LEARNING FROM

EXPERIENCE:How Studying Chronic Underachievers Helps Us Help Our Children

Dr. Lori Flint

East Carolina University

CEC-Spring 2014

What is Underachievement?

“One of the greatest social wastes of our culture.”Gowan, 1955

“Students who are not satisfactorily performing to their level of ability on daily academic tasks and achievement tests.”

Whitmore, 1980

“Established self-defeating patterns of behavior that produce negative outcomes for students.”

Olenchak, 1999, Fehrenbach,1993

We know it when we see it!

Evidence of the Effectiveness

of the Content

Earlier research only tried to “fix” underachieving bright students rather than understand them and the phenomenon

This information is very useful to practitioners because it is global and also novel- most have never heard this research that shows underachievement as a systemic problem, rather than something we can "cure" in children

• Close examination of school, home, and intrapersonal factors

• Based on 10 years of rigorous triangulated qualitative research (school files, questionnaires, and interviews) with 80 (former) underachievers

• Graduate students (15) chose to replicate study, added 30 new cases

Methodology

Participants recruited through email

Self-identified underachievers

Selected via pre-interview script process

Between 30 and 60 years old

Purposive sampling

Intense exemplars, not worst or best cases

GIFTEDNESS DEFINED

Giftedness Identified by affirmative experience of at least 4 of 12 factors, e.g.:

Participation in gifted programming

AP classes

Early entrance to school

Grade skipping

High IQ/Achievement

Awards

Primary Clusters of Factors Contributing to Underachievement

Family/Parenting

what the literature says

Significantly affect academic achievement

Many family disruptions

Highly educated, but many conflicts

Inconsistency in parenting styles

Creates stress, exacerbates situation

Disorganization within home

Do as I say, not as I do?

Lack of goal setting

Absence of positive parent modeling

What

this

research

shows

Psychological/Intrapersonal

what the literature says

Antisocial behaviors

Social immaturity

Emotional problems

Low self-concept

High self-criticism

High self-doubt

Resistance to R & R

Won’t play The Game

Don’t try –don’t fail

Intrinsic motivation

Endless rationalizations

Poor self-regulation

Limited study skills

Lack of persistence

Hidden LD/ADHD

what

this

research

shows

School Environment/

Teachers/Curriculum

what the literature says

Not inviting

Restrictive policies

Mismatch between

curriculum & needs

Lack of psychological safety

Tedious & repetitious

Competition

No modifications for gifted children

Teacher characteristics

Expectations too low or too high

Unfamiliar with characteristics & needs of gifted students

what

this

research

shows

A Few Words About

Selective-Achievement

We cannot make

anyone do

anything they don’t

want to do!

So, how to get people

to change their spots?

DOING INTERVENTION

Perceived Need/Possible Opportunity

Persons to Contact

Resources Needed

Evidence of Effectiveness/Specific-General

Work Smarter

Fit Intervention to Mandated Objectives

Applying Research to Actual Students

Take a bubble in any cluster, focus on that

Examine altruism, for example

What can we do to help promote an altruistic

mindset in individuals?

Altruism not merely perceived, but authentic

Must actually make a difference in someone’s life

“It was my luck to have a few

good teachers in my youth,

men & women who came into

my dark head and lit a

match.”

Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Are YOU one of those few?

flintl@ecu.edu