192 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies Let./Vol. 71 (137)
 Št./No. 1/2020
 Str./pp. 192–210
ISSN 0038 0474 Brane Mikanović, Vesna Trifunović,  
and Gordana Budimir Ninković
Family and Continued Education of 
Primary School Students
Abstract: This paper examines the correlation of family characteristics (material family status, parents’ 
educational status) and the plans of primary school students to continue their education. This paper 
identifies the degree of correlation between individual characteristics of students’ families and students’ 
educational aspirations towards inclusion at the highest levels of education, i. e. tertiary education. This 
paper starts from the basic assumption that the family plays a significant role in choosing the future 
educational direction of primary school students. This study uses a descriptive and analytical method 
and implements a survey as a research technique. The obtained data were statistically processed and 
are presented as frequencies and percentages. The survey included 198 students in the final grade of 
elementary schools in the Jagodina municipality , located in central Serbia. The research was conducted 
in 2017 and the questionnaire examined (a) the social matrix of the students’ families, (b) the students’ 
views on continuing their education and (c) the students’ views of their parents’ expectations that 
they would continue their education. The χ2 test was used as a measure of statistical inference. The 
main findings of the study showed that (a) most of the primary school students plan to continue their 
education by enrolling in the tertiary level of education and (b) students’ educational aspirations are 
not significantly related to the material status of the family.
Keywords: family, education, educational aspirations, primary school students
UDC: 37.015.4
Scientific article
Brane Mikanović, PhD., associate professor, University of Banja Luka, Faculty of Philosophy, Bulevar 
vojvode Petra Bojovića 1A, Banja Luka, Bosna and Hercegovina; email: brane.mikanovic@ff.unibl.org
Vesna Trifunović, PhD., associate professor, University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Education, Milana 
Mijalkovica 14, Jagodina 35000, Serbia; email: vesna.trifunovic@pefja.kg.ac.rs
Gordana Budimir Ninković, PhD., full professor, University of Kragujevac, Faculty of Education, Milana 
Mijalkovica 14, Jagodina 35000, Serbia; email: budimirninkovic@yahoo.com

 Mikanović, Trifunović, Budimir Ninković    193
Introduction
In Serbian society , prior to the transition, there was great confidence in edu-
cation as a channel of social promotion – reaching the highest levels of education 
made it possible to achieve vertical social mobility in the socialist development period 
(Ivanović 2006; Ratković 1994). At the same time, access to higher education was 
opened so that in the 1950s and late 1980s, large groups of the population, owing to 
the completion of their tertiary education, made the transition from lower to higher 
social classes (Ivanović 2008; Vuković 1994). At that time, the society had a system 
of compensatory education that enabled members of the poorer strata to enrol in 
higher levels of education – the state covered their tuition fee almost completely 
(Ristanović 1995). However, the long transition in Serbian society, lasting from the 
late 1980s to the present, has led to the devastation of the society , economy , culture 
and education itself (Marković 2004; Mitrović 2009). Numerous reforms that have 
been begun and left unfinished have exhausted material and human resources, values 
have been altered, and in the new neoliberal development paradigm, public spending 
is steadily diminishing and projects such as long lasting education have become 
the „responsibility“ of families or individuals. The consequences of these changes 
have led to social stratification, altering the size and position of social groups and 
increasing the degree of their self-reproduction; therefore, the lower the group is on 
the social ladder, the smaller are its chances of promotion, even through education 
(Bolčić and Milić 2002; Vuković 1994; ). However, trust in education has not been 
lost and the crucial importance of education for the development of the individual 
and society continues to prevail. This is accompanied by the family’s commitment 
to provide financial support to children for inclusion in higher education levels, 
even when they are poor. The emergence that the younger members of the family 
are increasingly perceived as a financial resource (Segalan 2002), and, on the other 
hand, in the modern family the child becomes “human capital” or “investment in 
the future” (Jenks 1996) is also present in the modern Serbian family . 
To consider the relationship between family characteristics and the primary 
school students’ decision to continue their education, a theoretical framework has 
been developed based on the literature which examines (a) the association between 

