Personal, family, and academic factors affecting low achievement in secondary school

Introduction. Understanding different parameters which contribute directly to low achievement is a frequent topic, especially when international surveys such as the one carried out by the OEDC show that 26% of secondary students in Spain (6% above the average of the all other countries surveyed) do not attain the corresponding diploma. The present study aims to establish relationships between personal, family and academic factors that account for school failure, as well as determine how these factors influence each other. Method. The sample was composed of a total of 1178 students from four secondary schools in Almeria city (Spain), including the four years of Mandatory Secondary Education. In order to collect the data two measuring instruments were used: an adaptaion of the TAMAI questionnaire and a measurement of school failure. Results. The results of this survey make clear the direct influence of variables such as parents' academic level, gender, motivation, relationships between peers, and others. Discussion. The hypotheses were fulfilled differentially, showing the selective predictive power of the different contextual variables (family and school related) in accounting for school failure in students of Secondary Education. Such results offer us very relevant information for better understanding and for decision-making with an aim towards prevention of school failure during this educational stage.