How can you help students identify the root causes of academic difficulties?

2 Explore their motivation and attitudes

The second step to help your students identify the root causes of their academic difficulties is to explore their motivation and attitudes towards learning. You can use surveys, interviews, journals, or discussions to gather information about their interests, preferences, values, beliefs, and emotions. You should also pay attention to their behavior, participation, and engagement in class, as well as their reactions to feedback and challenges. This way, you can help them recognize how their motivation and attitudes affect their learning outcomes and strategies.

3 Analyze their study habits and environment

The third step to help your students identify the root causes of their academic difficulties is to analyze their study habits and environment. You can use checklists, logs, or self-reports to collect data about their time management, organization, concentration, memory, note-taking, and test-taking skills. You should also ask them about their physical and social environment, such as their access to resources, distractions, noise, lighting, temperature, and support network. This way, you can help them evaluate how their study habits and environment influence their learning process and performance.

4 Address their learning styles and needs

The fourth step to help your students identify the root causes of their academic difficulties is to address their learning styles and needs. You can use inventories, questionnaires, or activities to determine their preferred ways of learning, such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or verbal. You should also consider their individual differences, such as their prior knowledge, pace, level, background, culture, and language. This way, you can help them adapt their learning styles and needs to the curriculum and instruction, and provide them with differentiated and personalized support.

5 Teach them metacognitive skills

The fifth step to help your students identify the root causes of their academic difficulties is to teach them metacognitive skills. Metacognition is the ability to monitor and regulate one's own thinking and learning. You can teach your students metacognitive skills, such as planning, monitoring, evaluating, and reflecting, by modeling them yourself, guiding them through questions, prompts, and feedback, and encouraging them to practice them independently. This way, you can help them develop their self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy as learners.

6 Collaborate with other stakeholders

The sixth and final step to help your students identify the root causes of their academic difficulties is to collaborate with other stakeholders, such as parents, counselors, tutors, peers, or mentors. You can communicate and coordinate with them regularly, sharing your observations, insights, and recommendations, and soliciting their feedback and suggestions. You should also involve your students in the collaboration process, asking them for their input and consent, and respecting their choices and preferences. This way, you can help them access and benefit from a variety of resources, perspectives, and support systems.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?