194 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
sociocultural affiliation, participation in education and educational success (Atkinson 
et al. 2005; Bernstein 1961; Douglas 1964; Hyman 1993; Sugarman 1967; Baucal 
and Pavlovic-Babic 2009; Simic-Sasic et al. 2011; Žakelj and Cotič 2011); (b) the 
link between social inequalities, family inequalities and school inequalities (Mejel 
2004; Ivanović 2008; Segalan 2009; Koković 2009; Wilkinson and Picket 2010; 
Šimić-Šašić et al. 2011); and (c) the problem of students as social actors who seek 
to be subjects and develop practices that are not aligned with the nature of class 
society and the school system (Dibe 2002).
Significant differences are evident in the motivation and educational success 
between members of different social groups; their value structures create a particular 
context in which school achievement is expected or disabled due to “self-imposed 
obstacles” (Hyman 1993). Cultural deprivation theory seeks to explain the impact 
of subcultural differences on the educational aspirations and achievements of 
members of different social groups. According to this theory, the characteristics of 
the family and sociocultural environment from which students come are the real 
context in which their desire for achievement develops, and the most important 
factor shaping this desire is the parents’ interest in the education of their child 
(Douglas 1964). Students who are faced with low prospects for advancement and 
low income to invest in their future have low motivation and low educational at-
tainment (Sugarman 1967) and subcultures (attitudes, norms, values, behaviour) 
of different groups form their relation to education. Thus, it is considered that 
members of the so-called low-income subcultures have low educational aspirations 
and have long-term education inaccessible and unattractive (Haralambos 2002).
Everyday living practices form a discourse within which cultural needs, educa-
tional needs and aspirations are formed (Storey 2009). The educational aspirations 
of members of different social classes according to Bourdie (1986) are not acci-
dental; they are not only derived from subjective assessments but are conditioned 
by the social position and class affiliation of the individual. Valuing education is 
linked to the environmental factors and type of cultural capital that people possess 
(Bourdieu 1986). According to research conducted in Serbia in the 1990s, family 
factors are particularly prominent among these factors, and it is emphasised that 
(a) the socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural standard of the family are linked 
to students’ educational attainment and aspirations (Havelka 1990) and (b) the 
financial position of the family is a major factor in shaping students’ decisions to 
continue their education and choose a profession (Vuković 1994).
Research into the influence of the family on developing children’s educational 
aspirations can essentially be described by two approaches. The first approach 
highlights the influence of the family on the creation of a particular culture within 
their own frameworks, which enables cultural and social reproduction by spreading 
and imposing certain values on the members of the family group. This approach is 
exemplified in (a) Bourdieu (1977) theory of reproduction, which explains how social 
inequalities are reproduced within the school and (b) Boudon’s theory of rational 
choice of actors (Boudon 1974), which explains the school success of children by 
their “choices” in an educational process that is consistent with the notion of the 
cost and utility of long education.

      195 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
A dominant paradigm in research addressing students’ educational achieve-
ment and educational aspirations is the realisation that the factors that shape 
them relate to the students or to the immediate context from which they come, 
such as a low SES. Research has shown that students from families with a lower 
SES feel less secure at school and that this may relate to their lower educational 
achievement (Johnson et al. 2001; Willms 2002; Kao and Thompson 2003; Baucal 
and Pavlovic-Babic 2009; Pavlovic-Babic and Baucal 2010). A correlation was also 
identified between family (parental) factors and student success in school (Klarin 
and Proroković 2011; Milošević 2002; Šimić-Šašić).
Nevertheless, the integration of students into the school system and the length 
of time they stay in it are not only an expression of social determinism and school 
selection but are also linked to the “subjective construction of reality , which trans-
lates into practices” (Dibe 2002, p. 10). By measuring the investment in education 
and the profit that investment makes, the student “projects in the future a picture 
of himself” (ibid., p. 18) and makes a decision about the length of schooling, which 
may be inconsistent with the sociocultural framework from which it originates. 
In this paper, the approach to elementary school students relies on the approach 
applied in the study of high school students by Dibe (2002) – students are seen as 
social actors who construct reality through social action, not just actors subject to 
the “pressures” of the system (family, school, social system).
The determination of members of the generations involved in compulsory educa-
tion for continuing education is linked to the requirements of the so-called society of 
knowledge and economy that seeks highly qualified participants in the work process. 
In the face of increasing social and global economic inequality , education is becoming 
even more significant because it increases the chances of young people to participate 
in the global labour market (Wilkinson and Picket 2010). Many studies show that 
dropping out of high school before graduation creates a number of problems, such as 
finding a hard job (Stanard 2003) or finding a job with a sufficient salary for normal life 
(Christenson and Thurlow 2004), becoming involved in crime (Harlow 2003), experi-
encing social exclusion (Starc et al. 2006), and falling below the so-called poverty line  
(Bridgeland et al. 2006).
This research identifies the local characteristics of observed phenomena and 
determines whether a correlation exists between elementary school students’ plans 
for continuing education and particular characteristics of their families. The em-
pirical data obtained represent a viewpoint of the family–education relationship of 
a particular group of respondents in a chosen environment and at a certain time; 
thus, the micro-research performed does not allow for generalisation. However, to 
avoid relinquishing our aspirations for generalisation, we examined the processes 
and relationships that were identified within the study population. This research 
emphasises the particular viewpoint shaped by the place occupied by the observer 
in a particular social space (Stefani and Weber 2005), i.e. we highlight the local 
characteristics of the observed phenomena (and relationships).

