engleski

WHAT ARE THE BEST PREDICTORS OF SCHOOL SUCCESS?

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine importance and intensity of individual or groups of health and social factors that could influence school success. Background: Medical examination before enrollment in primary school might detect factors described as predictors of school success before enrollment. It is not possible to change social factors or family characteristics, but they could worn that children have risk, especially if they have psychosomatic, emotional, neurotic or hyperactivity disorders or social immaturity or if they had poorer results on “Draw a man” test. Material and methods: The longitudinal study comprised 361 children (50.4% girls) in primary school in Zagreb, Croatia. Children were examined before enrollment in primary school and followed over the eight year of primary school by school medicine specialist. Results: Predictors of school success known before enrollment might account 57-60%, and together with predictors collected during primary school might account 75-82% of school success. Out of studied predictors known before enrollment, the greatest contribution to the determination coefficient was observed to be parent’s education level. Among predictors collected during the primary school, the greatest impact was observed to be supplementary classes. In boys, success in school was observed to be more influenced by behavior disorders, hyperactivity and social immaturity than intellectual capacity. In girls, intellectual capacity, result obtained on test “Draw a man” together with social immaturity, had the same impact on school success. Conclusions: Predictors collected during primary school have indicated many specific characteristics of poor success, especially in boys: class re-attendance, make-up exams, supplementary classes, behavior disorders and absence without leave. It is like a vicious circle-“once it starts, it never ends” and “poor success maintains poor success”. It is very important to support pupils with poor success to improve their self confidence and skills, especially if they have learning disabilities.

school children; school success

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