Weak Students: How To Identify and Teach Weak Learners

Identifying Weak Students: Spotting the Clues Together

Identifying weak students is very important for a teacher to make action plans and improve their
performance. To find such students, teachers can spot the following clues:

1. Consistent Struggles
Imagine a learning landscape where students navigate the challenging waters of math and science.

Unlock the Insight:

Persistent struggles across subjects become clues, guiding us to offer the tailored support needed.

2. Limited Participation
Visualize a classroom where students occasionally hesitate to voice questions or join lively
discussions.

Uncover the Insight:

Observe the level of involvement as it unravels valuable insights into potential challenges faced by
weak students.

3. Incomplete Assignments
Picture students turning in assignments with gaps, akin to unfinished masterpieces.

Recognize the Red Flag:

Patterns of incomplete work serve as beacons, signaling potential struggles with depth and
comprehension.

4. Low Confidence Levels

Envision students reluctant to share opinions and fearing the shadows of mistakes.

Manifesting in Behavior:
Lower confidence levels create ripples that impact students’ academic performance.

5. Inconsistent Attendance
Think of students occasionally absent, navigating a labyrinth of confidence and fear.

Decode the Pattern:

Irregular attendance might be a silent indicator of deeper issues affecting our weak students.

Types Of Weak Students

Before taking a remedial action, it is necessary for a teacher to first understand the reason why a
student is academically weak. There are various reasons that leads to academically weak students.
These are:

Lacks motivation:
These students don’t seem interested in learning and don’t put in much effort. They may be
unengaged in class, don’t complete assignments, and don’t study outside of class.

Poor time management:

Students who procrastinate, don’t manage their workload well, and have poor organization struggle
to keep up. They may miss deadlines or be unprepared.
Poor study skills:
Students who haven’t learned how to effectively read textbooks, take notes, prepare for exams, etc.
will have a hard time grasping the material.

Low aptitude:
Some students genuinely find academics more difficult due to lower innate ability in a subject area.
They may need more time and effort to understand concepts.

Health issues:
Medical, psychological, or learning disabilities can make academics more challenging for some
students. These issues may affect focus, energy, or cognitive abilities.

Outside responsibilities:
Things like jobs, family duties, etc. can make it hard for students to dedicate enough time to
schoolwork. These distractions can result in poor performance.

Lack of prerequisites:
Students who move to more advanced material without having mastered basics often struggle.
Knowledge gaps lead to a weak understanding of new concepts. So, these are the major reasons,
why a student gets academically weak.

Strategies for Teaching Weak Students: An Interactive Empowerment Experience

To improve the performance of weak learners, a good teacher action plan for weak students is
required. Below, are some remedial strategies for weak students that a teacher can incorporate to
improve the students’ performance:

1. Personalized Learning Plans

Witness the transformation of learners thriving under a tailored learning approach sculpted to their
unique styles.

Key to Success:
Dive into individual needs, creating a personalized and effective learning journey. Also, weak
students can be provided with digital textbooks for personalized learning so that they can learn at
their own pace.

2. Encourage a Growth Mindset

Join students’ journeys, where effort and learning from mistakes are celebrated as stepping stones.

Cultivate the mindset:

Emphasize the power of growth by embracing mistakes as opportunities for learning.

3. Use Varied Teaching Approaches

Engage students with a vibrant mix of visual aids, hands-on activities, and lively discussions.

Diversify Strategies:
Cater to diverse learning preferences, making education more engaging and accessible.

4. Provide Additional Support

Witness success stories shaped by one-on-one tutoring and the empowering presence of peer
mentoring.
Targeted Assistance:
Identify areas needing extra help, providing support that aligns with individual challenges. Such
students can also be encouraged to participate in collaborative learning activities to improve their
thinking capabilities.

5. Foster a Positive Student Learning Environment

Picture learners thriving in a collaborative, inclusive classroom, where each student is a valued
contributor.

Cultivate the Atmosphere:

Create a positive environment, boosting confidence and fostering a sense of belonging.

6. Regular Feedback and Assessment

Maintain student profile, track progress through continuous feedback and assessments, guiding weak
students toward academic success.

Navigate Progress:
Constructive feedback becomes a compass, steering weak learners towards areas of improvement.

