INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHANGES IN EDUCATION
Research Article
Nov 24, 2025 1 0

Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?

Constantinos Vouyoukas 1,
Maria Tzouriadou 1 * ,
Eleni Anagnostopoulou 1
1 School of Early Childhood Education, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece* Corresponding Author
International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(4), 2025, 251-258, https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
Publication date: Nov 24, 2025
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ABSTRACT

In recent years, it has been argued that for compensating children’s difficulties in school achievement their underlying cognitive and learning strengths and weaknesses should be considered. This requires a different approach to evaluating children’s difficulties in school learning, which should include not only their school achievement but also the underlying cognitive abilities or aptitudes. The aim of this study was to examine if underachievement or low language school achievement of children from low socioeconomic status families can be predicted by their learning and language aptitude. One hundred and ten 10–12 years old primary school students from the area of Macedonia, Greece, were assessed with a psychometric standardized learning aptitude test (DTLA-4) and a psychometric standardized language aptitude test LaTo Level II. Their language school achievement was assessed with an informal language test based on the school curriculum. Research findings indicated that both learning and language aptitude may predict students’ oral and written language achievement. More specifically, general mental and language aptitude significantly predicted total language school achievement (p = 0.006 and p = 0.000), the receptive language system significantly predicted reading comprehension achievement (p = 0.000), the organization language system significantly predicted argumentative achievement (p = 0.002), the expressive language system significantly predicted written expression achievement (p = 0.002), the semantic language modality significantly predicted written expression achievement (p = 0.005), and the morphological language modality significantly predicted syntax and spelling achievement (p = 0.001 and p = 0.004). Recommendations highlight the importance of students’ difficulties early identification and the critical role of school-based evaluation teams.

KEYWORDS

learning and language aptitude language achievement children from low socioeconomic status families at-risk student populations Greek educational system

CITATION (APA)

Vouyoukas, C., Tzouriadou, M., & Anagnostopoulou, E. (2025). Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?. International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(4), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
Harvard
Vouyoukas, C., Tzouriadou, M., and Anagnostopoulou, E. (2025). Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?. International Journal of Changes in Education, 2(4), pp. 251-258. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
Vancouver
Vouyoukas C, Tzouriadou M, Anagnostopoulou E. Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2025;2(4):251-8. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
AMA
Vouyoukas C, Tzouriadou M, Anagnostopoulou E. Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?. International Journal of Changes in Education. 2025;2(4), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
Chicago
Vouyoukas, Constantinos, Maria Tzouriadou, and Eleni Anagnostopoulou. "Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?". International Journal of Changes in Education 2025 2 no. 4 (2025): 251-258. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458
MLA
Vouyoukas, Constantinos et al. "Children from Low Socioeconomic Status Families in Greece: Can Learning and Language Aptitude Predict Language Achievement?". International Journal of Changes in Education, vol. 2, no. 4, 2025, pp. 251-258. https://doi.org/10.47852/bonviewIJCE52024458

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