196 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
Method
This paper examines the connection between elementary school students’ 
plans for continuing their education and the characteristics of their families (e.g. 
material family status, parents’ educational status). We determine the degree of 
correlation between individual characteristics of the families of the elementary 
school students and their aspirations towards continuing their education.
In accordance with the objections and purpose of this paper, we:
 – identify the socioeconomic characteristics of the families from which the primary 
school students come; and determine whether correlations exist between
 – the material status of the family and the school performance of the primary 
school students;
 – the school performance of the primary school students and their desire to 
continue their education; and
 – the level of education of the student’s parents and the student’s evaluation 
of their parents’ expectations for their children to continue their education.
The following hypotheses are made. Basic hypothesis: Primary school students’ 
plans for continue into higher levels of education relates to their assessment of 
their parental aspirations regarding continuing education.
Specific hypotheses:
 – The elementary school students’ plans to continue their education relates to 
the financial position of the family.
 – Students’ assessment of their parents’ expectations to continue their education 
relates to the educational status of the parents (fathers and mothers).
Research methods, techniques and the research instrument
We used a descriptive and analytical method and a survey technique (we con-
structed a special instrument for the survey – Questionnaire for Eighth Graders). 
In addition to general instructions and questions to obtain general information of 
the students (gender , place of residence, overall success in school), the questionnaire 
contained questions to identify the socioeconomic characteristics of the students’ 
families, the students’ educational aspirations, and the students’ assessment of 
their parents’ aspirations for continuing their education. The respondents were 
given detailed instructions on how to complete the questionnaire, and the survey 
was conducted as part of a full-time one-hour lesson. The χ2 test was also used to 
determine the existence of a statistically significant difference between certain 
categories set at p > .01 and p < .05.

      197 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
Population and research sample
There are 11 elementary schools in the territory of Jagodina municipality 
(central Serbia), six of which are urban and five are rural, with 36 separate de-
partments.
The sample of schools in which the survey was conducted was selected: (a) 
according to the residential criterion – two urban and four rural schools; (b) by 
demographic criterion, schools in settlements with positive demographic trends 
(so-called ‘live’ settlements); and (c) according to the criterion of socioeconomic 
development of the environment in which the school is located – central urban 
areas and economically developed rural areas. Based on these criteria, the survey 
was conducted in two urban and three rural primary schools.
The sample of the research consisted of 198 final year, eighth grade, primary 
school students. These students were selected because they have completed the 
compulsory primary education level and, at the end of the school year, they have 
to decide about their future educational plans. The survey was completed in 
September 2017.
Research results
 Jagodina city, including its surrounding villages (53) has a population of 
71,195, of which 50.70% live in the city and 49.30% live in the countryside (Census 
2011), see Table 1.
Age                                    0–19 20–59 > 60
Jagodina  (overall)            14,527 38,583 18,787
Urban                              7,788 10,707 8,883
Other                        6,739 17,927 9,904
Table 1: Population and age structure in Jagodina municipality Source: Population age structure by 
municipalities and cities, 2011 Census  (Census Belgrade: Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia). 
The presented data show that the population of this municipality is aged 20 
to 59 years. Notably, the population aged 0–19 years is significantly smaller than 
the population aged 60 years and above, which shows the accelerated aging of the 
population, especially in rural settlements.
The educational structure of the population in Jagodina municipality , according 
to the data obtained by the Census (2011), is presented using the following para-
meters: no education, primary education, high school, higher education, university 
(faculty) and unknown (see Table 2).

