The Primary and Lower Secondary School Reform: Academic Participation and Interest of Pupils

The 2014 primary and lower secondary school reform aims at enhancing the academic level of pupils, increasing their motivation for learning, and ensuring a high degree of well-being at school. Research shows that there is a strongly positive correlation between the academic performance of pupils and their involvement with school.

With this as a starting point, the report analyses the development of academic participation and level of interest of the pupils - seen here as an expression of involvement - after the reform came into effect in 2014. The report also examines what characterises schools in 2016 that had pupils who displayed a high degree of academic participation and interest.

The analyses were carried out based on the panel of schools which, since 2014, had participated in systematic data collection using questionnaires for pupils, teachers, child and youth educators, school managers, school board managers and parents. The panel was established as part of an extensive assessment and monitoring-research programme of the reform launched by the Danish Ministry of Education