Deficits in fine motor skills and their influence on persistence among gifted elementary school pupils

Abstract

This article addresses the causes of underachievement in scholastic education. Whereas many studies have been able to show that motivational deficits provide an explanation for underachievement, little research has yet explored the possible influences of deficits in fine motor skills. The aim of our empirical study was, therefore, to investigate the influence of fine motor skills and how they may affect underachievement. We hypothesized that deficits in fine motor skills could possibly be mediated by persistence. The participants in this investigation were 53 gifted fourth-grade pupils (15 underachievers, 38 achievers) attending primary schools in Germany. In fact, underachievers and achievers could be differentiated on the basis of their fine motor skills and persistence levels. The differences attributed to persistence decreased when fine motor skills were statistically controlled.

Profiles of maladaptive school motivation among high‐ability adolescents: A person‐centered exploration of the motivational Pathways to Underachievement model

“…The variables in this study were specifically derived from the PUM framework, and sought to confirm the presence of particular variable combinations. Students without maladaptive competence or value beliefs may nonetheless underachieve because of many possible reasons, including but not limited to classroom climate (Stoeger et al, 2008), self‐regulation capabilities (Ritchotte et al, 2014), and peer group conformation (Swiatek, 2001). Expanding the analysis to include a wider array of variables could bring to light other types of students prone to underachievement, and it could also potentially uncover a multiplicity of motivational patterns leading to underachievement outcomes.…”

Fine motor and executive functioning skills predict maths and spelling skills at the start of kindergarten: a compensatory account (La motricidad fina y las funciones ejecutivas predicen las competencias en matemáticas y lengua escrita al comienzo de la etapa preescolar: una propuesta compensatoria)

“…In addition, we extended previous findings by investigating the interaction in early academic skills, in a large, representative kindergarten sample, and in specific academic domains relevant to early childhood education. Previous findings by Stoeger et al (2008) were based on a selected sample of gifted fourth-graders' general scholastic achievement averaged over maths, language and science, while Cameron et al's (2015) findings were based on preschool children over a wider age range of two to five years, and excluded maths outcomes. Despite some differences in the aspects of FMS and EF examined across the studies, the general finding is largely consistent with an interactive account of EF and FMS contributing to academic achievement.…”

Self-Regulated Learning and Motivation Among Gifted and High Achieving Students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Disciplines: Examining Differences Between Students From Diverse Socioeconomic Levels

“…Studies have suggested that students from high-SES environments are more likely to discover their interests and develop confidence in STEM areas as their parents are capable of providing them with opportunities for exposure to science or related enrichment experiences (Ho et al, 2020; Miller & Kimmel, 2012). However, when gifted students do not have educational opportunities, such as challenging in-school programs or enriching extracurricular out-of-school programs, they might be at risk of not fully developing their learning potential (Stoeger & Ziegler, 2013; Subotnik et al, 2011).…”