Page 44 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 44
Past (though rare and not sufficiently in-depth) research has shown trans-
lating the European guidelines into a national context is indicated through dif-
ferent levels of adjustment, i.e. changes in discourse and terminology, adop-
tion of strategic documents, changes in the contents of educational policies
and changes in paradigms (Radaelli, 2003). In terms of changes in discourse
and terminology, some terms, such as key competencies and literacy etc.,14 have
gained in meaning within the Slovenian educational space, which occurred
under the influence of European integration processes and other types of in-
ternational cooperation in the field of education. The change in discourse
within the Slovenian educational space is also indicated in new definitions,
such as that of ‘low achievers’.15 The need for a common and comparable un-
derstanding of nationally diverse phenomena at an EU level encourages EU
member states to reflect on the previously established national definitions
and its remodelling.
The significance of comparisons between the performance of Slovenian
students and that of students from other EU member states is highlighted in
the updated national legislation and the newly adopted strategic documents
44 in the field of education. It is evident from these documents that the reference
point stated for the desired performance of Slovenian students is the perfor-
mance in the most developed EU member states, which confirms the theoret-
ical assumptions of governance by comparison, as were presented in the first
part of the paper.16 In the White Paper from 1995, special attention was given
to Slovenian students achieving internationally comparable performance lev-
els (Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, 1996: 71): ‘In Slovenia one of the
aims of the updated school system is to enable the achievement of interna-
tionally comparable standards at the end of lower secondary education’. In the
2011 White Paper even more attention is devoted to this issue (Ministry of Edu-
cation, Science and Sport, 2011: 24, 25): ‘One of the most significant aims of the
Slovenian educational system is to guarantee internationally comparable lev-
els of education for all citizens of Slovenia. At a state level, the means of reach-
ing this goal must be defined clearly, whereby the goal is defined as Slovenian
students ranking near the top, or at least in the upper third of performance lev-
14 The statement is derived from the data of an empirical study (Štremfel, 2013).
15 This understanding was mostly developed as part of Slovenia’s participation in the EU Thematic
Working Group ‘Mathematics, Science and Technology’.
16 Analyses of educational reforms in other European countries (see e.g. Grek, 2008) likewise indicate
that in developing the strategies for the development of their educational systems, countries rely
on the data gathered in international comparative assessment studies and compare the situation
within their educational systems with the situation in other countries. Data from international com-
parisons are an aid to identifying the strongest and weakest points of the national educational sys-
tem in the light of performance of other systems and also an aid to monitoring their development/
progress over a longer time span (Štraus, 2006: 8).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
lating the European guidelines into a national context is indicated through dif-
ferent levels of adjustment, i.e. changes in discourse and terminology, adop-
tion of strategic documents, changes in the contents of educational policies
and changes in paradigms (Radaelli, 2003). In terms of changes in discourse
and terminology, some terms, such as key competencies and literacy etc.,14 have
gained in meaning within the Slovenian educational space, which occurred
under the influence of European integration processes and other types of in-
ternational cooperation in the field of education. The change in discourse
within the Slovenian educational space is also indicated in new definitions,
such as that of ‘low achievers’.15 The need for a common and comparable un-
derstanding of nationally diverse phenomena at an EU level encourages EU
member states to reflect on the previously established national definitions
and its remodelling.
The significance of comparisons between the performance of Slovenian
students and that of students from other EU member states is highlighted in
the updated national legislation and the newly adopted strategic documents
44 in the field of education. It is evident from these documents that the reference
point stated for the desired performance of Slovenian students is the perfor-
mance in the most developed EU member states, which confirms the theoret-
ical assumptions of governance by comparison, as were presented in the first
part of the paper.16 In the White Paper from 1995, special attention was given
to Slovenian students achieving internationally comparable performance lev-
els (Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, 1996: 71): ‘In Slovenia one of the
aims of the updated school system is to enable the achievement of interna-
tionally comparable standards at the end of lower secondary education’. In the
2011 White Paper even more attention is devoted to this issue (Ministry of Edu-
cation, Science and Sport, 2011: 24, 25): ‘One of the most significant aims of the
Slovenian educational system is to guarantee internationally comparable lev-
els of education for all citizens of Slovenia. At a state level, the means of reach-
ing this goal must be defined clearly, whereby the goal is defined as Slovenian
students ranking near the top, or at least in the upper third of performance lev-
14 The statement is derived from the data of an empirical study (Štremfel, 2013).
15 This understanding was mostly developed as part of Slovenia’s participation in the EU Thematic
Working Group ‘Mathematics, Science and Technology’.
16 Analyses of educational reforms in other European countries (see e.g. Grek, 2008) likewise indicate
that in developing the strategies for the development of their educational systems, countries rely
on the data gathered in international comparative assessment studies and compare the situation
within their educational systems with the situation in other countries. Data from international com-
parisons are an aid to identifying the strongest and weakest points of the national educational sys-
tem in the light of performance of other systems and also an aid to monitoring their development/
progress over a longer time span (Štraus, 2006: 8).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
