-- Labeling a student an underachiever requires making a value judgment about the worthiness of certain accomplishments. Mansfield, CT: Creative Learning Press. Likewise, negative peer attitudes can often account for underachievement (Clasen & Clasen, 1995; Weiner, 1992). McNab, T. (1997). In M. Kornrich (Ed. Unfortunately, the need for multiple approaches to treatment will complicate the research designs necessary to test the efficacy of underachievement interventions. (1982). In D. H. Schunk & B. J. Zimmerman (Eds. ), Understanding the gifted adolescent, (pp. Clark, B. Defining underachievement in gifted students seems as if it should be an easy and straightforward task. Underachievement occurs when a child's performance is below what is expected based on the child's ability. Wolfle, J. The first theme, displayed in Table 1, portrays underachievement as a discrepancy between potential (or ability) and performance (or achievement). Although conducting case studies and qualitative research on underachieving gifted students has become quite popular, few researchers have attempted to utilize true quasi-experimental designs to study the efficacy of various interventions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gifted students in states across the country often encounter a wide range of services varying from state to state and, The following article shares highlights and insights from one of our Expert Series events, which are exclusive for Young Scholarsand, TheFellows Scholarshipawards $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece, This article explores and explains emotional intensity in gifted individuals. However conceptually sound this notion may be, a definition that does not differentiate between a straight-A student and a student who is in jeopardy of failing may have little practical utility for the practitioner. Paper presented at the First Southeast Asian Regional Conference on Giftedness. WebThe purpose of this study was to examine whether gifted achievers and gifted underachievers differ in their general academic self-perceptions, attitudes toward school, attitudes toward teachers, motivation, and self-regulation, and goal valuation. Academic underachievement among the gifted: Students As educators, we may or may not be able to change the external factors that contribute to the underachievement of certain gifted students. After reviewing the research in the field of gifted underachievement, Emerick (1992) observed that the picture of the underachiever which emerges is complex and often contradictory and inconclusive (p. 140). Holland, 1998). Charles Culpeper, owner, and CEO of Coca Cola is another example of a successful high school dropout. Eleven of the 17 participants showed improved achievement; 13 of the 17 students appeared to exert more effort within their classes; and 4 of the 17 students showed marked improvement in their classroom behavior. The responses and actions of the students in this study suggest that when appropriate educational opportunities are present, gifted underachievers can respond positively (Emerick, p. 145). ), Handbook of gifted education (2nd ed., pp. Further research is needed in this area in order to unravel the mystery of why gifted students underachieve and how we can help them succeed. High-ability students can have learning problems (Barton & Starnes, 1988; Baum, Owen, & Dixon, 1991; Bireley, 1995) or attention deficits (Baum, Olenchak, & Owen, 1998) of various types that affect or cause underachievement. Who is the gifted underachiever? Peer issues may also contribute to the achievement and underachievement of adolescents. English language proficiency in school tends to improve across generations of immigrants, but test scores, grades, and other forms of educational achievement do not, especially among Latinos (Rumberger & Larson, 1998 Rumberger and Larson found that. Or, can we see the forest for the trees? However, identifying underachieving gifted students by locating discrepancies between ability and achievement as measured by standardized achievement tests may lead to the underidentification of this population. UNDERACHIEVING LEARNERS: CAN THEY LEARN AT Dropping out among Hispanic youth. Students who are required to repeat grade levels or courses are rarely singled out as a result of low standardized achievement test scores. More recent studies (e.g., Anderson & Keith, 1997) report correlations as high as .67 between measures of ability and achievement. The results of the four-year longitudinal study with gifted high school students who either achieved or underachieved in high school suggested that boredom with the regular curriculum in elementary and middle school often contributes to underachievement in high school. Environmental influences and events have a major impact on students achievement. Interventions that enhance self-efficacy or develop self-regulation may complement other intervention strategies and increase the effectiveness of other interventions. Who should make the decision as to what is considered achievement and, by extension, what is worth achieving? Distinguishing exactly what constitutes a discrepancy between ability and achievement also poses challenges. Ford advocated using a more holistic approach to defining and identifying gifted underachievers: Broad, inclusive definitions of underachievement support the notion that underachievement is a multidimensional construct that cannot be assessed with unidimensional instruments (Ford, p. 54). Toward a multimodal theory of underachievement. Recently, researchers have begun to probe the relationships among underachievement, attention deficit disorders, and learning disabilities (Hinshaw, 1992a, 1992b). The definition of achievement in a particular subculture may be very different from that of the dominant culture. Webmajority of educators use in defining gifted underachievement. Different