Cross-sectional analysis of psychological aspects of adolescent underachievers

BACKGROUND: Previous research supports that factors commonly associated with underachievement include low academic self-concept, low self-efficacy, low self-motivation, low goal valuation and negative attitude toward school and teachers. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the feeling about reading of adolescent underachievers, including emotional difficulties, physical problem (usually eye dysfunction), mechanism of reading, self-concept, and interest in reading. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight underachievers were compared with 40 achievers from 6 to 10 standard students on “My feeling about reading” checklist. Hypotheses were tested using t-test and χ(2) (chi-square) test through statistical package for the social sciences. RESULTS: The result suggests that underachievers significantly differ from achievers in all five domains, i.e. emotional difficulties, physical problems (usually eye dysfunction), mechanism of reading, self-concept, and interest in learning. CONCLUSION: Underachievers face different emotional and other psychological difficulties during their academic sessions. They must be taken care of properly within their academic environment.