198 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
Municipality Sex Overall No 
education
Incomplete 
primary 
education
 Primary 
education
High
school
Higher
education
Faculty Unknown
Jagodina p 61,511 1,680 7,524 13,835 30,029 3,437 4,747 259
m 29,430 258 2,774 6,068 16,288 1,668 2,261 113
f 32,081 1,422 4,750 7,767 13,741 1,769 2,486 146
Urban
p 31,679 451 1,875 5,388 17,333 2,592 3,965 75
m 14,666 76 467 2,087 8,906 1,214 1,882 34
f 17,013 375 1,408 3,301 8,427 1,378 2,083 41
Other
p 29,832 1,229 5,649 8,447 12,696 845 782  184
m 14,764 182 2307 3,981 7,382 454 379 79
f 15,068 1,047 3,342 4,466 5,314 391 403 105
Table 2: Educational structure in Jagodina municipality (Census 2011) Source: Population aged 15 
and over, by level of school completion and sex, by municipalities and cities, 2011 (Census Belgrade: 
Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia).
Legend: P = population, m = male, f = female
The following summarise the basic characteristics of the families of the in-
terviewed students:
 – The majority of the students come from families with four members (43.9%), 
followed by five (26.8%) and six-member families (14.1%). The fewest come 
from seven-member families (4.0%).
 – In evaluating the financial position of their own family, 5.6% of the students 
consider their family wealthy, 41.4% of the students consider their family to 
be well-off, and the majority , 42.4%, consider their family to be of average fin-
ancial standing. Of the respondents, 2.0% claim to be poor or extremely poor 
with a monthly income per household member of less than or around 50 euros.
 – Data on the educational standard of the parents of the surveyed students, 
according to the students, show that the majority of the parents completed 
high school. Accordingly, 60.6% of the fathers completed high school, 17.2% 
finished higher education and 7.1% graduated from a faculty. Additionally, only 
13.1% of fathers completed the whole eight grades of primary school, and 2.0% 
of fathers did not finish primary school. Data on maternal education indicate 
that 55.6% of the students’ mothers completed high school, 17.2% completed 
higher education, 9.1% graduated from a faculty, 16.2% completed primary 
school, and 2.0% did not finish primary school.

      199 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
 – According to the students, the largest percentage of their fathers were workers 
(38.4%), 21.7% were clerks, 14.1% were craftsmen, 10.1% were farmers, 5.6% 
were executives, 3.5% were entrepreneurs, 1.5% were experts and 1.0% were 
artists. The data obtained about the students’ mothers’ occupations indicate 
that 35.9% were housewives, 30.3% were workers, 17.7% were clerks, 4.0% 
were experts, 3.5% were entrepreneurs and 3.5% were farmers.
To determine whether a correlation exists between the SES of the family and 
the school achievement of the primary school students, we collected the students’ 
school performance at the end of the seventh grade of primary school (Table 3) and 
identified the relationship between the assessment of the material status of the 
family and the school performance of the students (Table 4).
Students’ school success  Frequency (F) Percentages (%)
Excellent 61 30.86
Very good 71 35.85
Good 62 31.31
Pass   3    1.51
Overall 197 99.49
No answer    1   0.50
Suma 198 100.0
Table 3: Student success at the end of the seventh grade of primary school
Of the 198 students, 61 achieved excellent school success, 71 achieved very good 
school success, 62 achieved good school success and only three students achieved 
only a pass (one respondent did not provide an answer).
The socioeconomic characteristics of the environment from which the student 
comes are considered to have a positive or negative impact on their educational 
achievement. The more favourable the material position of the student’s family, 
the more favourable is the context for better educational accomplishment, and a 
bad material position is thought to create negative circumstances that limit the 
student’s educational accomplishment. The respondents were asked to assess the 
material status of their family . Table 4 shows the relationship between the students’ 
perception of the material status of the family and the school achievement of the 
examined group of students. Four respondents did not answer this question.

