INTRODUCTION: Research on adolescents' academic performance has mostly focused on the contribution of objective factors, such as socioeconomic situation of the family or individual cognitive skills and school results. Evidence with a focus on adolescents' subjective experiences is scarce. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore factors related to adolescents' academic performance from their perspectives. METHODS: We used data from 11 group semi-structured interviews conducted in 2020/2021 with 45 adolescents in the first year of high school in Slovakia (mean age = 14.98; 22.2% boys). Participants were selected from three types of high school with regards to the graduation system. We analysed the data using consensual qualitative research and thematic analysis. RESULTS: Based on the statements of the adolescents, we identified five main themes of factors that affect their academic performance. Adolescents reported that the following contribute to their academic performance: the contents and methods of teaching; how teachers behave and do their jobs; the way in which adolescents study and what motivates them; support within and outside the school, and the environment and appearance of the school. Adolescents reported that improving the curricula and using teaching methods that balance theoretical information with practical skills training would help their academic performance immensely. CONCLUSION: We identified several factors related to adolescents' academic performance using their own perspectives and experiences. Strengthening the capacities of teachers may largely benefit adolescents' educational process and further academic performance.

Department of Community and Occupational Health University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen Netherlands

Department of Health Psychology and Research Methodology Faculty of Medicine PJ Safarik University Košice Slovakia

Institute of Applied Psychology Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences Comenius University in Bratislava Bratislava Slovakia

Olomouc University Social Health Institute Palacky University in Olomouc Olomouc Czechia

See more in PubMed

Abel T. (2008). Cultural capital and social inequality in health. J. Epidemiol. Community Health 62:e13. doi: 10.1136/jech.2007.066159 PubMed DOI

Adediwura A. A., Tayo B. (2007). Perception of teachers’ knowledge, attitude and teaching skills as predictor of academic performance in Nigerian secondary schools. Educ. Res. Rev. 2, 165–171.

Adu E. O., Olatundun S. O. (2007). Teachers’ perception of teaching as correlates of students’ academic performance in Oyo state, Nigeria. Essays Educ. 20:6.

Ariani D. (2016). Why do I study? The mediating effect of motivation and self-regulation on student performance. Busin. Manag. Educ. 14, 153–178. doi: 10.3846/bme.2016.329 DOI

Ashby J. S., Schoon I. (2010). Career success: the role of teenage career aspirations, ambition value and gender in predicting adult social status and earnings. J. Vocat. Behav. 77, 350–360. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2010.06.006 DOI

Asikhia O. A. (2010). Students and teachers’ perception of the causes of poor academic performance in Ogun state secondary schools [Nigeria]: implications for counseling for national development. Eur. J. Soc. Sci. 13, 229–242.

Boberova Z., Paakkari L., Ropovik I., Liba J. (2017). Democratic school health education in a post-communist country. Health Educ. 117, 469–484. doi: 10.1108/HE-10-2016-0050 DOI

Bosakova L., Geckova A. M., Dijk J. P., Reijneveld S. A. (2020). School is (not) calling: the associations of gender, family affluence, disruptions in the social context and learning difficulties with school satisfaction among adolescents in Slovakia. Int. J. Public Health 65, 1413–1421. doi: 10.1007/s00038-020-01474-4, PMID: PubMed DOI

Brame C. (2016). Active learning. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Available at: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/active-learning/.

Braun V., Clarke V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual. Res. Psychol. 3, 77–101. doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI

Braun V., Clarke V. (2022). Thematic analysis: a practical guide. London: SAGE Publications Ltd Sage.

Daw J. (2012). Parental income and the fruits of labor: variability in homework efficacy in secondary school. Res. Soc. Stratif. Mobil. 30, 246–264. doi: 10.1016/j.rssm.2012.01.004, PMID: PubMed DOI PMC

Denzler S. (2011). University or polytechnic? Family background effects on the choice of higher education institution. Swiss J. Sociol. 37, 79–97.

