The primary aim of the scientific conference “Fostering Academic Achievement of Slovenian Adolescents”, organised by the Educational Research Institute as part of the project “Raising Awareness and Opportunities of Lifelong Learning for Low Achievers”, was to combine forces with researchers, experts and practitioners from the field of education and shed light on the issue of underachieving adolescents within the Slovenian educational space from various theoretical and research perspectives and to use the joint discussion to highlight the different approaches for improving adolescents” academic achievement.
The challenge faced within the project are underachieving students in primary and secondary education, wherein the main focus is on identifying individual factors and factors within students” family, school and wider social environments that are correlated with students” achievement judging from the findings of international comparative assessment studies and other education-related studies. In addition to the theoretical starting points resulting from the research and combined efforts of various scientific disciplines, special attention is devoted to developing approaches whose ultimate aim is improving individuals” academic achievement. At the same time these approaches are highly efficient at addressing all direct and indirect participants in the educational process (i.e. teachers, adolescents and their parents) at different levels of education and by means of various content-related and interactive forms.
The scientific conference provided an opportunity for all of the stakeholders to jointly contribute towards addressing the issue at hand within the Slovenian educational space.
PROGRAMME OF THE SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE:
Section I: National and international frameworks of student achievement
- Urška Štremfel: EU Insights into Student Achievement
- Alenka Gril, Sabina Autor: Attitude to Knowledge and Adolescents” Learning Achievement
- Mojca Štraus: (Non-)achievement of Basic Levels of Reading, Mathematical and Scientific Literacy in Slovenia
Section II: Strategies and approaches to student achievement
- Tina Vršnik Perše: Reflections on Teachers” and Students” Views on Teaching
- Natalija Komljanc: The Form(ula) of Monitoring Student Achievement
- Marta Licardo, Majda Schmidt: Self-determination and Active Participation of Students with Special Needs in the Process of Individualised Programmes
Section III: Language competencies as a factor in student achievement
- Karmen Pižorn, Tina Rutar Leban, Ana Mlekuž, Tina Vršnik Perše: Correlations between Contextualised Factors and the Performance of Lowest-Performing Students in ESLC
- Fani Nolimal: Fostering Academic Achievement of Pupils in Primary Education in the Field of Reading Literacy
- Klaudija Šterman Ivančič: Motivation for Reading in PISA 2009
- Janja Žmavc: Rhetoric and Argumentation: (the Forgotten or Overlooked) Factors in Student Achievement?
Section IV: The significance of interpersonal relationships in successful learning
- Tina Rutar Leban: Parenting and Teaching Styles as Support or an Obstacle to Children”s Learning Achievement
- Ana Kozina: Fostering Social and Emotional Learning as a Means of Achieving Better-Quality Knowledge
- Katja Košir, Damjan Šimek: (Non-)correlation between Learning Variables and the Scope of Peer Relations in Middle Adolescence
Section V: Practical training, extracurricular activities and student achievement
- Polona Kelava: Student (Formal) Achievement through Non-formal and Informal Knowledge?
- Alenka Flander, Andreja Lenc, Marja Medved: An Analysis of the Impacts of International Mobility of VET Students on their Motivation, Self-confidence and Personal and Professional Development
- Barbara Kopačin: Music Learning and Active Participation in Musical Activities as a Significant Factor in Student Achievement