200 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
School success Overall
Excellent
Very good
Good
Pass
Material status of the family
  F % F  %   F % F % F % 
Wealthy  4 2.06  1  0.51  6 3.09 11 5.67
Well-off 25 12.88 31 15.98 23 11.86 4 2.06 83 42.78
Average material status 29 14.95 29 14.95 26 13.41 84 43.29
Below average material 
status
  2 1.03  6  3.09  4 2.06 12  6.18
Poor (monthly income 
per household member of 
around 50 euros)
  1  0.51  1 0.51   2  1.03
Extremely poor (less 
than 50 euros per family 
member)
  1  0.51  1 0.51   2  1.03
Overall 60 30.92 69 35.56 61 31.44 4 2.06 194 100.0
Table 4: Evaluation of the family financial status and student achievement in school
χ
2
 = 13.122; df = 15;  p = .593
The results of the Hi-square test is χ
2
 = 13.122, with df = 15, and 
p = .593, indicate that no statistically significant difference exists in the aca-
demic achievement of students coming from families with different material 
statuses. In other words, the null hypothesis is confirmed, suggesting that the 
student’s academic achievement is not shaped by the material status of the  
family.
Numerous studies that have examined the impact of SES on students’ 
educational achievement have shown a correlation. For example, an analysis of 
PISA data that has monitored the impact of SES (i.e. parental educational status, 
parental interest and material possessions) on the development of the students’ 
key competencies has shown that, in all countries, students with a higher SES 
achieve, on average, higher levels of educational achievement (OECD 2001, 2004, 
2007, 2010). Many studies show a positive correlation between SES and educa-
tional attainment (Sirin 2005; White 1982; Hattie 2009). However, the findings 
obtained in this study do not show a positive correlation between SES and student 
academic achievement. The findings herein are closer to those obtained in other 

      201 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
studies conducted in Serbia which track the impact of SES on students’ educational 
achievement. For example, in Baucal’s (2012) study on the impact of students’ SES 
on educational achievement, this impact is slightly weaker than in other European  
countries:
In Serbia, the SES of students explains 10% of the variance, while the SES is 
a gradient of 27 points. These data indicate that the impact of SES on student edu-
cational achievement in Serbia is slightly weaker than in the OECD and European 
countries, suggesting that the fairness of education in Serbia is at a slightly higher 
level than in those countries. However, the effect of SES students on educational 
achievement in Serbia is still, individually , one of the strongest predictors of student 
achievement. (p. 9)
The rational decision to continue education is based on the student’s achieved 
school success. To determine whether school success is an important parameter 
for deciding whether to continue their education in the study population, students 
were asked to ‘discover’ their educational aspirations (Table 5). Six respondents 
did not respond to this question. 
Students’ educational aspirations Total
I intend to graduate 
from college
I intend to graduate 
from high school 
(gymnasium)
I intend to graduate 
from vocational high 
school
I intend to finish the 
craft and get a job
I only intend to finish 
primary school
   Respondents’ school success
F % F % F % F % F % F %
Excellent 60 31.26 60 31.26
Very 
good
55 28.64  10  5.22 5 2.60 1 0.52 71 36.97
Good 23 11.97  21 10.94 5 2.60 9 4.68 58 30.21
Pass    3  1.56  3  1.56
            Total 138 71.87  34 17.72 10 5.21  9 4.68 1 0.52 192 100.0
Students’ educational aspirations  Total
Table 5: Students’ school success and their educational aspirations 
χ
2
 = 78.811;  df = 12;  p = .000

