Page 21 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 21
s that impact whether students are identified as underachievers. Socio- 21
economic status (SES) is a generally acknowledged risk factor, as is students’
immigrant status and gender (cf. Nye, Hedges and Konstantopoulos, 2002);
however, it needs to be pointed out that the definition of ‘underachievers’ can
by no means be established on the basis of risk and statistical prediction.
The broadest definition of an underachiever, suggested on the basis of
everything stated above, is the definition included in a dictionary (Cambridge
Dictionary, 2014): ‘someone who is less successful than they should be at
school or at work’.
However, the question that also arises in relation to this is what perfor-
mance is expected in the modern (globalised) world in the first place. It de-
pends on the context of how individuals’ performance is evaluated: in what
field, and according to which criteria.
In recent decades, international comparative assessment studies have as-
serted themselves as mechanisms for monitoring the development of educa-
tional systems by means of international comparisons of students’ education-
al outcomes at a certain level of education. Hanushek and Woessmann (2008)
have, for instance, established that international comparative assessment
studies that include data on the quality of learning outcomes point to devel-
oping countries falling behind developed countries to a considerably larger
degree than perceived by indicators of youths’ participation in education, and
the number of years of schooling. Among these studies, the data of the Pro-
gramme for International Student Assessment (PISA), coordinated by the Or-
ganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), have become
an important source of operationalisation of educational objectives around
the world. For instance, for the USA, the OECD has prepared an overview of
measures from successful countries participating in PISA, based on which it
could be possible to identify the background of achievement improvement in
countries that have made the most progress in several consecutive PISA cycles
(OECD, 2010). The European Union (EU) has included among its educational
objectives the data derived directly from PISA, i.e. that by 2020 the share of un-
derachievers (i.e. students who do not reach the basic level (Level 2) of reading,
mathematical and scientific literacy in PISA) should be less than 15% (Council
of the European Union, 2009). In accordance with the European definition, this
monograph is likewise based on the stated definition of underachievement,
however, it is expanded through country-specific contexts.
The European Commission (2011) points out that the key issue is undera-
chievement in reading literacy, as levels of reading competency impact indi-
viduals’ well-being, the state of society and the economic status of countries
in the international space (PISA National Report 2006, 2007). In 2011, the Euro-
pean Commission summed up the foundational nature of reading literacy as
key to all areas of education and beyond, facilitating participation in the wid-
contemporary perspectives on student (under)achievement: introduction
economic status (SES) is a generally acknowledged risk factor, as is students’
immigrant status and gender (cf. Nye, Hedges and Konstantopoulos, 2002);
however, it needs to be pointed out that the definition of ‘underachievers’ can
by no means be established on the basis of risk and statistical prediction.
The broadest definition of an underachiever, suggested on the basis of
everything stated above, is the definition included in a dictionary (Cambridge
Dictionary, 2014): ‘someone who is less successful than they should be at
school or at work’.
However, the question that also arises in relation to this is what perfor-
mance is expected in the modern (globalised) world in the first place. It de-
pends on the context of how individuals’ performance is evaluated: in what
field, and according to which criteria.
In recent decades, international comparative assessment studies have as-
serted themselves as mechanisms for monitoring the development of educa-
tional systems by means of international comparisons of students’ education-
al outcomes at a certain level of education. Hanushek and Woessmann (2008)
have, for instance, established that international comparative assessment
studies that include data on the quality of learning outcomes point to devel-
oping countries falling behind developed countries to a considerably larger
degree than perceived by indicators of youths’ participation in education, and
the number of years of schooling. Among these studies, the data of the Pro-
gramme for International Student Assessment (PISA), coordinated by the Or-
ganisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), have become
an important source of operationalisation of educational objectives around
the world. For instance, for the USA, the OECD has prepared an overview of
measures from successful countries participating in PISA, based on which it
could be possible to identify the background of achievement improvement in
countries that have made the most progress in several consecutive PISA cycles
(OECD, 2010). The European Union (EU) has included among its educational
objectives the data derived directly from PISA, i.e. that by 2020 the share of un-
derachievers (i.e. students who do not reach the basic level (Level 2) of reading,
mathematical and scientific literacy in PISA) should be less than 15% (Council
of the European Union, 2009). In accordance with the European definition, this
monograph is likewise based on the stated definition of underachievement,
however, it is expanded through country-specific contexts.
The European Commission (2011) points out that the key issue is undera-
chievement in reading literacy, as levels of reading competency impact indi-
viduals’ well-being, the state of society and the economic status of countries
in the international space (PISA National Report 2006, 2007). In 2011, the Euro-
pean Commission summed up the foundational nature of reading literacy as
key to all areas of education and beyond, facilitating participation in the wid-
contemporary perspectives on student (under)achievement: introduction
