Identification of Underachievement: An Empirical Study on the Agreement among Various Diagnostic Sources

Abstract

Parents, teachers and students are close to irreplaceable as diagnostic sources in the identification of gifted students. The relevant research literature has, however, expressed skepticism concerning the accuracy of such assessments, in particular with regard to the recognition of underachievers. In an empirical investigation, a comparison was made between assessments made by parents, teachers and the students themselves and the results of an intelligence test with reference to their efficiency in identifying underachieving and achieving students. The success rates demonstrated by parents and teachers in assessing the motivation and ability self-confidence levels of their children were also evaluated. The results demonstrate that these person groups are not reliable as sources of information.