202 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
The value of the Hi-square test χ
2
 = 78.811 (df = 12) is significant at 
the p = .000 significance level. These results indicate that a statistically sig-
nificant difference exists between students with different academic achieve-
ments and their educational aspirations. Thus, the null hypothesis is not  
confirmed.
When asked if they could recognise the aspirations of their parents regarding 
the choice of their future educational direction, the students gave the following 
answers: »Yes, they want me to graduate and encourage me to make such a de-
cision«(56.1%); »Yes, they want me to finish high school« (20.7); »They want me 
to finish the craft and start working right away« (2.5%); »No, they have no desire 
to deal with my further education« (2.0%).
 However, by comparing students’ aspirations to continue their educa-
tion and their perceptions of parental aspirations to continue the education, 
it is observed that students’ aspirations are higher than their parents’ aspi- 
rations. More than 71.87% of students have a desire to get a higher education 
(graduate from a faculty), while only 56.1% of students recognised this as a parents’  
wish. 
Parental expectations are particularly emphasised as an important factor in 
students’ school achievement (Carpenter 2008, Grossman et al. 2011). In examining 
parental involvement in their children’s schooling, several researchers (Fan and 
Chen 2001; Singh et al. 1995, according to Jacob 2010) included four dimensions 
(i.e. communication between children and parents about school, family structure, 
parental involvement in school activities, and parental expectations and aspirations) 
and found that the dimension of parental expectations and aspirations was most 
strongly associated with student academic achievement. An examination of the 
impact of parental aspirations on school achievement, how students perceive their 
parents’ aspirations, and whether parents’ aspirations are opposite or consistent 
with students’ aspirations, found that parents’ expectations are the first factor of 
school achievement from the perspective of students and from the perspective of 
parents it is in the fourth place (Suzić and Tunjić 2001).
 To determine whether the parents’ educational status relates to the stu-
dents’ assessment of their parents’ aspirations to continue their education, the 
respondents were asked to recognise the aspirations of their fathers and mothers 
to choose their future educational direction. Table 6 shows the students’ percep-
tions of their fathers’ aspirations of different levels of education regarding the 
continuation of their children’s education. Four respondents did not answer this  
question.

      203 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
Perceptions of fathers’ expectations of continuing education by their 
children
Total
Yes, he would like 
me to graduate from 
the faculty and he 
encourages me
Yes, he would like 
me to graduate from 
Gymnasium
Yes, he would like 
me to graduate from 
the high vocational 
school
Yes, he would like 
me to complete the 
craft
Yes, he wants me 
to finish primary 
school and start 
working right away 
Yes, but he leaves 
that decision to me
No, he doesn’t care
Father – level of education
F            % F          % F         % F         % F         % F         % F      % F          %
Not 
completed 
primary 
school
1           0.51         1         0.51  2        1.03
Completed 
primary 
school
7           3.60 10      5.15 2        1.03 1      0.51 2        1.03 2         1.03 1        0.51 25    12.88   
High 
school
69       35.56 21     10.82 2        1.03 2        1.03 23     11.85 3        1.54 120  61.85
Higher 
school
25       12.88 4         2.06 1        0.51 3         1.54 33    17.01
Faculty 9           4.63 1         0.51 4         2.06 14      7.21
Total 111     57.21 36    18.55 5        2.57 1       0.51 4        2.06 33     17.01 4        2.06 194  100.0
Table 6: Perceptions of fathers’ aspirations about the continued education of their children by students 
and the level of fathers’ education
χ
2
 = 36.720;  df = 24;  p = .047
The results of the Hi-square test is χ
2
 = 36.720, with df = 24 and 
p = .047, show that a statistically significant difference exists in the stu-
dents’ perceptions of their fathers’ aspirations for completing different edu-
cational levels education. In other words, the null hypothesis has not been  
confirmed.
Table 7 shows the students’ perceptions of their mothers’ aspirations of dif-
ferent education levels about the continuation of their children’s education. Six 
respondents did not answer this question. 

