Page 244 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 244
Introduction
This paper addresses the question about the correlation between self-con-
cept1 and academic achievement2 of pupils, students and adolescents,3 and
the solutions that might be adopted in relation to this. In the paper, a con-
nection is made between student underachievement and the narrower field
of non-formal and informal knowledge. Reasons for this are sought in the da-
ta which indicate how important it is to address individuals’ learning. An at-
tempt is made at developing guidelines that could, if schools used these al-
ternative approaches, help adolescents improve motivation for school work
and by means of achievements in the field of non-formal and informal learn-
ing, which mainly takes place outside of the school setting, also aid in improv-
ing adolescents’ self-confidence in relation to learning.4
Self-concept, Motivation and Student Achievement
Numerous studies point to a positive correlation between student achieve-
244 ment and self-concept (cf. Nash and Lauder, 2010; Westwood, 2003; Weinstein,
2004; Zins et al., 2004). On average, the school performance of children with a
low5 self-concept is poorer than that of their peers with a high self-concept. In
understanding learning, some authors attribute great significance to individ-
1 In this paper, self-concept is understood as an organised whole of the qualities, traits, feelings,
images, views, competencies and other mental components individuals attribute to themselves
(Kobal Grum, 2000). Special emphasis is placed on academic self-concept, which is one of the major
components of global self-concept and is generated in educational institutions where adolescents
evaluate their own work as part of curricular and extracurricular activities in various fields and
different school subjects and receive other people’s (i.e. schoolmates’, teachers’) assessments of
their work (Juriševič, 1999). In the paper, no distinction will be made between self-concept and self-
esteem as empirical attempts at delineating the two terms have proven unsuccessful (see Juriševič,
1999, as cited in Brunett, 1994).
2 There are no explicit definitions of student achievement, in rare instances authors seem to equate
it with students’ school or school year graduation success (cf. Flere et al., 2009; Juriševič, 2005;
Marjanovič Umek, Sočan, Bajc, 2007). In this paper, student achievement is understood in a broader
sense, in particular as the ability to complete the education one has started, and in a narrower sense
as grade-point average on completion of education (or individual years). Student achievement
is relative based on children’s competencies; in this paper it means the highest possible level of
graduation success adolescents are capable of achieving in terms of their cognitive competencies,
motivation and other circumstances (objective and subjective, e.g. family situation etc. or the
suitability of the chosen educational programme), as well as their progress in learning and
knowledge. In the paper, learning outcomes or learning attainments will be mentioned in relation
with recognition of non-formal and informal knowledge and will be defined at a later point in the
text.
3 In this paper, the terms pupil, student and adolescents are understood as equivalents. For the most
part, the focus of this paper is on the upper secondary population, however, the proposed solutions
could be used in relation with pupils in lower secondary education as well.
4 Cf. Bracken, 2009; Juriševič, 1999.
5 In the diverse literature the following synonyms for low/high self–concept can be found: negative/
positive or poor/good self–concept.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
This paper addresses the question about the correlation between self-con-
cept1 and academic achievement2 of pupils, students and adolescents,3 and
the solutions that might be adopted in relation to this. In the paper, a con-
nection is made between student underachievement and the narrower field
of non-formal and informal knowledge. Reasons for this are sought in the da-
ta which indicate how important it is to address individuals’ learning. An at-
tempt is made at developing guidelines that could, if schools used these al-
ternative approaches, help adolescents improve motivation for school work
and by means of achievements in the field of non-formal and informal learn-
ing, which mainly takes place outside of the school setting, also aid in improv-
ing adolescents’ self-confidence in relation to learning.4
Self-concept, Motivation and Student Achievement
Numerous studies point to a positive correlation between student achieve-
244 ment and self-concept (cf. Nash and Lauder, 2010; Westwood, 2003; Weinstein,
2004; Zins et al., 2004). On average, the school performance of children with a
low5 self-concept is poorer than that of their peers with a high self-concept. In
understanding learning, some authors attribute great significance to individ-
1 In this paper, self-concept is understood as an organised whole of the qualities, traits, feelings,
images, views, competencies and other mental components individuals attribute to themselves
(Kobal Grum, 2000). Special emphasis is placed on academic self-concept, which is one of the major
components of global self-concept and is generated in educational institutions where adolescents
evaluate their own work as part of curricular and extracurricular activities in various fields and
different school subjects and receive other people’s (i.e. schoolmates’, teachers’) assessments of
their work (Juriševič, 1999). In the paper, no distinction will be made between self-concept and self-
esteem as empirical attempts at delineating the two terms have proven unsuccessful (see Juriševič,
1999, as cited in Brunett, 1994).
2 There are no explicit definitions of student achievement, in rare instances authors seem to equate
it with students’ school or school year graduation success (cf. Flere et al., 2009; Juriševič, 2005;
Marjanovič Umek, Sočan, Bajc, 2007). In this paper, student achievement is understood in a broader
sense, in particular as the ability to complete the education one has started, and in a narrower sense
as grade-point average on completion of education (or individual years). Student achievement
is relative based on children’s competencies; in this paper it means the highest possible level of
graduation success adolescents are capable of achieving in terms of their cognitive competencies,
motivation and other circumstances (objective and subjective, e.g. family situation etc. or the
suitability of the chosen educational programme), as well as their progress in learning and
knowledge. In the paper, learning outcomes or learning attainments will be mentioned in relation
with recognition of non-formal and informal knowledge and will be defined at a later point in the
text.
3 In this paper, the terms pupil, student and adolescents are understood as equivalents. For the most
part, the focus of this paper is on the upper secondary population, however, the proposed solutions
could be used in relation with pupils in lower secondary education as well.
4 Cf. Bracken, 2009; Juriševič, 1999.
5 In the diverse literature the following synonyms for low/high self–concept can be found: negative/
positive or poor/good self–concept.
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
