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kozina, m. štraus ■ relationship between academic achievement and wellbeing ...
et al., 2007). Interestingly, this predictor is not significant in our models
for mathematical and scientific literacy. This can be explained with under-
standing reading also as a form of avoidant behaviour (that is a character-
istic of anxious students), which would then be reflected in higher reading
literacy. Although this hypothesis would need to be tested, the findings
are congruent with similar studies conducted using TIMSS data where
spending more spare time reading was related to higher anxiety (Kozina,
2011). In PISA 2015 though more specific test-anxiety is significantly neg-
atively associated with achievement in all three domains. A one standard
deviation increase in test-anxiety is associated with a 4 score-point de-
crease in reading literacy, a 17 score-point decrease in mathematics litera-
cy and a 16 score-point decrease science literacy.
It is interesting that in the models for all three domains, none of the
other constructs showed significant associations with achievement. Even
though, we would, according to scientific literature and research from
the USA on either elementary, upper secondary or college samples (e.g.
Dotterer & Lowe, 2011; Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Haynes,
et al., 2006; Lewis, et al., 2011; Wang & Holocombe, 2010), expect happi-
ness, optimism as well as perseverance and engagement to be positively re-
lated to academic achievement. As known from other studies, persistence
for instance is associated with adaptive coping strategies. The findings of a
study conducted by Skinner, Pitzer and Steele (2016) suggest that adaptive
ways of coping (especially strategizing, help-seeking, and self-encourage-
ment) may contribute to increased persistence over the school year and, to
a lesser extent, protect against giving up when facing academic challenges.
Maladaptive ways of dealing with problems (e.g. projection and self-pity)
supposedly undermine persistence. The PISA 2015 database also includes
some of the wellbeing indicators that are related to the psychological di-
mension. Students were asked in a PISA 2015 background questionnaire
about their overall satisfaction with their life. The students responded on
the scale from 0 to 10, 10 representing the highest level of this satisfaction.
Slovenian 15-year-olds reported satisfaction with life at a similar level, as
was the average in OECD countries. In relation to achievement in litera-
cy domains, this PISA indicator was shown to be a significant predictor
of mathematics and science literacy of the student population analyzed in
this paper, however with only a small, 2 score-point increase in literacy as-
sociated with a one standard deviation increase in the predictor.
A second set of predictors for reading, mathematical and scientific lit-
eracy in the regression analyses comprised of constructs of several dimen-
sions of connectedness; connectedness to teachers, home, neighbourhood,
197
et al., 2007). Interestingly, this predictor is not significant in our models
for mathematical and scientific literacy. This can be explained with under-
standing reading also as a form of avoidant behaviour (that is a character-
istic of anxious students), which would then be reflected in higher reading
literacy. Although this hypothesis would need to be tested, the findings
are congruent with similar studies conducted using TIMSS data where
spending more spare time reading was related to higher anxiety (Kozina,
2011). In PISA 2015 though more specific test-anxiety is significantly neg-
atively associated with achievement in all three domains. A one standard
deviation increase in test-anxiety is associated with a 4 score-point de-
crease in reading literacy, a 17 score-point decrease in mathematics litera-
cy and a 16 score-point decrease science literacy.
It is interesting that in the models for all three domains, none of the
other constructs showed significant associations with achievement. Even
though, we would, according to scientific literature and research from
the USA on either elementary, upper secondary or college samples (e.g.
Dotterer & Lowe, 2011; Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Haynes,
et al., 2006; Lewis, et al., 2011; Wang & Holocombe, 2010), expect happi-
ness, optimism as well as perseverance and engagement to be positively re-
lated to academic achievement. As known from other studies, persistence
for instance is associated with adaptive coping strategies. The findings of a
study conducted by Skinner, Pitzer and Steele (2016) suggest that adaptive
ways of coping (especially strategizing, help-seeking, and self-encourage-
ment) may contribute to increased persistence over the school year and, to
a lesser extent, protect against giving up when facing academic challenges.
Maladaptive ways of dealing with problems (e.g. projection and self-pity)
supposedly undermine persistence. The PISA 2015 database also includes
some of the wellbeing indicators that are related to the psychological di-
mension. Students were asked in a PISA 2015 background questionnaire
about their overall satisfaction with their life. The students responded on
the scale from 0 to 10, 10 representing the highest level of this satisfaction.
Slovenian 15-year-olds reported satisfaction with life at a similar level, as
was the average in OECD countries. In relation to achievement in litera-
cy domains, this PISA indicator was shown to be a significant predictor
of mathematics and science literacy of the student population analyzed in
this paper, however with only a small, 2 score-point increase in literacy as-
sociated with a one standard deviation increase in the predictor.
A second set of predictors for reading, mathematical and scientific lit-
eracy in the regression analyses comprised of constructs of several dimen-
sions of connectedness; connectedness to teachers, home, neighbourhood,
197
