IDENTIFYING WAYS TO IMPROVE SCHOOL CHILDREN PERFORMANCE: THE STUDENTS’ POINT OF VIEW

There is growing evidence that progress has been made in scientists’ understanding of the student motivational dynamics as correlated to school performance and the factors that affect them. The present study conducted in October 2011, aims to highlight the views of pre-service teachers from a Northern Greece University on issues related to factors influencing academic achievement and classroom performance improvement. More specifically, our work is based on data collected using content analysis as our research method and free text as a research tool. The survey utilizes the accumulated educational research aimed at exploring and bringing to the surface highly influential factors related to the social and academic goals achieved the motivating properties of these goals and prevailing classroom reward structures, as well as other key factors.According to the research findings, students suggest that student achievement could be highly affected by a) a wide range of specific instructional strategies educators use in the everyday teaching and learning process, such as flexible/diversified teaching methods, encouragement and support for learning activities at home, conversations and wide cooperation with parents b) student attitude towards school and school tasks c) parental support and involvement in schools and d) the contribution of the community-at-large to all-rounded student performance and consequently, to better school achievement. All of the above-cited findings seem to have a positive impact on student achievement and raise key issues for policy and practice.