types of underachievers may require different proportions of counseling, self-regulation training, and instructional or curricular modifications. Moreover, a students family, school, or community environment or peer influences may also influence his or her level of achievement. B. Interventions aimed at reversing gifted underachievement fall into two general categories: counseling and instructional interventions (Butler-Por, 1993; Dowdall & Colangelo). Heacox, D. (1991). Pirozzo, R. (1982). In addition, bright students who receive poor grades may demonstrate mastery in standardized achievement testing situations (Colangelo, Kerr, Christensen, & Maxey, 1993; Lupart & Pyryt, 1996). Although clinicians report success with counseling interventions, research on therapeutic approaches has documented limited success in reversing students underachievement patterns (Baymur & Patterson, 1965; Butler-Por, 1993; Jeon, 1990). B., Goldberg, M. L., & Passow, A. H. (1966). New York: Delacorte. Criterion heterogeneity is the extent to which a criterion score of either aptitude or achievement changes its nature and meaning from one person to another (Raph, Goldberg, & Passow, 1966, pp. Gifted children who do not succeed in school are often successful in outside activities such as sports, social occasions, and after-school jobs. Renzulli, J. S., Reid, B. D., & Gubbins, E. J. However, the current conceptualization and the literature on the underachieving gifted and on special populations (such as gifted/LD, gifted/ADD or ADHD, gifted students with physical disabilities or behavioral or emotional problems) appear to treat the two groupings as separate and unrelated (Lupart & Pyryt, 1996, pp. What exactly is an underachiever, and why are there so many of In fact, even comparing grades in the same course becomes impossible because of the differences in different teachers curricular emphases, grading policies, and testing procedures. The psychology of underachievement. Gifted underachievers : a review of the past and -- WebStudents who are both gifted and have LD exhibit remarkable talents in some areas and disabling weaknesses in others (Baum, 1990). ), Handbook of Gifted Education (2nd ed., pp. Khatena, J. (1981). Columbus, OH: Merrill. (1990). Finally, should adults place higher expectations on gifted students, or does this represent an elitist and utilitarian view of humanity? Planning and implementing programs for the gifted. Gifted In addition, students who are not underachievers may exhibit one or several of these characteristics. ), Underachievement (pp. No test is 100% reliable. Belcastro, F. P. (1985). One Personality Trait Distinguishes Gifted People Furthermore, the correspondence between school districts adopted curricula and the content of the standardized tests used to assess student achievement is usually imperfect. Three methods of assisting underachieving high school students. For example, a student who is clinically depressed or has other emotional or drug-related problems may experience a sudden decline in school grades. Gifted "underachievers under-the-radar" are frequently overlooked, and sometimes even mistaken for high achievers. These are the exceptionally gifted students who coast through school, often receiving average to high average grades, but who fail to reach their potential. Van Boxtel, H. W., & Monks, F. J. One strategy for counseling passive-aggressive underachievers involves helping adolescents to recognize their abilities and interests, clarify their personal value systems and preferred goals, and pursue their studies to serve their own purposes rather than to meet or frustrate the needs of others (Weiner, p. 290). Growing up gifted (2nd ed.). Gifted Child Quarterly, 32, 353-358. 5 Factors Undermining Achievement in Gifted Boys The 90% confidence interval for a score of 130 is 124-134. Teachers and parents perceptions of social-psychological factors of underachievement of the gifted in Korea and the United States. WebUnderachievement Syndrome: A Psychological Defensive Pattern. Underachievement in Gifted Students - Davidson Academy Most of the interventions reported in the literature (i.e., Supplee, 1990; Whitmore, 1980) were designed to effect immediate results with a group of acutely underachieving gifted students. Includes types of underachievers, suggestions for motivating students and some famous underachievers. Underachievement syndrome: A national epidemic. Model-based interventions provide an internal consistency between diagnostic and prescriptive elements. One fact seems certain: The identification procedure should flow directly and logically from the definition of gifted underachievement. Rumberger, R. W., & Larson, K. A. These factors were the relationship with the teacher, the use of self-regulation strategies, the opportunity to investigate topics related to their underachievement, the opportunity to work on an area of interest in a preferred learning style, and the time to interact with an appropriate peer group. Social Science Research, 18, 21- 52. These findings suggest that reversing the underachievement pattern may mean taking a long, hard look at the underachievers curriculum and classroom situation. 649-668). & M. Bireley & J. Genshaft (Vol. (1997). They may criticize the school for emphasizing conformity rather than originality and creativity. Rimm, Cornale, Manos, and Behrend (1989) suggested using longitudinal test data in order to screen for possible underachievement. Recent research by Desmet and Pereira (2021) in the journal Gifted Education International took a close look at academic underachievement. Thorndike, R. L. (1963). Underachievement of highly able students and the peer society. Underachievement is a very complex situation with many possible interwoven causes. Dowdall and Colangelo (1982) observed that gifted underachievers seem to share more characteristics with underachievers than they do with gifted achievers. Webunderachievement appear to be one of the major reasons for disagreement, and different researchers may use different measures to determine who is an underachiever. Legitimate problems exist in determining whether these students are at greater risk for social or emotional problems than other students, and most interventions to reverse underachievement have met with limited success. Delisle, J. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Unfortunately, little research has focused specifically on culturally diverse underachievers (Ford, 1996; Reis, Hebert, Diaz, Maxfield, & Ratley, 1995). A social cognitive view of self-regulated academic learning. Vocabulary facilitates communication; without a common vocabulary, professionals cannot assume that they are discussing the same construct. (1965). However, even if the correlation between ability tests and grades is as high as .70, this still only explains 49% of the variance between the two measures, leaving slightly more than half of the variance in grades unexplained by ability. Underachieving boys: Problems and solutions. Educators must also realize that home, peer, and cultural environments may impact students levels of achievement. Watertown, WI: Apple. Though significant research has investigated identifying characteristics of underachieving gifted students, current research is yet to fully employ the established theoretical knowledge to determine practical strategies for the reversal and remediation of underachievement in gifted students. High school underachievers: What do they achieve as adults? Fernandez, R. M., Hirano-Nakanishi, M., & Paulsen, R. (1989). Gifted underachievers are underachievers who exhibit superior scores on measures of expected achievement (i.e., standardized achievement test scores or cognitive or intellectual ability assessments). Underachievement in Gifted Children - Verywell Family Successful students received support and encouragement from each other and from supportive adults, including teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, and mentors. Renzulli, J. S., & Reis, S. R. (1997). We will not post comments that are considered soliciting, mention illicit topics, or share highly personal information. If you have questions about what the Young Scholars Program is or how we can support your student, please consider attending an Application Q&A session Monday, May 15, 2023 at 10:00am Pacific Time. Objectification of data used in under-achievement self-concept study. In J. H. Borland (Series Ed.) Gifted Child Quarterly, 15, 279-292. In K. A. Heller, F. J. Monks, & A. H. Passow (Eds.) Reis, S. M., Neu, T. W., & McGuire,J. Why bright kids get poor grades and what you can do about it. 11-12). The results of this research suggest that flexible student-centered enrichment approaches may help reverse underachievement in gifted students. These interventions should be considered in view of the populations that were involved in the studies. Educational psychology of the gifted. Academic underachievement among the gifted: Students perceptions of factors that reverse the pattern. 9 Citations. 5072 Accesses. Certain responses to these questions may lead to the conclusion that underachievement does not exist or is not a problem that adults should remedy. Hinshaw, S. P. (1992a). Roeper Review, 7, 184-189. Rimm, S., Cornale, M., Manos, R., & Behrend, J. Gifted Child Quarterly, 37, 155-160. Top 12 Quotes & Sayings About Underachievers Case studies of talented students who achieve and underachieve in an urban high school (Research Monograph 95120). Newbury Park: Sage. In N. Colangelo & G. A. Davis (Eds. Whitmore (1980) designed and implemented a full-time elementary program for gifted underachievers. Models of underachievement among gifted preadolescents: The role of personal, family, and school factors. Any discussion of issues relating to underachievement in gifted students must carefully define both the constructs of giftedness and underachievement. High-achieving students acknowledged the importance of being grouped together in honors and advanced classes for academically talented students. Rimm, S. (1997a). Therefore, such studies will require the attention of researchers who can utilize sophisticated design techniques. Perceived factors influencing the academic underachievement of talented students of Puerto Rican descent. (1991). Thorndikes four reasons that explain why the correlation between measured intelligence and measured achievement is less than perfect provide insight into current issues regarding Underachievement. Ethically, it may be difficult to have a true comparison group in such studies because the researcher must withhold treatment that he or she believes is valuable for underachieving gifted students. In their recent study of gifted urban underachievers, the family dysfunction that characterized the lives of the gifted underachievers contrasted with the happier home lives of the gifted achievers (Reis et al., 1995). Rimm, S., & Lowe, B. In this conception of underachievement, underachievers may be viewed as individuals who fail to self-actualize. Thorndike (1963) cautioned educators and psychologists not to waste their time and effort attempting to provide explanations arising solely from measurement errors, discussed below. Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education, 1-7. Although this may be a suitable method for identifying underachievers from the general school population, such an age/performance discrepancy may only identify the most severely underachieving gifted students. New York: Teachers College Press. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Underachieving students: Intervention programs that work. Even a child who does poorly in most school subjects may display a talent or interest in at least one school subject. