Mind the Gap: Measuring Academic Underachievement Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis

• Deni Mazrekaj ^[1] ; Kristof De Witte ^[2] ; Thomas P. Triebs ^[3]
  1. [1] Utrecht University

     Utrecht University

     Países Bajos

     
  2. [2] KU Leuven

     KU Leuven

     Arrondissement Leuven, Bélgica

     
  3. [3] Loughborough University

     Loughborough University

     Charnwood District, Reino Unido

     

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• Localización: Exceptional children, ISSN-e 2163-5560, ISSN 0014-4029, Vol. 88, Nº. 4, 2022, págs. 442-459
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • We propose using Stochastic Frontier Analysis to estimate pupils’ academic underachievement. We model underachievement as the gap between expected achievement and actual achievement, not due to a learning disability. Our data are a panel for 2,228 Belgian pupils observed over 6 years of primary education. We found that the average underachievement gap is 23.5%. That is, the average pupil does not exploit about one fourth of their potential. Gifted pupils appear to underachieve as much as non-gifted pupils. We also found that class size is a determinant of underachievement. The association between class size and underachievement is non-monotonic, with an underachievement minimum at a class size of about 20 pupils.