Factors Influencing Academic Achievement According to Students and Educational Stakeholders: A Systematic Qualitative Perspective

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 89 - 112, 29.12.2025

Kübra Nur Kesim , Ali Gül

https://doi.org/10.47156/jide.1771294

Öz

In achieving targeted educational outcomes and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the system in order to develop appropriate roadmaps, the most effective starting point is the monitoring and analysis of the factors contributing to success or failure. In determining these factors, the primary sources of data are, undoubtedly, the students themselves and other stakeholders within the educational system. The purpose of this study is to examine, through qualitative research that gathers data directly from these sources, the factors influencing the perceptions of academic success and failure among typical primary and secondary school students, as well as other educational actors. To this end, studies conducted between 2015 and July 2025 were retrieved from the Scopus, ERIC, and Web of Science databases. EndNote was employed for reference management, and the studies were compiled in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 reporting guidelines. The findings of nine studies deemed relevant to the research were thematically analyzed using MAXQDA. The analysis of the studies indicated that, in order of their impact on student performance, academic factors, personal factors, socio-cultural factors, and socio-economic factors emerged as the primary themes. According to the findings, the teacher factor stands out for achievement and a teacher’s professional competencies and the extent to which they are implemented are reported more frequently than other teacher-related reasons. Considering students’ individual differences is a valid expectation for all stakeholders. Students maintain their self-regulation through motivation arising from their individual characteristics, and accordingly, they demonstrate academic engagement behaviors. Family and peers influence academic achievement both academically and socially. Socio-cultural factors are mostly significant for motivational impact, whereas socio-economic factors are important both for motivational impact and for educational equity. In light of the themes, recommendations have been presented for practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Academic Achievement , Failure , Student Success , Academic Performance

