Abstract
Social, psychological, and cultural determinants of underachievement, as perceived by fifth and sixth grade Black students in three academic programs (gifted, above-average, and average), were explored to understand more fully the dynamics of underachievement among Black males and females. Also analyzed were students' support for the American achievement ideology, the level of importance they place on school, and their level of effort in school. Differences in the responses of males and females in the three academic programs were examined.
Findings suggest that gifted, above-average, and average students responded similarly to the social, cultural, and psychological factors. However, gifted students, regardless of gender, were most supportive of the achievement ideology and average students were least supportive. Findings also point to a paradox of underachievement in which the students hold positive beliefs about the relationship between schooling, hard work, and effort to upward mobility and success in life, yet they do not exert high levels of effort in school.
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