Does the economics crisis affect Greek adolescents' academic performance? An EST approach

Abstract

The enduring economic crisis across several countries has sparked a growing amount of research interest regarding its potential impact on various aspects of life, including adolescent academic achievement. This study uses ecological systems theory (EST) as a theoretical framework in order to explore the influence of both distal and proximal factors on students’ academic achievement. A person-process-context-time (PPCT) ecological systems model was used: a longitudinal analysis using cross-sectional data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results indicate that student performance is not only significantly affected by family Socioeconomic standards, class environment and teacher quality, but also that across the examined three years the economic crisis is a key distal influence factor; as such, it is a significant risk factor for student and teacher performance. It therefore should be taken into consideration when designing educational programs.