This article introduces the concept of effectivity, which is the power to be effective or to achieve a certain effect to accomplish one's goals, in this case, desired school or life achievement. Giftedness would be better defined and developed in terms of effectivity than in terms of various concepts of ability. The concept of effectivity hinges…

The process of talent development with children and young adults who have participated in programs based on the Enrichment Triad and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) has been the focus of research by Renzulli and Reis, as well as other scholars and colleagues, for over four decades. Periodic summaries of this extensive research have been…

We examined how six gifted boys perceived the onset and development of their academic underachievement and what they identified as contributing aspects. Across the six boys' experiences, a similar pattern of onset and development of academic underachievement emerged. The boys discussed a lack of academic challenge, investment in hobbies, issues…

IGNITE, a high school-based programme, was developed for high ability underachievers using the Achievement Orientation Model (AOM), Maker Model, and Bibliotherapy in a mainstream setting. This paper reports on the effects discovered while implementing the programme over the course of 2 years. Year 7 (13 year olds) and Year 9 (15 year olds)…

Underachievement among gifted students is a paradox that frustrates educators because of the significant disparity between students' potential and their performance. Complicating the issue is the highly individualized nature of the underperformance, which must take into consideration factors of student culture, socio-economic status, motivation,…

The transition from school to university presents novel demands for all students. Although this educational milestone has been addressed by scholars, particularly those interested in the study of higher education, there is a dearth of literature regarding gifted students' experience of their handling demands of first-year university. In the…

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…

This paper reviews the current literature on twice-exceptional students who are dual diagnosed as having giftedness and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This area of research is warranted because giftedness and ADHD present similarly but have different ramifications for performance and outcomes. In addition, research inquiry and…

A number of characteristics are shared between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gifted populations. They include issues with sustaining attention, following directions, and completing tasks. When an individual is both gifted and has ADHD (gifted-ADHD) he has unique educational needs that may put him at risk for underachievement.…

The identification of gifted children is an interactive procedure consisting of two consecutive steps--screening for above-average cognitive abilities, followed by their monitoring. Teacher nomination is among the most widely used methods of screening. However, it is not free from bias. The analysis of screening criteria is of prime importance for…

This article describes games appropriate for teaching spelling skills to underachieving gifted students. One game involves players dribbling a ball to letters attached to sticks driven into the ground, in a particular order that spells a word. (DB)

A case study is presented of an eight-year-old girl who, despite very high intelligence in general, exhibited underachievement in math. By modifying her self-defeating definitions of task difficulty, educators and her parents were able to encourage her and improve her math achievement to be commensurate with her general intelligence. (Author/PB)

A survey of 215 American and Korean teachers and parents of gifted children found that American respondents perceived such factors as low self-concept, hostile behavior toward authority, peer acceptance, and lack of discipline to be more important in fostering underachievement than did Korean respondents. Important factors to both groups were…

This article applies the concept of mediation to pupils who are or may be gifted as well as to motivational and psychological functions. It uses Feuerstein's theory of Mediated Learning Experience to analyze Renzulli's Enrichment Model for the gifted including underachieving and disabled gifted students and concludes that correct mediation…

The paper identifies behavioral and learning characteristics of the underachieving gifted and the challenges in working with such students. Methods are outlined for adapting Joseph Renzulli's Triad Model in terms of curriculum content, process, product, and learning environment to meet student needs. Consideration of the affective domain is also…