Page 117 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 117
venting bullying: peer culture as the crucial developmental context in adolescence
to lower secondary school level), which implies entering a completely new
school environment. Eccles and Roeser (2011) relied on the concept of stage–
environment fit to explain changes in students’ academic and social func-
tioning since most junior high schools are larger than elementary schools,
and instruction is more likely to be organised departmentally. On the low-
er secondary education level, students are typically taught by many dif-
ferent teachers, which makes establishing close teacher–student relation-
ships more difficult. This then substantially weakens teachers’ influence
and their ability to detect students’ academic and/or social difficulties ear-
ly on (e.g. Lee & Smith, 2001). Moreover, students enter a new peer system
that is likely to develop different, context-specific norms and collective val-
ues. Using the concept of stage–environment fit, Eccles and Roeser (2011)
analysed relevant research findings concerning how: (1) teachers, curricu-
lar tasks, and classroom environments; (2) aspects of the school as an or-
ganisation; and (3) district policies and practices can play an instrumental
role in adolescents’ intellectual and social-emotional development.
However, the Slovenian school system is specific because elementary
and lower level secondary education is organised at the same school (called
basic school) from the age of 6 until the age of 15. Compulsory basic educa-
tion in Slovenia is organised as a single-structure (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2),
9-year basic school attended by pupils aged 6 to 15 years (Taštanoska, 2017).
Thus, in our school system, emerging adolescents do not transit to anoth-
er school. Nevertheless, their school experience gradually changes; from
years 1 to 3, students are generally taught most subjects by their class teach-
ers. In the fourth year of elementary education, teaching and school sub-
ject responsibilities gradually become divided among teachers, although in
fourth and fifth grades the class teacher still teaches most subjects. During
the whole elementary and secondary schooling period, a class teacher is as-
signed to every class. This class teacher teaches the students at least one sub-
ject. Accordingly, the transition on the lower secondary level is more gradu-
al for Slovenian students. They experience changes in their teacher–student
relationships and curricular tasks; nonetheless, this occurs in the context
of their peer classroom environment. In Slovenian elementary schools, the
law stipulates a maximum of 28 pupils per class. The average actual class
size in 2018/2019 was 21 pupils (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2) (Taštanoska, 2020).
This peer environment usually remains the same or its main structural
characteristics are quite stable (although, of course, the psychosocial pro-
cesses in peer relations change over the 9 years of schooling). Thus, creating
117
to lower secondary school level), which implies entering a completely new
school environment. Eccles and Roeser (2011) relied on the concept of stage–
environment fit to explain changes in students’ academic and social func-
tioning since most junior high schools are larger than elementary schools,
and instruction is more likely to be organised departmentally. On the low-
er secondary education level, students are typically taught by many dif-
ferent teachers, which makes establishing close teacher–student relation-
ships more difficult. This then substantially weakens teachers’ influence
and their ability to detect students’ academic and/or social difficulties ear-
ly on (e.g. Lee & Smith, 2001). Moreover, students enter a new peer system
that is likely to develop different, context-specific norms and collective val-
ues. Using the concept of stage–environment fit, Eccles and Roeser (2011)
analysed relevant research findings concerning how: (1) teachers, curricu-
lar tasks, and classroom environments; (2) aspects of the school as an or-
ganisation; and (3) district policies and practices can play an instrumental
role in adolescents’ intellectual and social-emotional development.
However, the Slovenian school system is specific because elementary
and lower level secondary education is organised at the same school (called
basic school) from the age of 6 until the age of 15. Compulsory basic educa-
tion in Slovenia is organised as a single-structure (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2),
9-year basic school attended by pupils aged 6 to 15 years (Taštanoska, 2017).
Thus, in our school system, emerging adolescents do not transit to anoth-
er school. Nevertheless, their school experience gradually changes; from
years 1 to 3, students are generally taught most subjects by their class teach-
ers. In the fourth year of elementary education, teaching and school sub-
ject responsibilities gradually become divided among teachers, although in
fourth and fifth grades the class teacher still teaches most subjects. During
the whole elementary and secondary schooling period, a class teacher is as-
signed to every class. This class teacher teaches the students at least one sub-
ject. Accordingly, the transition on the lower secondary level is more gradu-
al for Slovenian students. They experience changes in their teacher–student
relationships and curricular tasks; nonetheless, this occurs in the context
of their peer classroom environment. In Slovenian elementary schools, the
law stipulates a maximum of 28 pupils per class. The average actual class
size in 2018/2019 was 21 pupils (ISCED 1 and ISCED 2) (Taštanoska, 2020).
This peer environment usually remains the same or its main structural
characteristics are quite stable (although, of course, the psychosocial pro-
cesses in peer relations change over the 9 years of schooling). Thus, creating
117
