This article critique summarizes the research article “A Complex Quest: The Development and Research of Underachievement Interventions for Gifted Students ” by Rubenstein, Siegle, Reis, Mccoach, and Burton (2012), which discusses two studies done with gifted students to decrease underachievement and increase goal-reaching and academic achievement. This critique focuses exclusively on the first study discussed in the research article, and also includes the strengths and limitations of the article, as well as the future implications of the study.
Underachievement in Gifted Students
The research article begins with an acknowledgement that gifted and talented students are prone to academic underachievement, despite having
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Within the description of the study, the authors included limitations of the work, recognizing that it wasn’t perfect and had weaknesses to be corrected in the next study discussed. The studies were based in strong prior research, with a clear goal, and using the Academic Orientation Model, which is well-researched and documented. They implemented not just one technique, but instead formulated five different interventions to get the best and most accurate information. They also continually got student and teacher feedback, and when they realized that some teachers had a misunderstanding of the intervention, they provided corrective feedback and explained the rationale behind each …show more content…
Additionally, surveying the students, teaching them self-regulation, and assessing their individual areas of the AOM that could be increased is a strategy that could be used across the board, not just for gifted students. The research now shows that these interventions may work well for students who do not value academic goals; who have strong skills academically but no drive to make good grades. If a teacher has students who fit this criteria, applying the OAM and the intervention strategies may be very beneficial. Additionally, the study showed that teaching underachieving gifted students study skills, time management techniques, and test-taking strategies did not statistically increase their academics. Therefore, this could be useful to teachers when prioritizing their efforts, proving that more time should be spent on self-regulation and helping students in areas they are struggling in, over study