15-year-old students in Bulgaria have lower expectations for completing higher education compared to their peers around the world – Bulgaria

Social-emotional skills are crucial for the academic success, professional realization and quality of life of young people. This is the main conclusion of the only global study of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the socio-emotional skills of 15-year-old students, which was presented in Sofia. The survey is being conducted for the second time and covers over twenty countries from four continents, and the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation ensures the inclusion of Bulgaria in it. In our country, the research was conducted among 3012 students and 555 teachers from 80 schools throughout the country, and the questionnaires were filled in by the students, teachers and principals of the schools.

“I am extremely proud that the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation helped Bulgaria to be chosen as the host for the presentation of the global report of the OECD, even though our country is not yet a full member of the Organization,” he commented. Dimitar Tsotsorkovmember of the Management Board of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation.

The OECD study presents findings on 5 key areas of students’ social-emotional development: progressiveness (curiosity, acceptance, creativity), responsibility (self-control, persistence, motivation), connectedness (sociability, assertiveness, vigor), collaboration (empathy, trust) and self-control (resilience to stress, optimism, emotional control), which are directly related to youth academic and life success. In view of the low educational results detected by PISA and national external evaluation, social-emotional education offers a possible solution and approach that can reverse the negative trend in our country.

“This study invites us to look at children and their needs holistically and recognize that quality education must be comprehensive and develop them beyond academics. The introduction of educational policies for the development of social-emotional skills can be an effective strategy for improving the academic results and professional realization of our students”, commented Ioana Marinova, executive director of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation, when presenting the data from the study for Bulgaria .

Bulgarian 15-year-old students compared to their peers around the world

The purpose of the study is to provide insight into how social-emotional skills (SES) facilitate the achievement and successful realization of youth.

Unlike PISA, the focus of the study is not to compare the educational achievements of students from different countries, but nevertheless by analyzing its results against other countries, Bulgaria can prioritize areas for improvement.

Social-emotional skills and academic success

In Bulgaria, 71% of 15-year-olds expect to complete higher education, and 45% expect to have a managerial position or professional realization by the time they turn 30. Both expectations are below the survey average for other countries (84% and 57% respectively).

In our country, high grades in mathematics, Bulgarian language and literature and visual arts/music are directly related to the social-emotional skills of progressiveness, responsibility, cooperation and self-control, the research shows.

Social inequalities and social-emotional skills

Social inequalities stand out the most among 15-year-old students, which are the most pronounced in Bulgaria compared to other countries. As with academic achievements, the socio-economic and cultural status of students has a relatively large influence on the development of their social-emotional skills.

“If we want to progress as a society, we need to overcome these inequalities by paying attention to schools with low academic achievements, to increase the chances of these children and in the same process to support their teachers,” commented Ioana Marinova.

Commitment to the educational process

In Bulgaria, 65% of 15-year-old students were late for school at least once in the last two weeks before the survey, which is above the average for their peers in other countries (48%). In our country, 45% missed school hours, with an average of 29% of the respondents. The results of the study show that students with higher levels of social-emotional skills are less likely to be late and absent from school.

At the same time, the percentage of students who express concerns about tests or schoolwork and homework is between 5 and 10% lower than other countries, partly due to lower engagement in the learning process.

However, the sample of students in profiled high schools in our country shows that their anxiety levels are higher. This affects their well-being and social interactions. Factors such as intense academic pressure and competition in profiled high schools can exacerbate anxiety symptoms.

“Student engagement depends on providing a supportive school environment that gives them a sense of belonging, builds connections between parents, teachers and the community in which children live. When the connection between the school and the community is broken, we see low results. There is a direct relationship between parental involvement and involvement in educational processes and student academic success. The involvement of parents and the community in educational processes is a “trademark” of a successful school,” adds Ioana Marinova.

Bad habits

15-year-old students in Bulgaria more often exhibit unhealthy behavior and harmful habits, compared to their peers from other countries, in terms of smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and eating irregularly. In Bulgaria, 40% of 15-year-old students report that they have smoked cigarettes or tried alcohol at least once in their life, which is above the survey average (17%). In Bulgaria, 47% of 15-year-olds do not eat breakfast most days, compared to 37% on average for other countries.

“The most common reasons for manifestations of unhealthy behavior and harmful habits are the lack of motivation and vision for future realization, in combination with low self-esteem and lack of emotional control,” commented Yoana Marinova.

In contrast to the harmful habits reported by Bulgarian 15-year-old students, 33.7% of them stated that they do at least 20 minutes of intense physical activity every day. Average for participating countries – 26.6%.

Beyond the few areas that show significant differences, Bulgaria is moving in step with the average scores of all participating countries and even has encouraging data. For example, 43% of Bulgarian 15-year-old students are satisfied with their lives, compared to an average of 31% for participating countries/cities.

The relationship between SEU and children’s academic and professional success is more pronounced in Bulgaria than in other countries, which makes it a reliable intervention. Research shows that social-emotional skills are key to well-being and an integral part of an effective education system. Integrating the findings of the study into educational policies is key to realizing the potential of Bulgarian children in order to promote the development of social-emotional skills in all of them.