Download as ODP, PPTX
More Related Content
Similar to Underachievement in gifted students
Underachievement in gifted students
- 1. Chapter 9 In GiftedStudents Underachievement Anna Goins
- 2. What is underachievement? Underachievementin gifted students is commonly defined as a discrepancy between ability and achievement. It may manifest itself as failure to turn in assignments, or to attend, or participate in class. Students are showing disengagement from the educational process.
- 3. Is it underachievement? Allstudents may experience short term lapses in their performances, but when the performance drops substantially over a short period of time, it needs attention. There must be observable discrepancies between the student's ability and achievement over a substantial time period. Rimm, Cornale, Manos and Behrend suggest the use of longitudinal test data as a screen for the possibility of underachievement. IQ tests scores, achievement percentile scores or grades that have declined for three years are strong indicators of an underachievement problem.
- 4. What causes underachievement? Underachievementconstitutes that a symptom that may be indicative of a number of causes,often a combination. Some causes are environmental, some are in the child, and some result as a mismatch between the two. There are almost an infinite number of possibilities.
- 5. Environmental causes Chronically underchallenging, slow moving classroom experiences or moving from a regular class to an appropriately challenging one. Peer pressure to conform to regular norms, to “be like everyone else” which can be intense for students from underrepresented minorities Loneliness, isolation from classmates, and the educational enterprise Family dynamics- conflict drains energies; parents' centering on the underachieving child masks other conflicts; family has too low, too variable, or too rigid expectations
- 6. Factors within thestudent Internalizing issues such as depression, anxiety, perfectionism, failure- avoidance,and low self esteem. Externalizing issues such as rebelliousness, irritability,nonconformity, and anger. Unrecognized learning deficits that interfere with learning and performance. Nontraditional gifts that do not fit teacher's expectations Deficits in self regulation:disorganization, impulsivity, ADD Maladaptive strategies like failure to set realistic goals Social immaturity or over emphasis on social over academics
- 7. Interventions Most interventions weredesigned to have immediate results with acutely underachieving gifted students. Documentation on the effectiveness of interventions designed to reverse underachievement has been inconsistent and inconclusive. Two categories of interventions for reversing underachievement: counseling and instructional interventions Counseling focuses on changing personal, family,or ambition of both dynamics that contribute to the underachievement It can be individual, family, or group, or a combination.
- 8. Interventions continued The counselor'sgoal is to help the student determine if success is a desirable goal, and if yes, to help reverse habits and cognitions that are counterproductive Counseling and school centered interventions involve the student, parents, and school personnel in assessing the underachievement; changing student,parent, and teacher expectations ; providing differentiated modifications for the student at school and home. School based interventions include special classrooms, either part or full time for the underachievers. Usually have a smaller teacher to student ratio, learning activities are less conventional, students have some degree of choice, and use different learning strategies.
- 9. More about interventions Schoolbased interventions have not been followed long term, nor has there been longitudinal studies with a control or comparison group. Some students reverse their underachievement without the use of formal interventions. Some factors thought to influence this were: out of school interests and activities, parents, development of goals associated with grades, teachers, and selves Students are more likely to develop achievement oriented behaviors when stimulated in class and given opportunities to pursue topics of interest, Renzulli's approach is based on student strengths and interests to help reverse academic underachievement.
- 10. Areas for continuedresearch To find out the complex causes for academic underachievement and provide interventions to help reverse it. Explore the linkages and flow of causality among the different characteristics and student achievement. How does self esteem, self-efficacy, and selfregulation affect underachievement? Exploration of whether gifted underachievers differ significantly from other underachievers. Translation of insights about causes into models and strategies that educators can use to develop more effective prevention and interventions.
- 11. Further research isneeded The benefits of curriculum differentiation techniques Implementation of a variety of classroom designs,such as selfcontained, and home and school partnerships. Developing multiple approaches to prevent and reverse underachievement. These approaches would differentiate among different types of underachievement by incorporating both proactive preventative counseling and innovative instructional interventions.
- 12. Question to consider Thereare many causes thought to contribute to perfectionism; environmental, within the student, or a combination of both. Which cause do you think is more frequently seen? Why?