Deficits in fine motor skills and their influence on persistence among gifted elementary school pupils

Abstract

This article addresses the causes of underachievement in scholastic education. Whereas many studies have been able to show that motivational deficits provide an explanation for underachievement, little research has yet explored the possible influences of deficits in fine motor skills. The aim of our empirical study was, therefore, to investigate the influence of fine motor skills and how they may affect underachievement. We hypothesized that deficits in fine motor skills could possibly be mediated by persistence. The participants in this investigation were 53 gifted fourth-grade pupils (15 underachievers, 38 achievers) attending primary schools in Germany. In fact, underachievers and achievers could be differentiated on the basis of their fine motor skills and persistence levels. The differences attributed to persistence decreased when fine motor skills were statistically controlled.