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Often, standardized tests have low ceilings, and when gifted students score at the ceiling of a testing instrument, it is impossible to know how much higher the students performance might have been if the ceiling had been raised. Finally, the differences among the three authors typical categories of underachievers further illustrate the fact that none of the lists are definitive or immutable. The Gifted Underachiever - HealthyChildren.org In another study comparing the families of underachievers to those of achievers, families with underachieving gifted students were not classified as dysfunctional any more frequently than families with achieving gifted students (Green, Fine, & Tollefson, 1988, p. 271). M. (1995). Successful Dropouts from High School Giftedness, conflict, and underachievement. Differences in scores will arise as a result of sampling errors, student mood and health on the testing days, and other extraneous variances. Meeting the needs of gifted underachievers individually! Zimmerman, B.J. 416-435). Gifted Child Quarterly, 31, 180-185. Academic underachievement among the gifted: Students perceptions of factors that reverse the pattern. Three general themes emerge from the many operational and conceptual definitions of gifted underachievement (Dowdall & Colangelo, 1982; Ford, 1996). Underachievers Toward a new paradigm for identifying talent potential (Research Monograph 94112). Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 14, 221-233. Web ), Underachievement (pp. Often, opposition between parents increased as the challenger became more authoritarian and the rescuer became increasingly protective. (p. 157) Reis and McCoach further contend that underachievement can-not be the result of a diagnosed learning disability and must be Do schools that differentiate instruction for high-ability students have fewer, incidences of underachievement? In addition, as many as 25 to 30 percent of high school dropouts may be gifted individuals. Future research could explore the generality of the underachievement phenomenon and investigate whether interventions that are successful with gifted students might also apply to the wider spectrum of underachieving students. Underachievement | National Association for Gifted Whitmore, J. R. (1980). Up from underachievement. Too often, for no apparent reason, students who show great academic promise fail to perform at a level commensurate with their previously documented abilities, frustrating both parents and teachers (Whitmore, 1986). This article reviews and analyzes three decades of research on the underachievement of gifted students in an attempt to clarify the present state of research. Diagnostique, 21 (1), 43-59. Busch, B., & Nuttall, R. L. (1995). Students peer groups in high school: The pattern and relationship to educational outcomes. She found that parents frequently oppose each other when disciplining their children. If we hold low expectations for students who then achieve at low levels, they are not underachievers. 79-86). WebStudent Achievement & Underachievement: A Conversation with Del Siegle from the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented Professional Learning Online Units NRC/GT's Researched Strategies to Increase Student Motivation and Academic Achievement (5 comprehensive professional learning units based on the Achievement Orientation Model) Do we help or hurt a child when we ask him or her to assimilate into the majority culture? The parents of unmotivated underachievers may also benefit from therapeutic strategies that encourage them to speak positively about education, show an interest in their childs schoolwork, and praise their childs accomplishments (Weiner). Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut, Storrs. We will not post comments that are considered soliciting, mention illicit topics, or share highly personal information. Dowdall and Colangelo (1982) described three underlying themes in the definition of gifted underachievement: Do students underachieve because they come from families in conflict? However, neither study used a control or comparison group; therefore, the results of their studies may not be generalizable to the entire population of underachievers. One could even argue that Rimms definition includes almost all students. Determinants of underachievement as perceived by gifted, above average, and average Black students. Whitmore (1989) identified three broad causes for underachievement in gifted children: Lack of motivation to apply themselves in school Environments that do In 95% of the families, one parent emerged as the disciplinarian, while the other parent acted as a protector. The absence of any clear, precise definition of gifted underachievement restricts research-based comparisons and hinders the quest for suitable interventions. Gifted Child Quarterly, 24, 51-55. Students who seem unmotivated may have attention deficits (Busch & Nuttall, 1995) or hidden learning disabilities. Frankel, E. (1965). Such a method may provide more insight into the nature of the childs achievement since children are repeatedly compared to the same norm group. Bright, underachieving students might benefit from curriculum differentiation techniques (Renzulli & Smith, 1978; Reis, Burns, & Renzulli, 1992), such as curriculum compacting or Type III enrichment opportunities. Publication: Gifted Child Quarterly Obviously, factors other than ability, such as motivation, personality characteristics, family environment, school environment, and peer pressure, influence achievement. Although this may be a suitable method for identifying underachievers from the general school population, such an age/performance discrepancy may only identify the most severely underachieving gifted students. Gifted Education International, 9, 115-119. Despite this interest, the underachievement of gifted students remains an enigma.