7. Utilize Technology
Observe students embracing learning through interactive educational apps and educational games,
turning challenges into adventures.

Tech-Infused Learning:
Incorporate technology to make complex concepts more accessible and enjoyable.

So, these are some of the top remedial strategies for weak students that a teacher can implement to
improve their performance.

1. Analyze why and where are students lacking in studies

It is important as a teacher to understand and analyze the weaker students in which area or subject
they are lacking. Talk to them. The more you get familiar with their strengths and weaknesses, the
more you can conclude and help them. You may find many reasons for their weak performance like:

I. Lack of Discipline
II. Less exposure to learning opportunities
III. Chaotic home environment
IV. Complex study material – difficult to understand
V. Anxiety and Stress
These can be some of the reasons for their weak performance and when you know the problem you
can help them better and more effectively.

2. Concise lessons with demonstrated examples

For the topic you are going to teach, you must be clear about what aspect of your lesson you want to
inculcate in students or what is the main purpose or goal. Make it clear or concise as it gets easier for
students and teachers to understand and teach.

The involvement of demonstrated examples of each topic makes students more likely to absorb and
retain the information. More examples lead to mastery of the topic.
3. Focus on encouragement and motivation
Never mock weaker students in front of the whole classroom as it can make them feel shattered and
demotivated. After the class period, brilliant students tease or bully weaker students and as a result,
they feel discouraged. For this, teachers must create a positive and encouraging environment for
students.

For example, if a student fails to answer, don’t mock or make them feel stupid for their answer.
Instead, you should talk to them and encourage and tell them ways to improve. This brings
confidence in students.

4. Small group discussions and learning

This is one of the best strategy for teachers to work more closely with each student. Teachers can
give different activities and interesting projects based on their subject or topic and instruct them to
work. This will lead each student capable of constructive plans around the assessment. During this
time, students gain skills, research about given topics, evaluate, make decisions, and much more
which will help them enhance their learning and build strong skills.

5. Effective learning flowcharts

Flowcharts are graphical or visual diagrams that teachers can use to simplify complicated ideas into
simpler words, diagrams, or symbols. This is one of the best strategies to improve weaker students.
Often, we see some students can’t grasp the idea, logic, or concept. So, to make this concept easy,
you can use flowcharts. All the necessary information is well presented in flowcharts leading to
effective learning.

Flowcharts can help students in number of ways, such as:

1) Flowcharts offer a visual representation of information, which makes it simpler for students
to comprehend complicated concepts and connections between various pieces of
information.
2) They enhance clarity and organization and aid in the clear and logical structure of
information. This is one of the best strategies to improve weaker students that comprehends
the primary ideas and follow the information’s flow.
3) Complex processes can be broken down into smaller, more manageable parts using
flowcharts. This can make a process easier to understand and less intimidating for pupils.
4) Flowcharts help in problem-solving and can help students more quickly pinpoint any gaps in
their comprehension of a concept.
5) Just like neurons connect thoughts through electrical impulses, concept maps connect ideas
through links. This parallel with the way the brain works — going from one thought to
another — is exactly what makes concept maps such an effective learning tool. Simply put,
learning comes much easier when you’re building on what you already know.
6) Concept maps are visual representations of information. They can take the form of charts,
graphic organizers, tables, flowcharts, Venn Diagrams, timelines, or T-charts. Concept maps
are especially useful for students who learn better visually, although they can benefit any
type of learner. They are a powerful study strategy because they help you see the big picture:
by starting with higher-level concepts, concept maps help you chunk information based on
meaningful connections. In other words, knowing the big picture makes details more
significant and easier to remember. Concept maps work very well for classes or content that
have visual elements or in times when it is important to see and understand relationships
 between different things. They can also be used to analyze information and compare and
contrast.

Making and using concept maps

Making one is simple. There is no right or wrong way to make a concept map. The one key step is to
focus on the ways ideas are linked to each other. For a few ideas on how to get started, take out a
sheet of paper and try following the steps below:

 Identify a concept.
 From memory, try creating a graphic organizer related to this concept. Starting from memory
is an excellent way to assess what you already understand and what you need to review.
 Go through lecture notes, readings and any other resources you have to fill in any gaps.
 Focus on how concepts are related to each other.
Your completed concept map is a great study tool. Try the following steps when studying:

 Elaborate (out loud or in writing) each part of the map.

 List related examples, where applicable, for sections of the map.
 Re-create your concept map without looking at the original, talking through each section as
you do.
Reading is not studying
Simply reading and re-reading texts or notes is not actively engaging in the material. It is simply re-
reading your notes. Only ‘doing’ the readings for class is not studying. It is simply doing the reading
for class. Re-reading leads to quick forgetting.

Think of reading as an important part of pre-studying, but learning information requires actively
engaging in the material. Active engagement is the process of constructing meaning from text that
involves making connections to lectures, forming examples, and regulating your own learning. Active
studying does not mean highlighting or underlining text, re-reading, or rote memorization. Though
these activities may help to keep you engaged in the task, they are not considered active studying
techniques and are weakly related to improved learning (Mackenzie, 1994).

Ideas for active studying include:

 Create a study guide by topic. Formulate questions and problems and write complete
answers. Create your own quiz.
 Become a teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words as if you are the instructor
and teaching the concepts to a class.
 Derive examples that relate to your own experiences.
 Create concept maps or diagrams that explain the material.
 Develop symbols that represent concepts.
 For non-technical classes (e.g., English, History, Psychology), figure out the big ideas so you
can explain, contrast, and re-evaluate them.
 For technical classes, work the problems and explain the steps and why they work.
 Study in terms of question, evidence, and conclusion: What is the question posed by the
instructor/author? What is the evidence that they present? What is the conclusion?
Organization and planning will help you to actively study for your courses. When studying for a test,
organize your materials first and then begin your active reviewing by topic (Newport, 2007). Often
professors provide subtopics on the syllabi. Use them as a guide to help organize your materials. For
example, gather all of the materials for one topic (e.g., PowerPoint notes, text book notes, articles,
homework, etc.) and put them together in a pile. Label each pile with the topic and study by topics.
Understand the Study Cycle
The Study Cycle, developed by Frank Christ, breaks down the different parts of studying: previewing,
attending class, reviewing, studying, and checking your understanding. Although each step may seem
obvious at a glance, all too often students try to take shortcuts and miss opportunities for good
learning. For example, you may skip a reading before class because the professor covers the same
material in class; doing so misses a key opportunity to learn in different modes (reading and
listening) and to benefit from the repetition and distributed practice (see #3 below) that you’ll get
from both reading ahead and attending class. Understanding the importance of all stages of this
cycle will help make sure you don’t miss opportunities to learn effectively.

Spacing out is good

One of the most impactful learning strategies is “distributed practice”—spacing out your studying
over several short periods of time over several days and weeks (Newport, 2007). The most effective
practice is to work a short time on each class every day. The total amount of time spent studying will
be the same (or less) than one or two marathon library sessions, but you will learn the information
more deeply and retain much more for the long term—which will help get you an A on the final. The
important thing is how you use your study time, not how long you study. Long study sessions lead to
a lack of concentration and thus a lack of learning and retention.

In order to spread out studying over short periods of time across several days and weeks, you need
control over your schedule. Keeping a list of tasks to complete on a daily basis will help you to
include regular active studying sessions for each class. Try to do something for each class each day.
Be specific and realistic regarding how long you plan to spend on each task—you should not have
more tasks on your list than you can reasonably complete during the day.

For example, you may do a few problems per day in math rather than all of them the hour before
class. In history, you can spend 15-20 minutes each day actively studying your class notes. Thus, your
studying time may still be the same length, but rather than only preparing for one class, you will be
preparing for all of your classes in short stretches. This will help focus, stay on top of your work, and
retain information.

In addition to learning the material more deeply, spacing out your work helps stave off
procrastination. Rather than having to face the dreaded project for four hours on Monday, you can
face the dreaded project for 30 minutes each day. The shorter, more consistent time to work on a
dreaded project is likely to be more acceptable and less likely to be delayed to the last minute.
Finally, if you have to memorize material for class (names, dates, formulas), it is best to make
flashcards for this material and review periodically throughout the day rather than one long,
memorization session (Wissman and Rawson, 2012). See our handout on memorization strategies to
learn more.

It’s good to be intense

Not all studying is equal. You will accomplish more if you study intensively. Intensive study sessions
are short and will allow you to get work done with minimal wasted effort. Shorter, intensive study
times are more effective than drawn out studying.

