RESEARCH OBJECTIVE:
The main goal is to track the long-term pathways of graduates of Scio primary schools and to examine how their competencies manifest when transitioning to upper-secondary school, further study, or their professional paths. The research is conducted in collaboration with GovLab.
Wave 1 (2023/2024): ScioCompetency 1 – “I steer and drive my learning”
Focus: planning and managing learning, working with motivation and procrastination, reading comprehension, working with learning resources and tools, and learning behaviours; the survey also included wellbeing, values, and the collection of personal stories (PNI).
Wave 2 (2024/2025): ScioCompetency 5 – “I build and maintain good relationships”
Focus: effective communication (expressing oneself, listening, assertiveness, communication in specific situations), collaborating (teamwork, conflict resolution), and forming lasting relationships (in our measurement: friendships); supplemented by wellbeing, values, and the collection of personal stories (PNI).
METHODOLOGY:
The study is designed as a counterfactual impact evaluation in a quasi-experimental setup: we compare graduates of Scio Primary Schools with a closely matched control group of their peers from upper-secondary schools. Data are collected via online questionnaires administered both in participating classes at upper-secondary schools and individually among Scio graduates. The questionnaire combines scales with short open-ended narratives following the Participatory Narrative Inquiry (PNI) approach. It also includes items from the European Values Study (EVS) and, in Wave 2, a shortened Big Five personality scale.
Matching and comparability: To minimise selection bias, we use propensity score matching (PSM). In Wave 1 we matched primarily on sociodemographic factors; in Wave 2 we extended matching to include Big Five personality traits and created balanced Scio vs. control pairs. The analysis combined t-tests with effect size estimation; the qualitative component drew on interpretation of narratives (PNI).
Sample size:
Wave 1 (2023/2024): 186 Scio graduates and 424 peers from upper-secondary schools.
Wave 2 (2024/2025): 617 responses (106 Scio, 511 control). For balances comparison we used 1:1 matching, resulting in a balanced dataset of 100 Scio vs. 100 control.
RESULTS:
Wave 1 (2023/2024) showed overall that, after transitioning to upper-secondary school, Scio graduates are somewhat better at planning and evaluating their learning and achieve better results in reading comprehension. At the same time, no differences were confirmed in concentration or systematic approach, and both narratives and scales suggested that some graduates experience reduced academic motivation upon entering upper-secondary school—apparently a challenging transition to a new environment. In terms of wellbeing, the Scio group scored more favourable at that time (a higher share reporting “feeling fine” and better perceived health), although not all differences were statistically significant. When we combined the batteries (motivation, procrastination, learning behaviours) and the reading comprehension test into a composite index for the competency “I steer and drive my learning,” we found a slight positive effect of attending a Scio school.
Wave 2 (2024/2025) focused on relational skills—communication, collaboration, and friendship. The overall picture is balanced: on the composite index “I build and maintain good relationships,” the groups are practically identical. Detailed analysis reveals subtle tendencies: Scio graduates are more assertive in practical situations (for example, they more often refuse an unreasonable request from a friend), whereas they show slightly lower willingness to accept feedback. In team tasks they display a slightly stronger “drive to get things done” (planning, structure) and opt for more direct communication in conflicts, while the control group more often emphasises team comfort. In the domain of friendships, the numbers of friends and close friends do not differ; the Scio group is somewhat more open to talking about fear and anxiety, but less comfortable expressing affection or offering support.
OUTPUTS (PUBLICATIONS, LINKS, NETWORKS):
Findings from Wave 1 were published in the article “How to Evaluate Alternative Schooling? The Scio Schools Case,” in the journal Řízení školy (School Management), available online at: https://www.rizeniskoly.cz/casopisy/rizeni-skoly/jak-na-evaluaci-alternativniho-skolstvi-pripad-scioskol.m-13077.html