FAMILYFUNCTIONING.doc

? ? FAMILY FUNCTIONING, STUDENT QUALITY OF SCHOOL LIFE AND THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE ? Graeme Perry Sid Bourke University of Newcastle ? ? Abstract: ? This paper reports on the data from a study of about 1500 high school students from 19 government and non-government schools. Students sampled from years seven, nine and eleven completed questionnaires to measure their quality of school life, family function and feelings and perceptions of the future. Multilevel analyses have been undertaken placing students at level 1, school year at level 2 and schools at level 3. This paper focuses on the relationship between family function, quality of school life and opinions about the future. Quality of School Life was significantly associated with student perceptions of the environment, politics, peace, crime, equity, technology, personal relationships, personal finances, health, religion and education. Family functioning was related to these same issues except for peace, health and religion. ? ? ? ? Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Australian Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, November 1997. ? Available on the Internet through the AARE Homepage: .au/aare [Format Tables in non-proportional font size 9. Table 5 is in landscape format.] ? ? ? Contact address: Faculty of Education University of Newcastle Callaghan NSW 2308 e-mail edghp@.au e-mail edsfb@.au ? FAMILY FUNCTIONING, STUDENT QUALITY OF SCHOOL LIFE AND THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE ? ? INTRODUCTION ? What opinions and feelings do students have about the future? What are their hopes and fears? What do they consider to be the important issues? What are the most important influences on students opinions about the future? The perspectives of the future held by Australian children and youth has been researched by academics (Evans Poole, 1987; Finlayson, Reynolds, Rob, 1987; Frydenberg Lewis, 1993; Frydenberg Lewis, 1995; Nurmi, Poole, Kalakoski, 1994; Poole C