In fact, one of the most impactful study strategies is distributing studying over multiple sessions
(Newport, 2007). Intensive study sessions can last 30 or 45-minute sessions and include active
studying strategies. For example, self-testing is an active study strategy that improves the intensity of
studying and efficiency of learning. However, planning to spend hours on end self-testing is likely to
cause you to become distracted and lose your attention.
On the other hand, if you plan to quiz yourself on the course material for 45 minutes and then take a
break, you are much more likely to maintain your attention and retain the information. Furthermore,
the shorter, more intense sessions will likely put the pressure on that is needed to prevent
procrastination.

Silence isn’t golden

Know where you study best. The silence of a library may not be the best place for you. It’s important
to consider what noise environment works best for you. You might find that you concentrate better
with some background noise. Some people find that listening to classical music while studying helps
them concentrate, while others find this highly distracting. The point is that the silence of the library
may be just as distracting (or more) than the noise of a gymnasium. Thus, if silence is distracting, but
you prefer to study in the library, try the first or second floors where there is more background ‘buzz.’
Keep in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud.

Problems are your friend

Working and re-working problems is important for technical courses (e.g., math, economics). Be able
to explain the steps of the problems and why they work.

In technical courses, it is usually more important to work problems than read the text (Newport,
2007). In class, write down in detail the practice problems demonstrated by the professor. Annotate
each step and ask questions if you are confused. At the very least, record the question and the
answer (even if you miss the steps).

When preparing for tests, put together a large list of problems from the course materials and
lectures. Work the problems and explain the steps and why they work (Carrier, 2003).

Reconsider multitasking
A significant amount of research indicates that multi-tasking does not improve efficiency and actually
negatively affects results (Junco, 2012).

In order to study smarter, not harder, you will need to eliminate distractions during your study
sessions. Social media, web browsing, game playing, texting, etc. will severely affect the intensity of
your study sessions if you allow them! Research is clear that multi-tasking (e.g., responding to texts,
while studying), increases the amount of time needed to learn material and decreases the quality of
the learning (Junco, 2012).

Eliminating the distractions will allow you to fully engage during your study sessions. If you don’t
need your computer for homework, then don’t use it. Use apps to help you set limits on the amount
of time you can spend at certain sites during the day. Turn your phone off. Reward intensive studying
with a social-media break (but make sure you time your break!) See our handout on managing
technology for more tips and strategies.

Switch up your setting

Find several places to study in and around campus and change up your space if you find that it is no
longer a working space for you.

Know when and where you study best. It may be that your focus at 10:00 PM. is not as sharp as at
10:00 AM. Perhaps you are more productive at a coffee shop with background noise, or in the study
lounge in your residence hall. Perhaps when you study on your bed, you fall asleep.
Have a variety of places in and around campus that are good study environments for you. That way
wherever you are, you can find your perfect study spot. After a while, you might find that your spot is
too comfortable and no longer is a good place to study, so it’s time to hop to a new spot!

Become a teacher
Try to explain the material in your own words, as if you are the teacher. You can do this in a study
group, with a study partner, or on your own. Saying the material aloud will point out where you are
confused and need more information and will help you retain the information. As you are explaining
the material, use examples and make connections between concepts (just as a teacher does). It is
okay (even encouraged) to do this with your notes in your hands. At first you may need to rely on
your notes to explain the material, but eventually you’ll be able to teach it without your notes.

Creating a quiz for yourself will help you to think like your professor. What does your professor want
you to know? Quizzing yourself is a highly effective study technique. Make a study guide and carry it
with you so you can review the questions and answers periodically throughout the day and across
several days. Identify the questions that you don’t know and quiz yourself on only those questions.
Say your answers aloud. This will help you to retain the information and make corrections where they
are needed. For technical courses, do the sample problems and explain how you got from the
question to the answer. Re-do the problems that give you trouble. Learning the material in this way
actively engages your brain and will significantly improve your memory (Craik, 1975).

Take control of your calendar

Controlling your schedule and your distractions will help you to accomplish your goals.

