Page 83 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 83
measuring positive youth development in slovenia
Even though one may find a considerable number of studies focused
on gender, age or grade differences across the 5Cs, this topic still entails
a research gap. Regarding gender differences in the 5Cs, females were
found to report higher overall PYD scores than males (Phelps et al., 2009).
Moreover, specific differences across the 5Cs were observed, such as that fe-
males reported more connection, character and caring, while males pre-
sented higher scores for confidence (Årdal et al., 2018; Conway et al., 2015).
Gomez-Baya and colleagues (2019) found that males reported higher com-
petence as well. As for age or grade differences in the 5Cs, some ambigu-
ous patterns were observed. For instance, Gomez-Baya et al. (2019) did not
detect any age differences across the 5Cs, whereas Conway et al. (2015) re-
ported that younger adolescents (aged 11 to 15 years) showed higher caring,
character and connection than older adolescents (aged 16 to 18 years). No
differences were found for confidence and competence.
The Slovenian context
Slovenia is a small (population: 2.1 million) and newly-formed country
(in existence for 30 years) located in Southern Central Europe, border-
ing Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. In Slovenia, primary education is
arranged as a single-structure (ISCED1 and ISCED2) 9-year compulsory
school attended by students aged from 6 to 15 years. Upper secondary ed-
ucation (ISCED3) consists of 2- to 5-year non-compulsory school for stu-
dents who have completed compulsory basic education, typically at the age
of 15. Upper secondary education is divided into general education that in-
cludes 4-year gymnasium programmes, 4-year upper secondary technical
education, 3-year upper secondary vocational education (with a possibility
of continuing for 2 years in vocational/technical education programmes),
and 2-year short, upper secondary vocational education (Taštanoska, 2017).
In the 2020/2021 school year, 193,158 students were attending primary edu-
cation and 73,854 students upper secondary education in Slovenia (SURS,
2021).
In Slovenia, mental health statistics reveal disturbing trends of high
suicide rates in the general population (e.g. a suicide rate of 20 per 100,000
in the last decade; Roškar et al., 2020) and among Slovenian youth (above
the European average; Jeriček Klanšček et al., 2018). Further, HBSC find-
ings show that Slovenian students are more stressed because of school than
their peers in other countries (Jeriček Klanšček et al., 2018). In fact, older
adolescents (15–19 years) compared to younger adolescents (6–14 years) and
83
Even though one may find a considerable number of studies focused
on gender, age or grade differences across the 5Cs, this topic still entails
a research gap. Regarding gender differences in the 5Cs, females were
found to report higher overall PYD scores than males (Phelps et al., 2009).
Moreover, specific differences across the 5Cs were observed, such as that fe-
males reported more connection, character and caring, while males pre-
sented higher scores for confidence (Årdal et al., 2018; Conway et al., 2015).
Gomez-Baya and colleagues (2019) found that males reported higher com-
petence as well. As for age or grade differences in the 5Cs, some ambigu-
ous patterns were observed. For instance, Gomez-Baya et al. (2019) did not
detect any age differences across the 5Cs, whereas Conway et al. (2015) re-
ported that younger adolescents (aged 11 to 15 years) showed higher caring,
character and connection than older adolescents (aged 16 to 18 years). No
differences were found for confidence and competence.
The Slovenian context
Slovenia is a small (population: 2.1 million) and newly-formed country
(in existence for 30 years) located in Southern Central Europe, border-
ing Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary. In Slovenia, primary education is
arranged as a single-structure (ISCED1 and ISCED2) 9-year compulsory
school attended by students aged from 6 to 15 years. Upper secondary ed-
ucation (ISCED3) consists of 2- to 5-year non-compulsory school for stu-
dents who have completed compulsory basic education, typically at the age
of 15. Upper secondary education is divided into general education that in-
cludes 4-year gymnasium programmes, 4-year upper secondary technical
education, 3-year upper secondary vocational education (with a possibility
of continuing for 2 years in vocational/technical education programmes),
and 2-year short, upper secondary vocational education (Taštanoska, 2017).
In the 2020/2021 school year, 193,158 students were attending primary edu-
cation and 73,854 students upper secondary education in Slovenia (SURS,
2021).
In Slovenia, mental health statistics reveal disturbing trends of high
suicide rates in the general population (e.g. a suicide rate of 20 per 100,000
in the last decade; Roškar et al., 2020) and among Slovenian youth (above
the European average; Jeriček Klanšček et al., 2018). Further, HBSC find-
ings show that Slovenian students are more stressed because of school than
their peers in other countries (Jeriček Klanšček et al., 2018). In fact, older
adolescents (15–19 years) compared to younger adolescents (6–14 years) and
83
