How to help bright but ignored learners achieve their potential

Tassia School's Grade 7 pupils in class during the first day of term One on January 23, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Human beings possess different types of potential with majority hoping to get better grades at one level of education or another.

You probably wanted to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer, but today, you may be in a different career.

You will be surprised to learn just like in any path, minor obstacles at times can have big and destructive gradual impacts.

However, some people found what they envisioned, different on the ground. In school, bright pupils are mostly left to study on their own since it is assumed they do not need academic assistance in class or at home. This has been unearthed by several research works and observations, which you and I may know. In a research done in 1968 by Prof Julian Stanley, he gave a brilliant but bored 12-year-old boy a battery of tests.

He used Joseph Bates, a high school student, to develop insights into how to spot and develop talents in pure sciences (STEM subjects).

A formula has been developed for rescuing those academically enabled either average or above average to achieve their academic dreams. The formula was developed out of the fact that academic geniuses are neglected.

You certainly have a story of some lost academic dream, yet most variables were constant. The loser had his or her school fees paid, was in good health, but somewhere their academic path started nosediving.

The reasons were a simple psychological status in the formula as fear of a certain subject. Such observations are also reflected in research works.

However, this is not reality. Under the slogan, Address Any Discovered Academic Need (AADAN) based on the United Nations goal on "Do not leave anyone behind", the children are in dire need of help like any other pupil.

Different people use different formulas to achieve their goals. A recent strategy by a chief in Garissa to use sweets and a donkey cart to ferry pupils to school for enrolment under a programme called Education Above All (EAA).

Through the move, a future teacher, doctor, lawyer even Head of State found space on the donkey cart on his way to realising his or her dream.

The key thing in the chiefs' act is to encourage you as an adult to practically solve an academic problem you may observe in your child.

Now, in this breath, in 2017, I embarked on a case study with students in Juja, Thika and Makongeni in Kiambu and Murang'a counties.

Examples of success stories of this programme is an assistant professor, a motivational speaker and an assistant professor.

Jonathan Kibe, while in Standard Seven had constantly attained position one or two while at John Paul 2 Academy, Mathioya, Murang'a County. I realised the learner had a challenge in handwriting which needed to be improved among other weaknesses to enhance his score to slightly above 400 marks.

Improving on this earned him an opportunity to join his dream school, Mang'u High school, a national boy's institution. Additionally, his neglected weaknesses included taking things for granted that he would always lead. This was brought about by the class he belonged to, which lacked competition.

This prompted me to research on how the shortfalls could be overcome. Along the way, I discovered what was needed was a framework to study the academic needs and addressing them practically.

These needs were to be addressed through applying known strategies and the following formula SNA plus or minus PSY + TS = CG +(40 to 80 marks.).

This formula gave him an A grade (419 marks) in Class Eight.

The same formula was applied in secondary school and he achieved an A grade in the 2022 KCSE results.

The formula has in the course of the last six years enabled me to develop over 30 practical based strategies. The general process is such that the study needs to be identified followed by addressing the psychological obstacles affecting the learners.

By removing the psychological status such as a simple matter like fear of a certain subject or topic by adding a psychological status which could be lacking like lack of confidence or self-efficacy.

Applying a tested strategy or communication strategy like in handwriting is achieved through slowing down the speed as you write.

Developing a customised study framework due to individual differences will assist the use of slowing down technique when writing an essay.

Writing on the mathematics page will retard the pace of writing as by restricting you to stay in the boxes as you write letters. Others will have to choose a certain type of ball pen like a sharp-pointed one.

The teacher should encourage students to do fewer pages in a composition rather than many which are illegible.

For a student to improve from 40 to 80 marks, the study needs Analysis plus or minus Psychological status + Tested Strategy = Current grade + (40 to 80 marks).

Example.

SNA plus or minus PSY + Ts = CG + (40 to 80 marks)

The key point is developing your own study formula out of the above general ones.

The writer is a researcher and human resource expert