204 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
Perceptions of mothers’ expectations of continuing education by 
their children
Total
She encourages me 
to graduate from the 
faculty
She encourages me 
to graduate from 
Gymnasium
She encourages me to 
graduate from high 
vocational school
She encourages me to 
complete the craft
She wants me to 
finish school and start 
working right away
She leaves that 
decision to me
She doesn’t care
Mother – level of education
 F        % F       % F       % F       % F       % F       % F       %  F       %
Not completed 
primary 
school
  1    0.52   1     0.52
Completed 
primary 
school
 10     5.20 13    6.77 3     1.56 1    0.52 2      1.04  2   1.04  31  16.14
High school 66   34.37 18    9.37 2     1.04 2       1.04 19   9.89  2   1.04 109  56.77
Higher school 23   11.97 4     2.08   5   2.60  1   0.52  33  17.18
Faculty 13     6.77   5   2.60  18    9.37
    Total 112  58.33 35  18.22 5     2.60 1    0.52 4       2.08 32  16.67  3   1.56 192  100.0
Table 7: Perceptions of mothers‘ aspirations about the continuing education of their own children by the 
examined students and the level of education of mothers. 
χ
2
 = 45.004;  df = 24;  p = .006
The calculated Hi square test (χ
2
 = 45.004) with the 24
th
 degree of freedom 
(df = 24) was significant at the significance level of p = .006. The calculated level 
of significance indicates that a statistically significant difference exists in the stu-
dents’ perceptions of their mothers’ aspirations regarding the continuation of their 
schooling. In other words, the null hypothesis was not confirmed. 
The data obtained (Tables 6 and 7), although indirect, show that the parents’ 
level of education significantly determines their expectations regarding the con-
tinuation of their children’s education. Other studies had similar findings: a direct 
proportionality was found between parents’ educational achievement and their 
children’s educational achievement expectations – parents with lower educational 
achievement expect less of their children, while parents with higher educational 
achievement had higher academic expectations of their children (Kaplan et al. 
2001, according to Erceg, 2014). Additionally, in a study of parental expectations 
and school achievement of students, Slijepčević et al. (2017), found statistically 
significant differences in the way parents expressed their expectations and assessed 
the reality of their set expectations depending on their level of education.

      205 Family and Continued Education of Primary School Students ...
Discussion
The conducted micro-research provided empirical indicators regarding the 
impact of individual family characteristics on the students’ decision to continue 
their education. The data obtained from the survey showed the following: 
(1) The SES of the family is not transferred to the students’ academic achieve-
ment, which suggests the possible conclusion that education is appreciated in their 
families. This circumstantial finding correlates with the results of other studies 
which found that education is highly valued in families as a way out of the “vi-
cious circle of poverty” (Coleman et al. 1966; Anđelković and Pavlović-Babić 2004; 
Pavlović-Babić and Anđelković 2004; Tomanović 2010). This finding conflicts with a 
functionalist approach to education, which interprets that an individual’s success is 
a consequence of the equal opportunities that society provides to participants in the 
educational process and their motivation for achievement. Although they are part 
of a deeply divided society and come from families with different SESs, resulting in 
unequal chances, the students surveyed in this study showed that their academic 
achievement goes beyond the simple conditionality of socioeconomic factors.
(2) According to the students, a large percentage of parents (over 56.1%) have 
high aspirations and desires for their children to get a college education, and they 
pointed out that their parents encourage them to realise this desire. The percep-
tions of high parental aspirations can encourage students to plan their further 
education and participation in higher education. The significant role of the family 
(parents) in the success of students in school and their academic achievements has 
been drawn by numerous studies which have shown that (1) a correlation exists 
between family/parental factors and the success of students in school (Šimić-Šašić 
et al. 2011; Milošević 2002) and (2) parental aspirations, goals and values, as well 
as parenting behaviours, relate to students’ academic achievement (Okagaki and 
Feensch 1998; Spera et al. 2009; Spera 2005; Wentzel 1998, according to Simic-Sasic 
et al. 2011). Parental aspirations and expectations are a critical factor in a student’s 
academic achievement, their expectations and final academic achievement (Jacob 
2010). The findings of this study suggest that, in the surveyed student population, 
the perceptions of their parents’ aspirations to continue their education may be a 
strong support for their participation in higher education.
(3) Within the surveyed population, there is a positive evaluation of education; 
both the students and their parents (according to students) have high educational 
aspirations. The students’ perceptions of their parents’ aspirations about the 
continuation of their education indicate that the majority (56.1%) of them want 
their children to graduate and encourage them to do so. Thus, the parents seek to 
influence the child’s decision about the future educational direction, which allows 
for the assessment that (a) parents who have received a higher education recognise 
the chance for social promotion of their children, i.e. they recognise education as a 
capital that will enable their children to attain a prestigious social status; (b) the 
parents’ directing their children to higher educational levels show that, despite 
the many changes that the family has experienced, it still has an educational and 
protective role in the contemporary Serbian society.

