Why do some students struggle with learning and completing tasks?

Page 1: Characteristics of Successful and Struggling Learners

An increasing number of students with disabilities today receive instruction in the general education classroom. Many of these students, particularly those with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), struggle academically. This is especially the case when they encounter the academic demands of high school: large amounts of information presented in textbooks and during lectures in addition to homework assignments, projects, and papers for multiple classes. Though their teachers might provide supports, such as study guides, many students continue to find the challenge of so much content, lengthy lectures, and difficult reading assignments to be overwhelming. Too often the response of teachers is to conclude that these students are not trying hard enough, don’t care about school work, or are simply lazy. Danette Waites, who portrays Ms. Flemming in the Challenge video, oversees programs for high school students with disabilities. Below she discusses such often-incorrect assumptions that teachers make about students who are struggling. Next, Erin and Kyra, both of whom have struggled academically, discuss how hard they worked even if their effort was not always evident in their assignments or on tests.

One reason that students struggle, despite their hard work and effort, is because they have difficulties with executive functions, the cognitive processes that control and coordinate activities related to learning. Executive functioning is not the same as intelligence. Even students who are quite intelligent might experience difficulties with executive function processes related to learning, such as:

• Processing information
• Retaining and recalling information
• Organizing materials and managing time
• Selecting, monitoring, and using effective learning and study strategies

These executive function processes are highly related to study skills strategies and subsequent academic success. They are especially crucial when students are required to complete large multifaceted tasks, such as research papers or end-of-unit projects that necessitate the organization and coordination of multiple activities. For successful students, many of the skills required to succeed academically come naturally and automatically. That is, without having to think about it too much, this type of learner is capable of acting strategically in their approach to learning and completing assignments. On the other hand, students with learning difficulties tend to lack this ability. They often struggle with tasks that require executive functions.

Student Profiles

In the Challenge video, you were introduced to three students. Although the Challenge video was simulated, they were portraying themselves. Their profiles reflect their actual abilities and the interview responses throughout this module capture their own experiences.

The table below highlights some of the differences between successful and struggling learners on four executive function processes related to learning.

Listen as Hannah, a high-achieving student, describes how she is very strategic in her approach to learning (time: 0:54).

Teachers can easily assess the executive functions of their students using a brief questionnaire. The information on Hannah, Erin, and Kyra was collected using the Executive Skills Questionnaire (teen version). For the purpose of assessing their executive functions related to learning, particular attention was given to their responses related to processing information; retaining and recalling information; organization and time management; and selecting, monitoring, and using strategies. Click on the link below to download this questionnaire.