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. A teacher may believe that reading Huckleberry Finn is more worthwhile than mastering a new video game, but a child may not. Educational Psychologist, 16, 151-164. Because students underachieve for so many different reasons, no one intervention strategy can possibly reverse these behaviors in all underachieving gifted students. and classroom performance as evidenced by course grades. Permission Statement Newbury Park: Sage. Current identification practices that underidentify gifted African American students hinder the identification of gifted underachievers of African American descent. Academic underachievement among the gifted: Students perceptions of factors that reverse the pattern. Columbus, OH: Merrill. Gifted individuals have learning differences, including divergent thinking, quirky humor, and a penchant for Equality of educational opportunity also affects underachievement. 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. In addition, Diaz (1998) found that the absence of early appropriate academic experiences impeded Puerto Rican students opportunities to develop their abilities when they reached high school. 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. 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. In addition, families of high-achieving students seem to encourage self-motivation, environmental engagement, and autonomy more than families of low-achieving students (Taylor). Reasons why the gifted adolescent underachieves and some of the implications of guidance and counseling to this problem. Gifted Child Quarterly, 30, 66-69. Schneider, S. (1998, Fall). Eds. Publication: Gifted Child Quarterly If unchallenging scholastic environments produce underachieving gifted students, then providing intellectual challenge and stimulation at all grade levels should decrease underachievement. Oxford: Pergamon. (1985). If we hold low expectations for students who then achieve at low levels, they are not underachievers. The most common component of the various definitions of underachievement in gifted students involves identifying a discrepancy between ability and achievement (Baum, Renzulli, & Hebert, 1995a; Butler-Por, 1987; Dowdall & Colangelo, Jeon, K. (1990, August). Definitions of gifted underachievement as a discrepancy between potential and performance are by far the most common. The abilities of gifted children. Child Development, 64, 467-482. Because the passive-aggressive behavior of such children is usually directed against their families, family counseling interventions may also help reverse passive-aggressive underachievement. - time management In other words, if a student were to take the same IQ test again, there is a 90% probability that his or her score would fall between 124 and 134. Do gifted underachievers resemble lower achieving students? The multidimensionality of peer pressure in adolescence. Gowan, J. C. (1957). Schweitzgebel (1965) alluded to this phenomenon when he observed that underachievers, in contrast to slower learners, may in fact learn rapidly and well, but what they learn may not coincide with the content of our examinations (p. 486). We will not post comments that are considered soliciting, mention illicit topics, or share highly personal information. The authors also include suggestions for those interested in pursuing potentially promising new lines of research and inquiry in this area. Mickelson, R. A. New York: John Wiley and Sons. This approach (Renzulli, 1977) specifically targets student strengths and interests in order to help reverse academic underachievement (Baum, Renzulli, & Hebert, 1995b). If a student performs more poorly on measures of achievement than one would expect based on measures of ability, then he or she is underachieving. Unmotivated underachievers may see no compelling reasons for becoming better students. Does the underachievement of the child create problems in the family unit? Toward explaining differences in educational achievement among Mexican American language minority students. A., & Howley C. B. Family, school, and individual factors all seem to contribute to the emergence of underachievement behaviors (Baker, Bridger, & Evans, 1998). At what age should an individual gain control over his or her own destiny and make decisions regarding his or her priorities and goals? Boston: Allyn and Bacon. High-achieving parents often provide positive role-modeling of achievement-oriented behavior; (Rimm & Lowe; Zilli, 1971). The Enrichment Triad Model: A guide for developing defensible programs for the gifted and talented. (Research Monograph 95114). Publisher: National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Underachieving gifted students. How can the underachievement of older students be reversed? Sylvia Rimm. Friends influence on students adjustment to school. 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. Deficits in self-control or self-regulation may engender underachievement (Borkowski & Thorpe, 1994; Krouse & Krouse, 1981). Several recent researchers operational and conceptual definitions of gifted underachievement are summarized in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, and Table 4 (please see all Table links at bottom of article). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Defining underachievement operationally provides researchers and readers with a clearer picture of the composition of the sample being studied and enables the comparison of results of different studies. Fine, M. J., & Pitts, R. (1980). Baldwin, A. Y. M. (1995). B. (1991). Borland, J. H. (1989). WebUnderachievement Syndrome: A Psychological Defensive Pattern. However, such definitions may not adequately distinguish between gifted students who achieve and those who underachieve. 