Gifted Achievers and Underachievers: A Comparison of Patterns Found in School Files

Abstract

Underachievement in gifted students has perplexed educators and parents for decades. Researchers are continually looking for information about the nature and patterns of gifted underachievers that will enlighten those concerned. Counselors are particularly involved, because they often are asked to provide illumination and interventions. This study demonstrates how information in the cumulative school file, accessible to the school counselor, is a rich resource for understanding the patterns of achievement and underachievement among students identified as gifted and for use in planning interventions for students at risk for underachievement. Participants were gifted students (N = 153) who were determined to be either achievers or under‐achievers, based on their grade point average at graduation. High and moderate achievers and moderate and extreme underachievers were compared on information found in the school file, such as attendance, tardiness, course selection, and onset and duration of underachievement. Results indicate that there are differences between achievers and underachievers on a number of variables found in the school files. Profiles of these groups are presented with suggestions for actions by counselors.

The Validity of the Achievement-Orientation Model for Gifted Middle School Students

“…This assumption, however, is completely fallacious, especially for gifted underachievers. Peterson and Colangelo (1996) examined the school records, grades 7-12, of a group of gifted students (n=153). Findings revealed most students identified as gifted underachievers failed to achieve in all subject areas and their underachievement persisted for the duration of their secondary education.…”

Üstün Zekali Öğrenci̇lerde Moti̇vasyon Ve Benli̇k Saygisi Düzeyleri̇ni̇n Ci̇nsi̇yet Ve Sinif Düzeyi̇ne Göre İncelenmesi̇

“…Üstün zekâ düzeyindeki öğrencilerin sahip oldukları potansiyel ile göstermiş oldukları performans arasında fark olması zekâ dışında başarıyı etkileyebilecek başka faktörlerin varlığını düşündürmektedir (Bozanoğlu, 2005). Bu faktörler: öğretmen (Davis & Rimm, 2004;Kesner, 2005), aile (Clark, 2002) özel öğrenme güçlüğü (Silverman, 2003), düşük benlik saygısı (Davis & Rimm, 2004), motivasyon eksikliği (Peterson & Colangelo, 1996;Reis & McCoach, 2000) olabilir.…”

The Impact of Eliminating Extraneous Sound and Light on Students' Achievement: An Empirical Study

“…When attempting to discuss the phenomenon, some researchers focus on standardized instruments alone to define it (Supplee, 1990), whereas others place more emphasis on student actions in the classroom (Baum, Renzulli, & Hebert, 1995). However, most researchers agree that underachievement is a discrepancy between expected performance based on some standardized measure of ability and actual performance (Emerick, 1992;Peterson & Colangelo, 1996;Whitmore, 1980).…”