206 Sodobna pedagogika/Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies  
Mikanović, Trifunović, 
Budimir Ninković
 
Conclusion
The research results show that (1) the decision to continue their education 
was significantly crystallised among the students in the final grades of elementary 
school by a desire to participate in higher education and (2) the students’ percep-
tions of their parents’ aspirations about their further education show that the 
respondents estimate that their parents have high aspirations for them and want 
them to continue their education and to graduate. Indirectly, the data obtained 
allow us to conclude that, under the influence of the family factor, the examined 
population have developed an awareness of the importance of education and that 
their educational aspirations are influenced by their parental aspirations. Not-
ably, the specific hypothesis about the correlation between the material status of 
the family and the school success of the students has not been confirmed, which 
suggests that education in Serbian society is recognised as a value and that the 
objectivity of education is high.
Families in Serbian society today face many challenges that are a logical 
consequence of its decades-long social, economic and cultural devastation. An 
anomalous society cannot perform numerous functions to full capacity, including 
functions that developed societies “take over” from the family. It is exposed to 
numerous influences that lead to its destabilisation and non-legitimisation, yet, 
as a “creation of long duration”, the family has the capacity to enable its survival. 
In this micro-environment, solidarity among family members, particularly in the 
parent-child relationship, is the vertical that maintains this group. Of particular 
importance is the influence of parents on the formation of educational aspirations 
of children, especially from the aspect of inclusion in higher levels of education, 
which still represent an open channel of social promotion. The inclusion of gener-
ations into higher education levels, however, presupposes the financial support of 
parents (families). Therefore, it is necessary for society , if it has a serious intention 
to modernise itself, to (a) provide macroeconomic stability that would strengthen 
the material basis of the family and enable it to participate in the financing of the 
youngest members who wish to continue their education after primary school and 
(b) increase the compensatory costs for education, which would have the effect 
of reducing inequalities in education and the openness of higher education. The 
proposals presented contribute to the implementation of the principles of the 
Education Strategy for 2020 in Serbia (2012), especially in the context of including 
young generations in higher education.
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Brane MIKANOVIĆ (Univerza v Banji Luki, Bosna in Hercegovina)
Vesna TRIFUNOVIĆ (Univerza v Kraguljavcu, Srbija)
Gordana BUDIMIR NINKOVIĆ (Univerza v Kraguljevcu, Srbija)
ZNAČILNOSTI DRUŽINE IN IZOBRAZBENE ASPIRACIJE OSNOVNOŠOLCEV 
Povzetek: V članku obravnavamo povezanost med značilnostmi družine (materialni status družine, 
izobrazba staršev) in načrtovanjem nadaljnje izobraževalne poti otrok, ki zaključujejo osnovnošolsko 
izobraževanje. Zanima nas torej stopnja povezanosti med posameznimi značilnostmi družin ter izobraz-
benimi aspiracijami otrok, zlasti z njihovimi aspiracijami po doseganju najvišje, tj. terciarne stopnje 
izobrazbe. Naša izhodiščna predpostavka je, da ima družina pomembno vlogo pri izbiri prihodnje izo-
braževalne poti osnovnošolcev. Uporabili smo deskriptivno in analitično metodo ter z anketnim vpra-
šalnikom zbrali podatke, ki smo jih statistično ustrezno obdelali. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 198 učencev 
zaključnega razreda osnovne šole v občini Jagodina v osrednji Srbiji. Raziskava je bila opravljena leta 
2017, z vprašalnikom pa smo pridobili podatke o (a) socialnem statusu otrokove družine, (b) njegovih 
pogledih na nadaljnje izobraževanje in (c) njegovih prepričanjih o tem, kakšna so pričakovanja njegovih 
staršev glede njegove nadaljnje izobraževalne poti. Uporabili smo χ2 preizkus za preverjanje hipotez 
neodvisnosti. Rezultati kažejo, da (a) večina osnovnošolcev izkazuje aspiracije po visokošolski stopnji 
izobrazbe in (b) da ni mogoče dokazati povezanost teh aspiracij z materialnim statusom družine. 
Ključne besede: družina, izobraževanje, izobrazbene aspiracije, osnovnošolski učenci
E-naslov: brane.mikanovic@ff.unibl.org