649-668). Emericks study indicated that one type of effective intervention may be based on students strengths and interests (Renzulli, 1977; Renzulli & Reis, 1985, 1997). Teachers and parents perceptions of social-psychological factors of underachievement of the gifted in Korea and the United States. The range of characteristics ascribed to gifted underachievers by numerous authors are summarized in Table 5 and Table 5 (continued). Meeting the needs of gifted underachievers individually! Defining underachievement based strictly upon scholastic success or failure may also be limiting. Unfortunately, the need for multiple approaches to treatment will complicate the research designs necessary to test the efficacy of underachievement interventions. McNab, T. (1997). Family environments of underachieving gifted students. An orphan for many years, In a recent study, researchers used self-selected Type III enrichment projects as a systematic intervention for underachieving gifted students. Using such an identification method to identify gifted underachievers may lead to problems of under-identification. This definition could include most gifted students, as many receive top grades in school without expending sustained effort. Brown, B. Do we help or hurt a child when we ask him or her to assimilate into the majority culture? Reversing underachievement: Creative productivity as a systematic intervention. In addition, bright students who receive poor grades may demonstrate mastery in standardized achievement testing situations (Colangelo, Kerr, Christensen, & Maxey, 1993; Lupart & Pyryt, 1996). In other words, if we predict that students will not succeed, and then they fail, they have not performed below our initial expectations. One Personality Trait Distinguishes Gifted People Gifted ), Self-regulation of learning and practice (pp. 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. Dropping out among Hispanic youth. Belcastro, F. P. (1985). In contrast, although the parents of underachieving gifted children may verbally espouse the values of achievement, they may have lives characterized by frustration and lack of fulfillment (Rimm & Lowe). Counselors and therapists can help underachievers strengthen deficient reward systems, modify passive-aggressive propensities, and alleviate emotional deficits; educators can help students fill educational gaps and alleviate or compensate for cognitive handicaps. However, students who have reversed their underachievement behaviors have noted that having a teacher who supported and believed in them helped them overcome their underachievement. However, the relationship between language proficiency and school is complex. The attitude achievement paradox among Black adolescents. Whitmore (1989) identified three broad causes for underachievement in gifted children: Lack of motivation to apply themselves in school Environments that do Finally, should adults place higher expectations on gifted students, or does this represent an elitist and utilitarian view of humanity? Krouse, J. H., & Krouse, H. J. Culturally diverse students face unique barriers to their achievement for several reasons. A common method of defining ability involves the use of an IQ test, such as the WISC-III or the Stanford-Binet IV. The gifted underachiever who had reversed patterns of academic underachievement in this study exhibited characteristics also associated with the highly creative and gifted individual: independence of thought and judgment, willingness to take risks, perseverance, above-average intellectual ability, creative ability, and an intense Using the estimation of the first true score to predict a students expected score on another related measure compounds these measurement uncertainties. Whereas parental emphasis on achievement tends to inspire higher academic achievement (Brown et al., 1993), parents of underachievers may exhibit disinterested attitudes towards education (Jeon & Feldhusen, 1993). Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Connecticut, Storrs. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. Underachievement and Student Motivation UNDERACHIEVING LEARNERS: CAN THEY LEARN AT In 95% of the families, one parent played the role of the parent that challenges and disciplines, and the other took the role of the protector. Synthesizing the hypothesized characteristics of gifted underachievers becomes a nearly impossible task, and legitimate questions exist regarding the utility of such a list. The authors also include suggestions for those interested in pursuing potentially promising new lines of research and inquiry in this area. However, using such a formula to screen for gifted underachievement may underestimate the number of students who are falling into patterns of underachievement. Three methods of assisting underachieving high school students. This genus of this definition, illustrated in Table 2, views underachievement as a regression equation involving human potential and performance (Frick et al., 1991). Diaz, E. I. (1988). She found that parents frequently oppose each other when disciplining their children. For example, low self-concept is one of the most common characteristics ascribed to underachieving gifted students (Belcastro, 1985; Bricklin & Bricklin, 1967; Bruns, 1992; Clark, 1988; Diaz, 1998; Fine & Pitts, 1980; Fink, 1965; Ford, 1996; Kanoy, Johnson, & Kanoy, 1980; Schunk, 1998; Supplee, 1990; Van Boxtel & Monks, 1992; Whitmore, 1980). Locus of control and self-concept in achieving and underachieving bright elementary students. The results of this research suggest that flexible, student-centered enrichment approaches may help reverse underachievement in gifted students. Whether gifted students actually require interventions that are qualitatively different from nongifted underachievers has yet to be determined. (1983). Recently, researchers have begun to probe the relationships among underachievement, attention deficit disorders, and learning disabilities (Hinshaw, 1992a, 1992b). Classroom grades, though unreliable and teacher dependent, provide one of the most commonly used methods to assess and evaluate students. 