Getting Out of the Quagmire: A Roadmap for Redirecting Underachievers and Selective ProducersPaper
Students don’t naturally underachieve. It is often through misguided and unchallenging learning experiences that lead them to underperform or selectively produce. It may also develop out of a learning difference. Helping students develop constructive attitudes towards personal growth has a tremendous effect on achievement. This session will show you how to assist students in applying self-regulating strategies that can increase self-esteem, develop greater self-efficacy and produce a positive self-image.
The development of academic ability is most effectively actualized by those who set goals and manage strategies to achieve those goals. A critical component is the effectiveness of the learners’ application of and focus toward self-regulation. When students are underchallenged it can lead to underachievement or selective production (choosing to do the minimum), which effects their development of strong self-regulation. This is a vicious cycle of unproductive learning.
Regulatory focus theory (Higgins, 1997) suggests two orientations of self-regulation. Promotion orientation focuses on growth and advancement, while prevention orientation focuses on safety and security. Studies suggest that students with a promotion orientation approach tasks with confidence to continually try, even in the face of obstacles and setbacks. On the other hand, those oriented toward prevention approach tasks from a doubt perspective and are more likely to give up easily. Underperforming students are more likely to possess a prevention focus and are less likely to gain in achievement and manifest their talents (Higgins & Spiegel, 2004).
Works by Reis and Greene (2014) and Cash (2016) point out intervention strategies of self-regulation can have a positive effect on turning around underachievement. During this session, participants will learn research-based strategies to help students develop healthy personal beliefs, and successful learning habits. Also, a design of enrichment, extension and enhancement (E3) that can be applied to all disciplines K-12 will be demonstrated. Addressing the need of gifted students to be challenged early can significantly reduce underachievement/selective production and increase self-regulation for a positive personal growth.