Underachievers

Learning underachievement remains one of the most pressing concerns in today’s classrooms. A fundamental challenge in school education is ensuring that students who struggle academically are able to achieve foundational levels of learning. Supporting underachieving learners is not only an instructional issue but also a critical matter of educational equity and welfare. In English education, guaranteeing basic learning opportunities for all students is therefore an essential responsibility.

A necessary starting point for addressing learning underachievement is gaining a deeper understanding of how struggling learners experience school, both inside and outside the classroom. This includes examining their attitudes toward English learning, their actual learning practices, and their levels of motivation and engagement. It is also important to consider how these learners perceive their future in relation to English and the meanings they attach to English learning in their lives.

Although considerable academic effort has been devoted to developing instructional materials and teaching methods for underachieving students, such efforts alone are not sufficient. Effective support must be grounded in a nuanced and empathetic understanding of learners themselves. Research and practice aimed at addressing underachievement should therefore be informed by careful investigation of learners’ experiences, beliefs, and needs.