time with them, and approximately the
same percentage believe parents are proud of what their children do. Approx-
166 imately 85% of adolescents think parents let them know they are appreciated,
and approximately 80% of 15-year-olds report that their parents talk to them
whenever they do not approve of their behaviour. The results suggest that the
majority of the participating 15-year-olds have a harmonious relationship with
their parents, which is consistent with previous research in this field (e.g. Pukl-
ek Levpušček, 2001, 2003; Steinberg, 1990).
Correlations between the responses of 15-year-olds regarding the ele-
ments of parenting styles used by their parents and their own performance
in mathematical, scientific and reading literacy in PISA were relatively low. All
correlation coefficients were lower than 0.20. The highest correlation with ad-
olescents’ performance was shown for responses to the statement ‘My par-
ents ask about my opinion when deciding about something that concerns me’
(r = 0.10–0.13). The highest correlation was perceived between the responses
to this statement and adolescents’ performance in reading literacy. The high-
er the extent to which Slovenian parents make 15-year-olds part of the deci-
sion making process, regarding something that concerns the adolescents’own
lives, the better the performance in PISA reading literacy tests delivered by
these 15-year-olds. Researchers (Rutar Leban et al., 2009) interpret this correla-
tion as being related to fostering the development of the competency of argu-
mentation and evaluation of the context, which is also assessed in PISA read-
ing literacy tests. By encouraging children to think about the wider context of
a situation, and to consider the future in doing so, parents foster the develop-
ment of children’s competencies related to independent argumentation and
evaluation of specific contents. By granting children a greater degree of au-
tonomy and responsibility in thinking, parents most likely encourage an an-
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