79-86). Unfortunately, what is viewed as achievement in a poor school may be viewed as underachievement by a more competitive school or by society at large. Rumberger, R. W., & Larson, K. A. Up to 50% of gifted children underachieve at some point in their school career; therefore, it is an important issue for parents and educators to address. High school underachievers: What do they achieve as adults? Self-regulation and motivation: A life-span perspective on underachievement. It is important for educators to have a clear understanding as to who are considered gifted underachievers in the classroom. The psychology of underachievement. Hinshaw, S. P. (1992b). The sample consisted of 54 students from primary schools; 35 high achievers and 24 underachievers. (1987). Neither study utilized a true longitudinal design, and neither researcher was able to fully track the progress of the students once they left the elementary school. 3, pp. In some states, students must achieve an IQ score at or above a certain cut-off in order to acquire the gifted label. Hinshaw, S. P. (1992a). Recent research by Desmet and Pereira (2021) in the journal Gifted Education International took a close look at academic underachievement. Schunk, D. H. (1998, November). Permission to reprint this article was granted by Gifted Child Quarterly, a publication of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) http://www.nagc.org. However, the criteria needed to identify giftedness vary from state to state and from district to district. Curriculum compacting: A guide for teachers. Underachievement occurs when a child's performance is below what is expected based on the child's ability. As educators, we may or may not be able to change the external factors that contribute to the underachievement of certain gifted students. Since the identification of gifted underachievers depends on defining both underachievement and giftedness, discussing criteria for identification is no less complicated. Defining achievement is even more problematic. Reversing underachievement among gifted Black students. Watertown, WI: Apple. When teachers expect students to complete work involving content and concepts mastered several years earlier, high-ability students become difficult to motivate. 5 Factors Undermining Achievement in Gifted Boys Taylor, R. D. (1994). RT @DavidsonGifted: Finding out your child is profoundly gifted or twice-exceptional can be overwhelming. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 11, 121-133. New York: Teachers College Press. (1985). 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. (1995). Interventions aimed at reversing gifted underachievement fall into two general categories: counseling and instructional interventions (Butler-Por, 1993; Dowdall & Colangelo). (1992). Students who are difficult to motivate are often categorized as underachievers. Students peer groups in high school: The pattern and relationship to educational outcomes. Underachievement Syndrome: A Psychological Defensive WebUnderachievement is content and situation specific. 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). Abstract. The third theme, presented in Table 3, views underachievement as a failure to develop or utilize latent potential without reference to other external criteria. Heacox, D. (1991). We will not post comments that are considered soliciting, mention illicit topics, or share highly personal information. 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. However, counseling treatments have met with limited success. Dai, D. Y, Moon, S. M., & Feldhusen, J. F. (1998). Even the research on common characteristics in underachieving gifted students is often inconsistent. Gifted children who are struggling academically present an unmet challenge for the educational system. Mandel, H. P., & Marcus, S. I. What exactly is an underachiever, and why are there so many of Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas. ), Educational resilience in inner city America, (pp. -- Zimmerman, B.J. 5 kept her name famous. Could do better. However, underachievers who receive formal, clinical counseling do not necessarily represent the entire population of underachievers. 39-40). Personal patterns of underachievement. Top 12 Quotes & Sayings About Underachievers The prism metaphor: A new paradigm for reversing underachievement (CRS95310). Students who are required to repeat grade levels or courses are rarely singled out as a result of low standardized achievement test scores. The sample consisted of 56 gifted underachievers and 122 gifted achievers from 28 high schools Roeper Review, 8, 54-56. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Holland, 1998). Clasen, D. R, & Clasen, R. E. (1995). Rimm (1995) emphasized the importance of parenting styles and parental influence on the development of childrens achievement and underachievement behaviors and found that inconsistent parenting techniques appeared to occur more frequently in the homes of underachieving children (Rimm & Lowe, 1988). American Psychologist, 51, 77-101. 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.
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