Kaynakça

• Agyeman, G. A., Frimpong, E. A., & Ganyo, E. R. (2016). Students’ perception of socio-cultural factors affecting academic performance. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology, and Sciences (ASRJETS), 19(1), 19-24.
• Alhadabi, A., & Karpinski, A. C. (2020). Grit, self-efficacy, achievement orientation goals, and academic performance in University students. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 519-535.
• Anderton, R. S. (2017). Identifying factors that contribute to academic success in first year allied health and science degrees at an Australian university. Australian Journal of Education, 61(2), 184-199.
• Atchia, S. M. C., & Chinapah, V. (2023). Factors influencing the academic achievement of secondary school students: A structural equation model. International Journal of Instruction, 16(1), 99-1020.
• Bahar, M. (2016). Student perception of academic achievement factors at high school. European Journal of Educational Research, 5(2), 85-100.
• Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1986(23-28), 2.
• Barry, J. E. (2006). The effect of socio-economic status on academic achievement (Doctoral dissertation, Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Sociology).
• Bascones, G. Y., Yunzal Jr, A. N., & Casinillo, L. F. (2024). Exploring contextual factors affecting student performance in mathematics: a sequential explanatory research. Canadian Journal of Family and Youth/Le Journal Canadien de Famille et de la Jeunesse, 16(3), 210-234.
• Blazar, D. (2015). Effective teaching in elementary mathematics: Identifying classroom practices that support student achievement. Economics of Education Review, 48, 16-29.
• Blumer, H. (1986). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. Univ of California Press.
• Bramer, W. M., Rethlefsen, M. L., Kleijnen, J., & Franco, O. H. (2017). Optimal database combinations for literature searches in systematic reviews: a prospective exploratory study. Systematic reviews, 6(1), 245.
• Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press.
• Brook, C. A., & Willoughby, T. (2015). The social ties that bind: Social anxiety and academic achievement across the university years. Journal of youth and adolescence, 44(5), 1139-1152.
• Cachia, M., Lynam, S., & Stock, R. (2018). Academic success: Is it just about the grades? Higher Education Pedagogies, 3(1), 434–439.
• Casanova, P. F., García‐Linares, M. C., de la Torre, M. J., & Carpio, M. D. L. V. (2005). Influence of family and socio‐demographic variables on students with low academic achievement. Educational psychology, 25(4), 423-435.
• Chen, J., & Pang, H. (2023). Analyzing factors ınfluencing student achievement: A financial and agricultural perspective using SPSS statistical analysis software. Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, 28(1), 304-316.
• Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Curran, F. C., & Kellogg, A. T. (2016). Understanding science achievement gaps by race/ethnicity and gender in kindergarten and first grade. Educational Researcher, 45(5), 273-282.
• Consoli, T., Schmitz, M. L., Antonietti, C., Gonon, P., Cattaneo, A., & Petko, D. (2025). Quality of technology integration matters: Positive associations with students’ behavioral engagement and digital competencies for learning. Education and Information Technologies, 30(6), 7719-7752.
• Dent, A. L., & Koenka, A. C. (2016). The relation between self-regulated learning and academic achievement across childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis. Educational psychology review, 28(3), 425-474.
• Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2011). The Sage handbook of qualitative research. Sage.
• Dignath, C., Buettner, G., & Langfeldt, H. P. (2008). How can primary school students learn self-regulated learning strategies most effectively?: A meta-analysis on self-regulation training programmes. Educational Research Review, 3(2), 101-129.
• Edmonds, R. (1979). Effective schools for the urban poor. Educational leadership, 37(1), 15-24.
• Fauth, B., Decristan, J., Decker, A. T., Büttner, G., Hardy, I., Klieme, E., & Kunter, M. (2019). The effects of teacher competence on student outcomes in elementary science education: The mediating role of teaching quality. Teaching and teacher education, 86, 102882.
• Felisoni, D. D., & Godoi, A. S. (2018). Cell phone usage and academic performance: An experiment. Computers & Education, 117, 175-187.
• Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2018). Student absenteeism: who misses school and how missing school matters for performance. Economic Policy Institute.
• Gebru, H. T., & Verstegen, D. (2023). Assessing predictors of students’ academic performance in Ethiopian new medical schools: a concurrent mixed-method study. BMC medical education, 23(1), 448.
• Gentilucci, J. L., & Gentilucci, A. E. (2016). Student perceptions of classroom learning: plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose?. International Journal of Educational Reform, 25(1), 56-78.
• Gentrup, S., Lorenz, G., Kristen, C., & Kogan, I. (2020). Self-fulfilling prophecies in the classroom: Teacher expectations, teacher feedback and student achievement. Learning and Instruction, 66, 101296.
• Govindarajoo, M. V., D Selvarajoo, N., & Ali, M. S. (2022). Factors contributing to poor academic achievement among low performing pupils: A case study. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 18(4), 981-997.
• Godau, R. (2003). Qualitative data analysis software: MAXqda. Qualitative Research Journal, 4(1), 66-72.