If you are in control of your calendar, you will be able to complete your assignments and stay on top
of your coursework. The following are steps to getting control of your calendar:

1. On the same day each week, (perhaps Sunday nights or Saturday mornings) plan out
your schedule for the week.

2. Go through each class and write down what you’d like to get completed for each class that
week.

3. Look at your calendar and determine how many hours you have to complete your work.

4. Determine whether your list can be completed in the amount of time that you have
available. (You may want to put the amount of time expected to complete each assignment.)
Make adjustments as needed. For example, if you find that it will take more hours to
complete your work than you have available, you will likely need to triage your readings.
Completing all of the readings is a luxury. You will need to make decisions about your
readings based on what is covered in class. You should read and take notes on all of the
assignments from the favored class source (the one that is used a lot in the class). This may
be the textbook or a reading that directly addresses the topic for the day. You can likely skim
supplemental readings.

5. Pencil into your calendar when you plan to get assignments completed.

6. Before going to bed each night, make your plan for the next day. Waking up with a plan will
make you more productive.
Final goal metacognitive knowledge
Metacognition is the process by which learners use knowledge of the task at hand, knowledge of
learning strategies, and knowledge of themselves to plan their learning, monitor their progress
towards a learning goal, and then evaluate the outcome.

The literature on expertise highlights the importance of metacognitive skills. Experts possess more
knowledge that is better organized and integrated than novices, but they also have highly developed
metacognitive skills. They are more aware of themselves as learners and regularly reflect to
understand why their chosen strategy is working (or not). They also monitor their progress and know
when to check for inconsistencies or errors, which allows them to more productively redirect their
efforts (NRC, 2000; Berliner 1994).

Many researchers describe metacognition as having two basic components: a knowledge component
and a regulatory component (Ertmer & Newby, 1996; Schraw, 1998).

Metacognitive knowledge

Metacognitive knowledge encompasses knowledge of oneself as a learner (e.g., strengths,

weaknesses, prior knowledge/experience in the area, preferred time of day for study, preferred study
location) and how the human brain encodes, stores, organizes, and retrieves information (Pintrich,
2002). Thus, students should learn about effective learning strategies and how, when, and why to use
them (Serra & Metcalfe, 2009).

Metacognitive knowledge also includes knowledge of the task to be completed and effective
strategies to complete the task. For example, the metacognitive knowledge to solve textbook
engineering problems includes strategies for diagramming the system and determining which
governing or constitutive equations apply. Students with more metacognitive knowledge learn better
than those with less metacognitive knowledge.

Self-regulation

Self-regulation of learning involves the ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate the learning process. It
is a skill set that students can develop to learn more effectively and better monitor their progress
towards learning goals.

Regulatory checklists

An explicit list of prompts about planning, monitoring, and evaluating can help students better
regulate their learning (Schraw, 1998):

 Planning

o What is the nature of the task?

o What is my goal?

o What information, resources, and strategies do I need?

o How much time will I need?

 Monitoring

o Do I have a clear understanding of what I am doing?

o Does the task make sense?

 o Am I reaching my goals?

o Do I need to make changes to my plan?

 Evaluating

o Have I reached my goal?

o What worked?

o What didn’t work?

o What would I do differently next time?

Reflecting on learning experiences

Reflecting on learning experiences is an important part of metacognition. Reflection helps learners

build and fine-tune their metacognitive knowledge and self-regulation skills.

A learning experience can include a class session or a student receiving a completed assignment,
project, or exam with feedback. After a learning experience, self-regulated learners will reflect on
their learning strategies and their resultant performance to better inform their approach to future
learning experiences. This reflection can be facilitated by:

 Asking students to write a question or a statement that identifies a topic or concept that is
still unclear (i.e., the “muddiest” point). Students should be encouraged to develop a plan
and monitor their progress towards achieving clarity on that point (Tanner, 2012).

 Encouraging students to journal or write a letter to their future selves (Tanner, 2012).

 Asking students to share their evaluation of 1-2 study strategies they used with their peers
(Tanner, 2012).

 Distributing “exam wrappers”: post-exam questionnaires with a mixture of close-ended and

open-ended questions. Exam wrappers ask students how they studied for the exam, which
concepts gave them trouble on the exam, and what they will do to prepare for the next
exam. Those who use exam wrappers recommend having students turn them in for points so
that the teaching staff can look for general trends in student responses