Underachievers

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Defining ‘underachievemen

t’

‘ Underachievement is defined as a

discrepancy between a child’s school

performance and some index of his or her

actual ability, such as intelligence,

achievement, or creativity score, or

observational data.’

Davis & Rimm

1985

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A DISCREPANCY

between

POTENTIAL

(what a child ought to be able to do)

and

ACTUAL PERFORMANCE

(what a child is really demonstrating)

Richert 1991

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‘ Early identification and appropriate

programming prevent the establishment of

chronic patterns of underachievement or

negative attitudes toward schools; it also

allows early intervention with underachievers,

which is much more successful than later

efforts at remediation or correction. ‘

Whitmore 1980

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Identifying gifted underachievers

Intelligence test scores

Gifted : 2 SD above the mean

Achievement test scores

A pattern of continuous decline in group achievement test scores

Observation

Teachers/parents observation checklists

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Characteristics of underachievers

• See self as inadequate

• Expect academic and social failure

• Feel helpless to control outcomes of effort

• Don’t feel free to make choices

• Set unrealistic goals

• Are defensive toward authority

• Feel rejected and isolated

• Are not willing to risk failure

• Show ineffective approaches to problems

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Shared characteristics that distinguish the achieving from

underachieving gifted• Lack of integration of goals & self direction

• Lack of self confidence

• Inability to persevere

• Inferiority feelings

• Social immaturity

• Emotional problems

• Antisocial behavior

• Low self concept

• An unstable family environment8

Underachiever Profiles Dianne Heacox

• The Rebel ‘Why should I play the school game?’

• The Conformist ‘Don’t notice that I am smart.’

• The Stressed Learner ‘It’s not good enough.’

• The Struggling Student ‘I just don’t get it.’

• The Victim ‘It’s not my fault.’

• The Bored Student ‘There’s nothing new to learn.’

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Categories of underachievement

Rimm 1995

Conformity

Non

conformity

Dependent Dominant

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Dependent conformers

Dominant Conformers

Dependent nonconforme

rs

Dominant nonconforme

rs

In families of underachievers

• The student is dependent on the mother

• The father is rejecting and domineering and gives little warmth or affection

• The relationship between father and daughter or father and son is negative or nonexistent

• Parents allows achievement to go unrewarded

• The children do not identify with their parents

• There are deep social and emotional problems in the family

• parents are not active in schools

• Parents are not supportive of their children

• The child’s achievement present a threat to the parents and their adult superiority

• Parents do not share ideas, affection, trust or approval

• Parents are restrictive and severe in their punishment 12

Strategies to reverse underachievement

• Supportive strategies Whitmore (1980)

These ‘affirm the worth of the child in the classroom and convey the promise of greater potential and success yet to be discovered and enjoyed.’

• Intrinsic strategies

These are ‘designed to develop intrinsic achievement motivation through the child’s discovery of rewards available …. As a result of efforts to learn, achieve and contribute to the group.’

• Remedial strategies

These are ‘employed to improve the student’s academic performance in an area of learning in which (s)he has evidenced difficulty learning, has experienced a sense of failure. 13

Focusing on strength – create challenge, variety and opportunity for students to utilize strengths and

interests to improve school performance and facilitate in-depth learning

• Curriculum compacting

• Flexible skills grouping

• Tiered assignments

• Mentorship

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Tips for Teachers• Focus on the positive

• Keep problems private

• Get them involved

• Get them interested

• Adjust your curriculum

• Provide variety

• Give them tools / opportunity for success

• Make learning appropriate & relevant

• Minimize evaluation

• Build success

• Promote positive self esteem

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Pitfalls to avoid

• Inflexible teaching• Rescuing the student• Inappropriate expectations• The need to control• Getting even• Giving up• Getting angry

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REFERENCES• American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical

manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision.

Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

• Baum, S. (1990). Gifted but learning disabled: A puzzling paradox.

ERIC Digest #E479. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

• Olenchak, F. R., & Renzulli, J. S. (1989). The effectiveness of the

schoolwide enrichment model on selected aspects of elementary

school change. Gifted Child Quarterly, 33(1), 36-46.