• Golsteyn, B. H., Non, A., & Zölitz, U. (2021). The impact of peer personality on academic achievement. Journal of Political Economy, 129(4), 1052-1099.
• Grönqvist, E., & Vlachos, J. (2016). One size fits all? The effects of teachers' cognitive and social abilities on student achievement. Labour Economics, 42, 138-150.
• Hanushek, E. A., Mayer, S. E., & Peterson, P. (1999). The evidence on class size. Earning and learning: How schools matter, 131-168.
• Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2011). The economics of international differences in educational achievement. Handbook of the Economics of Education, 3, 89-200.
• He, X., Wang, H., Chang, F., Dill, S. E., Liu, H., Tang, B., & Shi, Y. (2021). IQ, grit, and academic achievement: Evidence from rural China. International Journal of Educational Development, 80, 102306.
• Hochbein, C., & Smeaton, K. S. (2018). An exploratory analysis of the prevalence of quantitative research concepts in journal articles. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 13(11).
• Hoferichter, F., Kulakow, S., & Raufelder, D. (2022). How teacher and classmate support relate to students’ stress and academic achievement. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 992497.
• Horanicova, S., Husarova, D., Madarasova Geckova, A., Lackova Rebicova, M., Sokolova, L., de Winter, A. F., & Reijneveld, S. A. (2024). Adolescents’ academic performance: what helps them and what hinders them from achievement and success?. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1350105.
• Hosseini, S. N., Alavijeh, M. M., Matin, B. K., Hamzeh, B., Ashtarian, H., & Jalilian, F. (2016). Locus of control or self-esteem; Which one is the best predictor of academic achievement in Iranian college students. Iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 10(1), e2602.
• Jain, B., & Puri, J. (2025). Parental engagement as a catalyst for academic success and emotional development in students: a literature review. International Journal of Research - Granthaalayah, 13(6), 82–96.
• Javornik, Š., & Klemenčič Mirazchiyski, E. (2023). Factors contributing to school effectiveness: A systematic literature review. European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 13(10), 2095-2111.
• Jeffery, D., & Johnson, D. (2019). Whose fault is failure? Contested perspectives of academic support in tertiary educational institutions in South Africa. Research in Comparative and International Education, 14(3), 376-393.
• Jiang, Q., Horta, H., & Yuen, M. (2022). International medical students’ perspectives on factors affecting their academic success in China: a qualitative study. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 574.
• Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. B. (2024). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Sage publications.
• Karakuş, S., & Kazancı, B. A. (2024). Ön lisans öğrencilerinde arkadaş baskısı ve akademik erteleme arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi [Examining the relationship between peer pressure and academic procrastination among associate degree students]. Akademik Düşünce Dergisi, (10), 1-15.
• Katsantonis, I., & McLellan, R. (2023). Students’ voices: a qualitative study on contextual, motivational, and self-regulatory factors underpinning language achievement. Education Sciences, 13(8), 804.
• Kaya, M., & Erdem, C. (2021). Students’ well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis study. Child Indicators Research, 14(5), 1743-1767.
• Kesim, K. N., & Gül, A. (2025). Proje tabanlı laboratuvar uygulamalarının biyoloji başarısı ve öz-yeterlik inancına etkisi [The effect of project-based laboratory practices on biology achievement and self-efficacy beliefs]. Gazi Üniversitesi, Gazi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 45(1), 87-113.
• Khaiwal, N., & Gupta, S. (2025). Relationship between attitude towards mathematics and academic achievement of eleventh-class students. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 5(1).
• Kraft, M. A., Bolves, A. J., & Hurd, N. M. (2023). How informal mentoring by teachers, counselors, and coaches supports students' long-run academic success. Economics of Education Review, 95, 102411.
• Lawson, G. M., & Farah, M. J. (2017). Executive function as a mediator between SES and academic achievement throughout childhood. International journal of behavioral development, 41(1), 94-104.
• Lee, J., & Stankov, L. (2018). Non-cognitive predictors of academic achievement: Evidence from TIMSS and PISA. Learning and Individual Differences, 65, 50-64.
• Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 46(3), 517-528.
• Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P., ... & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: explanation and elaboration. Bmj, 339.
• Manganelli, S., Cavicchiolo, E., Mallia, L., Biasi, V., Lucidi, F., & Alivernini, F. (2019). The interplay between self-determined motivation, self-regulated cognitive strategies, and prior achievement in predicting academic performance. Educational Psychology, 39(4), 470-488.
• Mappadang, A., Khusaini, K., Sinaga, M., & Elizabeth, E. (2022). Academic interest determines the academic performance of undergraduate accounting students: Multinomial logit evidence. Cogent Business & Management, 9(1), 2101326.
• Martin, A. J., & Elliot, A. J. (2016). The role of personal best (PB) goal setting in students' academic achievement gains. Learning and Individual Differences, 45, 222-227.
• Martínez-Valdivia, E., & Burgos-García, A. (2020). Academic causes of school failure in secondary education in Spain: the voice of the protagonists. Social Sciences, 9(2), 11.
