Academic Survivability in High-Potential, Middle School Students

Abstract

Although researchers have found that students of students are especially affected by a lack of challenge in the classroom. Few studies investigate the behaviors in which high-potential students engage when they are not challenged, and these studies are either dents in their sample. Qualitative methodology was used to determine the behaviors and strategies used by 12 high-potential, middle school students when they did not feel challenged in school; teacher reaction to these behaviors was also documented. Data analysis revealed that students engaged in the following behaviors: selective attention, focused curricular involvement, involvement with others, partrcipation in extracurricular activities, and lack of effort/selected effort. Few teachers associated these behaviors with a lack of challenge, and those who recognized the behaviors did not attempt to differentiate the learning process for the students.