5.6.1 Identifying and Predicting Gifted Children’s Achievement Trajectories: Effects of Teachers, Peers, and Child Characteristics

Research has shown that gifted children can underachieve (e.g., Baker et al., 1998). In this research, underachievement is usually defined as a discrepancy between children’s ability and achievement. However, longitudinal research in broad community samples of elementary school children that examines the trajectories of gifted children’s achievement is missing. Our first aim is to examine achievement and underachievement trajectory classes of gifted children. The second aim is to examine predictors of these classes, more specifically, the role of children’s socio-emotional and learning-related characteristics and their relationships with teachers and peers. We expected that all of these antecedents would have an effect, based on previous research and theory on underachievement in general and gifted samples (e.g., McCoach & Siegle, 2003; Obergriesser & Stoeger, 2015). A sample of 344 gifted students (with the 10% highest scores on cognitive abilities in a representative sample, aligned with Gagné (2004)) was used. Mathematics achievement was assessed in Grades 4-6. In Grade 4, we measured aggressive, hyperactive, and anxious/fearful behavior, school-liking, self-confidence, independence, mathematical self-concept, closeness and conflict with the teacher, and peer relationships. We conducted Latent Class Growth Analysis to determine the trajectory classes in achievement, while controlling for cognitive abilities. The three-class solution showed the largest BIC-drop, highest entropy, best average posterior probability estimates and significant BLRT. We defined a high (N=178, MIntercept=101.87, MSlope=5.38), average (N=145, MIntercept=96.22, MSlope=4.74), and low achieving (N=14, MIntercept=85.23, MSlope=5.73) class. The groups did not differ significantly on cognitive abilities. Afterwards, equality of means analyses were conducted to determine predictors of these classes. There were overall significant differences in independence, self-confidence and mathematical self-concept. All effects were in the expected direction, i.e., higher achievement was associated with higher independence, self-confidence and mathematical self-concept. Also, average-achieving children showed more hyperactive and anxious/fearful behavior than high-achieving children. Our results confirm that there are well-achieving and underachieving gifted children. In addition, they show that the group of low achieving students seems relatively small. However, we find that there is also a relatively large group of average performing gifted students, who score slightly above class average. It seems that they are also underperforming, based on their cognitive capacities. Further, our study shows that independence, self-confidence, mathematical self-concept, and hyperactive and anxious/fearful behavior are key predictors to differentiate between achievement groups. Unexpectedly, we find no relation with teacher-student or peer relationships. Further research could explore the importance of other aspects of teacher-student and peer interactions.

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