Math-anxious people consistently underperform in math. The most widely accepted explanation for "why" this underperformance occurs is that math-anxious people experience heightened anxiety when faced with math, and this in-the-moment anxiety interferes with performance. Surprisingly, this explanation has not been tested directly. Here,…

Academic underachievement of students from disadvantaged backgrounds is an ongoing and unresolved problem. Schools serving vulnerable communities often fail to meaningfully engage their students who are often exposed to significant family and environmental adversities. However, where the educational landscape is overwhelmed with neoliberal…

This book provides an opportunity for researchers, professionals, and practitioners working directly with gifted individuals to engage with and examine the concept of underachievement of highly capable and talented individuals from different perspectives. Chapters written by experts in gifted education from diverse backgrounds explore…

Student underperformance in the sciences is a problem experienced throughout the Isles of the Sea, a pseudonym for the country where this study took place. As schools are sometimes said to be a microcosm of communities, the issue of underperformance in science was evident in the school system studied, particularly in biology. This system…

Early college high schools (ECHS) have contributed to the increased number of Black students earning associate degrees. However, data show that students considered college and career-ready upon entering the ECHS/dual enrollment program are underperforming in college classes, hindering their acceptance into higher education institutions and…

Schools in England are expected to 'close the gap' for a range of vulnerable pupils who are achieving below the levels seen amongst their same-aged peers. They are also highly accountable for additional funding that is provided to support this goal. The project reported here involved collating and analysing a range of data in order to evaluate the…

Drawing on the work of Bourdieu, this paper challenges orthodoxies permeating mathematics education that reify the marginalisation of the most vulnerable groups of learners--remote Indigenous learners. This cohort of students are most at risk of underperforming in mathematics. Using Bourdieu's theoretical constructs, data from a large national…

Self-determined motivation can be observed when one engages in a behavior that is conducted out of choice and personal values per Chan, Fung, Xing, and Hagger (2014). Low student self-determination is characterized by behaviors, such as very poor class attendance, a failure to attempt to turn in assigned homework or attend scheduled exams, poor…

Drawing on the code theory of Basil Bernstein, this study set out to examine how primary school teachers operationalize and experience their teaching practice with respect to the weak framing that may underpin teacher-pupil interaction, and how this practice is regulated by certain variables. Questionnaires were completed by 2,238 primary school…

Many students, especially students with disabilities are underachieving in reading. Early evidence-based literacy instruction implemented in kindergarten and first grade is critical for providing the necessary foundation for learning to read. The status of kindergarten and first grade literacy instruction impacts the goal of ensuring students are…

Internationally, there is increasing concern regarding the disengagement of marginalized students, particularly girls, from the formal education system, particularly since COVID-19. Students experiencing oppression/marginalization within urban education systems are considered at-risk from poor attendance, early school leaving, underperformance,…

School underachievement is a persistent problem in the United States. Direct-to-student, computer-delivered growth-mindset interventions have shown promise as a way to improve achievement for students at risk of failing in school; however, these interventions benefit only students who happen to be in classrooms that support growth-mindset beliefs.…

This investigation of physics teacher education in Ethiopia reveals a significant gap between the physics knowledge of pre-service teachers (PSTs) attained during training and that of the intended curriculum setting out expectations for their knowledge. Data were obtained by a test probing PSTs' physics knowledge (attained curriculum); analysis of…

The study investigates mathematics lesson plans that teachers produced for re-teaching purposes. Its goal is to determine which aspects of mathematics-content knowledge are expressed in lesson plans on the topic of fractions prepared by primary math teachers and intended for underachieving students, and to see how these aspects are manifested. The…

Despite being among the fastest growing segments of the student population, English Language Learners (ELLs) have yet to attain the same academic success as their English-proficient peers, particularly in science. In an effort to support the pedagogical needs of this group, educators have been urged to adopt inquiry approaches to science…