Dorman J. P. (2001). Associations between classroom environment and academic efficacy. Learn. Environ. Res. 4, 243–257. doi: 10.1023/A:1014490922622 DOI

Edgerton E., McKechnie J. (2023). The relationship between student’s perceptions of their school environment and academic achievement. Front. Psychol. 13:959259. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.959259, PMID: PubMed DOI PMC

Fan J. (2014). The impact of economic capital, social capital and cultural capital: Chinese families’ access to educational resources. Sociol. Mind 4, 272–281. doi: 10.4236/sm.2014.44028 DOI

Fantinelli S., Esposito C., Carlucci L., Limone P., Sulla F. (2023). The influence of individual and contextual factors on the vocational choices of adolescents and their impact on well-being. Behav. Sci. 13:233. doi: 10.3390/bs13030233, PMID: PubMed DOI PMC

Farooq M. S., Chaudhry A. H., Shafiq M., Berhanu G. (2011). Factors affecting students’ quality of academic performance: a case of secondary school level. J. Qual. Technol. Manag. 7, 1–14.

Ganyaupfu E. M. (2013). Teaching methods and students’ academic performance. Int. J. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Invention 2, 29–35.

Goddard R. D. (2003). Relational networks, social trust, and norms: a social capital perspective on students’ chances of academic success. Educ. Eval. Policy Anal. 25, 59–74. doi: 10.3102/01623737025001059 DOI

Hesson M., Shad K. F. (2007). A student-centered learning model. Am. J. Appl. Sci. 4, 628–636. doi: 10.3844/ajassp.2007.628.636 DOI

Hill C. E., Knox S., Thompson B. J., Williams E. N., Hess S. A., Ladany N. (2005). Consensual qualitative research: an update. J. Couns. Psychol. 52, 196–205. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.196 DOI

Honicke T., Broadbent J. (2016). The influence of academic self-efficacy on academic performance: a systematic review. Educ. Res. Rev. 17, 63–84. doi: 10.1016/j.edurev.2015.11.002 DOI

Horanicova S., Husarova D., Geckova A. M., Klein D., Dijk J. P., Winter A. F., et al. . (2020). Teacher and classmate support may keep adolescents satisfied with school and education. Does gender matter? Int. J. Public Health 65, 1423–1429. doi: 10.1007/s00038-020-01477-1, PMID: PubMed DOI

Horanicova S., Husarova D., Madarasova Geckova A., De Winter A., Reijneveld S. (2022). School satisfaction and its associations with health and behavioural outcomes among 15-years old adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 19:11514. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191811514, PMID: PubMed DOI PMC

Inchley J., Currie D., Budisavljevic S., Torsheim T., Jåstad A., Cosma A., et al. . (2020). Spotlight on adolescent health and well-being. Findings from the 2017/2018 health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) survey in Europe and Canada. International report, vol. 1. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Inchley J., Currie D., Young T., Samdal O., Torsheim T., Augustson L., et al. . (2016). Growing up unequal: gender and socioeconomic differences in young people's health and well-being. Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) study: international report from the 2013/2014 survey. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; (Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, No. 7).

Jeffrey A. J., Auger R. W., Pepperell J. L. (2013). “If we're ever in trouble they're always there” a qualitative study of teacher-student caring. Elem. School J. 114, 100–117. doi: 10.1086/671062 DOI

Kamtsios S., Karagiannopoulou E. (2013). Conceptualizing students’ academic hardiness dimensions: a qualitative study. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 28, 807–823. doi: 10.1007/s10212-012-0141-6 DOI

Katsantonis I., McLellan R. (2023). Students’ voices: a qualitative study on contextual, motivational, and self-regulatory factors underpinning language achievement. Educ. Sci. 13:804. doi: 10.3390/educsci13080804 DOI

Kumar S., Agarwal M., Agarwal N. (2021). Defining and measuring academic performance of Hei students-a critical review. Turk. J. Comput. Math. Educ. 12, 3091–3105. doi: 10.17762/turcomat.v12i6.6952 DOI

Libbey H. P. (2004). Measuring student relationships to school: attachment, bonding, connectedness, and engagement. J. Sch. Health 74, 274–283. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.2004.tb08284.x, PMID: PubMed DOI

Lu L., Weber H. S., Spinath F. M., Shi J. (2011). Predicting school achievement from cognitive and non-cognitive variables in a Chinese sample of elementary school children. Intell. 39, 130–140. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2011.02.002 DOI

Madarasová Gecková A. (2019). Národná správa o zdraví a so zdravím súvisiacom správaní 11-, 13- a 15-ročných školákov na základe prieskumu uskutočneného v roku 2017/2018 v rámci medzinárodneho projektu [National report on health and health-related behavior of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old school-aged-children based on a survey in 2017/2018] health behaviour in school aged children (HBSC). Equilibria, s.r.o: Košice.

