Pecaut, L.S. (1986). The making of an underachiever. Chicago: Institute for Motivational Development.

OVERVIEW

The author polled 800 teachers and 4,207 parents of underachievers.

FINDINGS FROM TEACHERS

• Six out of ten teachers estimate underachievers to be as many as 40% of elementary and high school students.
• 52% said underachievement has increased dramatically.
• 54% estimated that fewer than one in four parents is concerned about an underachieving child.
• 68% did not feel their training had prepared them for teaching underachievers.

FINDINGS FROM PARENTS

• 77% of underachieving children were sons; 23% were daughters.
• The average age of the underachieving child was 14 years.

CONCLUSIONS

• Pecaut believes that parents have greater economic expectations for sons and "they often react to that by going the opposite way."
• The survey showed that successful fathers are most likely to have underachieving sons. Pecaut says, "This kind of father, from the son’s point of view, appears almost superhuman." The son "finds himself falling short, and he quits trying even though (the) ability is there."

CRITIQUE

These are surveys of parents and teachers, not scientific studies. This is an important beginning in a direction of inquiry that must be continued.

IMPLICATIONS

1. Parents in our society are overstretched to meet economic expectations and underprepared for parenting. Tips on father-son relationships, for instance, are needed.
2. Teachers are often ill-prepared for today’s educational challenges. They need motivational curricula.
3. There are several excellent programs challenging youth. More are needed.
4. Many leaders of youth programs supplement the work of teachers and parents with significant results.

Dean Borgman cCYS