Teachers' perceptions of underachievement in elementary schools in Kuwait

This study focuses on teachers' perceptions of the problem of underachievement in elementary schools in Kuwait. Five hundred and twenty elementary school teachers participated. Teachers thought that the main reasons behind the problem of underachievement in school could be attributed to family factors. They also indicated that the most related problems to underachievement in school are reading difficulties and poor writing, homework negligence and daydreaming. However, teachers believed that they are able to help underachievers to become higher achieving students. Comparing teachers' perceptions of underachievement, the results showed that there were no significant differences between male and female teachers. On the other hand, the results indicated significant differences between subjects according to the teachers' length of experience and the locations of schools.