• Maxwell, S., Reynolds, K. J., Lee, E., Subasic, E., & Bromhead, D. (2017). The impact of school climate and school identification on academic achievement: Multilevel modeling with student and teacher data. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 2069.
• Nickow, A., Oreopoulos, P., & Quan, V. (2020). The impressive effects of tutoring on prek-12 learning: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the experimental evidence.
• OECD. (2017). PISA 2015 Results (Volume III): Students’ Well-Being. OECD Publishing.
• OECD. (2023). Education at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing.
• Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. bmj, 372.
• Park, S. (2024). Does the relationship between competitiveness and student achievement vary based on the culture of competitiveness? Evidence from PISA 2018. International Journal of Educational Research, 127, 102438.
• Peng, X., Sun, X., & He, Z. (2022). Influence mechanism of teacher support and parent support on the academic achievement of secondary vocational students. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 863740.
• Qi, B., Ma, L., & Wang, X. (2024). Using meta-analytic path analysis to examine mechanisms relating students’ perceived feedback, motivation, self-efficacy, and academic performance. Learning and Motivation, 88, 102059.
• Ranellucci, J., & Rosenberg, J. M. (2024). Students’ interest, engagement, and achievement in online high school science courses. Educational Psychology, 44(1), 1-19.
• Rasberry, C. N. (2017). Health-related behaviors and academic achievement among high school students—United States, 2015. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report,
• Rigdel, K. S., & Tshering, N. (2025). An examination of factors linked to poor academic performance of primary school students. Anatolian Journal of Education, 10(1), 165-178.
• Rimfeld, K., Kovas, Y., Dale, P. S., & Plomin, R. (2016). True grit and genetics: Predicting academic achievement from personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 111(5), 780.
• Rudolf, R., & Lee, J. (2023). School climate, academic performance, and adolescent well-being in Korea: The roles of competition and cooperation. Child Indicators Research, 16(3), 917-940.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67.
• Saleem, S., Khan, K., & Zulfiqar, N. (2024). Effect of classroom envıronment on students’academıc achıevement ın englısh at secondary school level. International Journal of Social Sciences Bulletin, 2(4), 1773-1786.
• Silva, G. O., Games, A. K. F., Cabral, G. S. L., Siqueira, K. M., Aredes, N. D. A., & Júnior, H. G. (2023). Academic performance beyond the metrics: A qualitative content analysis of nursing students' perceptions. Nurse Education Today, 131, 105995.
• Siripipatthanakul, S., Muthmainnah, M., Asrifan, A., Siripipattanakul, S., Kaewpuang, P., Sriboonruang, P., ... & Sitthipon, T. (2023). Quantitative research in education. Interdisciplinary Research: Collaborative Insights, 2, 30-53.
• Sonnleitner, P., & Kovacs, C. (2020, February). Differences between students’ and teachers’ fairness perceptions: Exploring the potential of a self-administered questionnaire to improve teachers’ assessment practices. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 5, p. 17). Frontiers Media SA.
• Steinmayr, R., Weidinger, A. F., Schwinger, M., & Spinath, B. (2019). The importance of students’ motivation for their academic achievement–replicating and extending previous findings. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 464340.
• Sun, D. L., Harris, N., Walther, G., & Baiocchi, M. (2014). Peer assessment enhances student learning. arXiv preprint arXiv:1410.3853.
• Teixeira, A. A. (2016). The impact of class absenteeism on undergraduates’ academic performance: evidence from an elite Economics school in Portugal. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 53(2), 230-242.
• Turner, J., Bartlett, D., Andiappan, M., & Cabot, L. (2015). Students' perceived stress and perception of barriers to effective study: impact on academic performance in examinations. British dental journal, 219(9), 453-458.
• Vassar, M., Yerokhin, V., Sinnett, P. M., Weiher, M., Muckelrath, H., Carr, B., ... & Cook, G. (2017). Database selection in systematic reviews: an insight through clinical neurology. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 34(2), 156-164.
• Veas, A., Castejón, J. L., Miñano, P., & Gilar-Corbí, R. (2019). Early adolescents’ attitudes and academic achievement: The mediating role of academic self-concept. Revista de Psicodidáctica (English ed.), 24(1), 71-77.
• Von Bertalanffy, L. (1967). General theory of systems: Application to psychology. Social Science Information, 6(6), 125-136.
• Walberg, H. J. (1981). A psychological theory of educational productivity. In F. Farley & N. Gordon (Eds.), Psychology and education (pp. 81–110). McCutchan Publishing.
• Wong, B. (2018). By Chance or by Plan?: The academic success of nontraditional students in higher education. AERA Open, 4(2).
• Wößmann, L. (2003). Schooling resources, educational institutions and student performance: the international evidence. Oxford bulletin of economics and statistics, 65(2), 117-170.
• Yu, S., Liu, Y., & Guo, R. (2022). “How does my family affect me?” The family cultural capital impact on Chinese junior high school students’ academic achievement. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46, 101146.
• Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Journal of educational psychology, 81(3), 329.