What are the Causes of Underachievement?
Numerous studies have been conducted to find out the causes of underachievement in students; these studies have found multiple causes for underachievement in a gifted student. There are many causes that are found repeatedly in all studies and can be used to start understanding the majority of underachievers in the gifted classroom. These causes include but are not limited to: problems with school/classroom/curriculum, family situation, social values, interaction with inappropriate peers, self-perception, lack of motivation, and individual deficits/disabilities. Some of these causes can be controlled internally by the gifted student, while other causes are outside of the student’s control. This report will focus on the causes related to the educational setting of gifted students and how the educational setting can help reverse underachievement.