Madarasová Gecková A., Husarova D. (2023). Národná správa o zdraví a so zdravím súvisiacom správaní 11-, 13- a 15-ročných školákov na základe prieskumu uskutočneného v roku 2021/2022 v rámci medzinárodneho projektu [National report on health and health-related behavior of 11-, 13- and 15-year-old school-aged-children based on a survey in 2021/2022] health behaviour in school aged children (HBSC). Košice: ŠafárikPress.

Magnano P., Boerchi D., Lodi E., Patrizi P. (2020). The effect of non-intellective competencies and academic performance on school satisfaction. Educ. Sci. 10:222. doi: 10.3390/educsci10090222 DOI

Miñano P., Gilar R., Castejón J. L. (2012). A structural model of cognitive-motivational variables as explanatory factors of academic achievement in Spanish language and mathematics. An. Psicol. 28, 45–54.

Moé A., Katz I., Alesi M. (2018). Scaffolding for motivation by parents, and child homework motivations and emotions: effects of a training programme. Br. J. Educ. Psychol. 88, 323–344. doi: 10.1111/bjep.12216, PMID: PubMed DOI

Narad A., Abdullah B. (2016). Academic performance of senior secondary school students: influence of parental encouragement and school environment. Rupkatha J. Interdiscip. Stud. Humanit. 8, 12–19. doi: 10.21659/rupkatha.v8n2.02 DOI

OECD (2018). Equity in education: breaking down barriers to social mobility, PISA. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Olshansky S. J., Antonucci T., Berkman L., Binstock R. H., Boersch-Supan A., Cacioppo J. T., et al. . (2012). Differences in life expectancy due to race and educational differences are widening, and many may not catch up. Health Aff. 31, 1803–1813. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0746, PMID: PubMed DOI

Person L., Haraldsson K., Hagquist C. (2016). School satisfaction and social relations: Swedish schoolchildren’s improvement suggestions. Int. J. Public Health 61, 83–90. doi: 10.1007/s00038-015-0696-5 PubMed DOI

Pintrich P. R. (2003). A motivational science perspective on the role of student motivation in learning and teaching contexts. J. Educ. Psychol. 95, 667–686. doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.95.4.667 DOI

Shah S. S. A. (2009). Impact of teachers’ behaviour on the academic achievement of university students. J. Coll. Teach. Learn. 6, 69–74. doi: 10.19030/tlc.v6i1.1183 DOI

Singh S. P., Malik S., Singh P. (2016). Research paper factors affecting academic performance of students. Indian J. Res. 5, 176–178.

Suizzo M. A., Jackson K. M., Pahlke E., McClain S., Marroquin Y., Blondeau L. A., et al. . (2016). Parents’ school satisfaction and academic socialization predict adolescents’ autonomous motivation: a mixed-method study of low-income ethnic minority families. J. Adolesc. Res. 31, 343–374. doi: 10.1177/0743558415605617 DOI

Suleman Q., Hussain I. (2014). Effects of classroom physical environment on the academic achievement scores of secondary school students in Kohat division, Pakistan. Int. J. Learning Dev. 4, 71–82. doi: 10.5296/ijld.v4i1.5174 DOI

Tindle R., Abo Hamza E. G., Helal A. A., Ayoub A. E. A., Moustafa A. A. (2022). A scoping review of the psychosocial correlates of academic performance. Rev. Educ. 10:e3371. doi: 10.1002/rev3.3371 DOI

Tong A., Sainsbury P., Craig J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int. J. Qual. Health Care 19, 349–357. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzm042, PMID: PubMed DOI

Usaini M. I., Abubakar N. B., Bichi A. A. (2015). Influence of school environment on academic performance of secondary school students in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. Am. J. Innov. Res. Appl. Sci. 1, 203–209.

VERBI Software . (2021). MAXQDA 2022 [computer software]. VERBI Software. Available at: maxqda.com.

Wang M. T., Holcombe R. (2010). Adolescents’ perceptions of school environment, engagement, and academic achievement in middle school. Am. Educ. Res. J. 47, 633–662. doi: 10.3102/0002831209361209 DOI

Williams J. M., Greenleaf A. T., Barnes E. F., Scott T. R. (2019). High-achieving, low-income students’ perspectives of how schools can promote the academic achievement of students living in poverty. Improv. Sch. 22, 224–236. doi: 10.1177/1365480218821501 DOI