Academic underachievement among Egyptian children

ABSTRACT

To understand the factors leading to academic under achievement among Egyptian children, 118 Rt. handed boys were randomly chosen for this study. Other cases of underachievement i.e. organic brain dysfunction were excluded at the start of the study by complete neurological assessment, E.E.G., language disability test and I. Q. testing [18 were excluded]. The rest [100 cases] were subjected to anthropometric measurements, complete physical examination, psychiatric interviews, stool and urine analysis, a standardized parent questionnaire, a teacher questionnaire, psychological assessment for intellectual abilitics and personality traits. Disturbed family background, emotional disorders mainly anxiety and depression, behavioral disorders mainly conduct and oppositional, personality traits including neuroticism, introversion and psychoticism were the factors that significantly correlated with academic underachievement, while other factors including the mean I.Q. did not. Effective management should be multidimensional including the child, family, teachers and teaching methods: