Educational Achievement: Perceptions and Attitudes

Abstract

When looking at the influences on achievement we must remember that conclusions drawn from statistical evidence are only one side of the coin. Such conclusions may offer people scant comfort. The perceptions of individuals add the human dimension to the statistical argument. Whilst those perceptions are harder to quantify — they cannot be added up and set out neatly in tabular form — they provide a reminder of the expectations held of education by individuals and of the realities with which the individual wrestles to comprehend his or her world. In this chapter we will consider these realities.