Why some gifted students still stumble over learning

Some gifted students seem to handle school effortlessly. They read fluently, retain a lot of information, and achieve high grades. Yet even these children often end up on the radar of care coordinators or external support professionals, with issues such as performance anxiety, procrastination, or lack of motivation. How is it that children with such high learning potential can still run into difficulties? And more importantly: how can you, as a teacher, support them?

In this article, we take a closer look at several key concepts that play a role in this dynamic—metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning (SRL)—and translate research insights (Cheng, 1993; Oppong, 2018) into practical strategies for the classroom.

What are metacognition, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning?

These three terms may sound theoretical, but they are closely tied to students’ everyday functioning in the classroom.

Metacognition: Thinking About Your Own Thinking

Metacognition is about planning, monitoring, and adjusting your own thinking process. For example, a student solving a math problem might say: “I know I always have to make the denominators the same when working with fractions, so I’ll do that first.” That student is reflecting on their own strategy and adjusting when necessary.

There are two key components:

• Metacognitive knowledge – knowing what you do (or don’t) know
• Metacognitive skills – being able to plan, monitor, and adapt your approach

Gifted students often have a richer set of metacognitive strategies, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they use them consciously or systematically.

Self-Regulation: More Than Just Learning

Self-regulation goes beyond learning—it involves managing one’s behavior, emotions, motivation, and thinking. A student who gives themselves a break when they notice they’re getting frustrated, or who realizes they perform better in the morning and schedules difficult tasks accordingly, is demonstrating self-regulatory skills.

Self-regulation is not just cognitive; it also includes emotional and behavioral aspects. A key factor is self-efficacy—the belief in one’s own abilities—which, in gifted students, does not always align with their actual performance.

Self-Regulated Learning (SRL): The Bridge Between Ability, Willingness, and Action

Self-regulated learning brings together metacognitive and self-regulatory processes that are specifically focused on learning. Students who master SRL set their own learning goals, choose appropriate strategies, monitor their progress, and critically evaluate what worked afterwards.

The process of self-regulated learning is cyclical and aligns well with the OVUR model (a Dutch acronym) used in many schools in Flanders:

1. Orient – The student first explores the task or learning goal: What exactly is expected? What do I already know? What is new or challenging?
2. Prepare – Next, the student plans their approach: Which strategies will I use? How will I manage my time? What do I need?
3. Execute – During the task, the student actively monitors their own learning: Am I still on track? Is my strategy working? Do I need to adjust?
4. Reflect – Finally, the student looks back: What worked well? What could be improved? How can I approach this differently next time?

By making this cycle explicit and supporting it in the classroom, you help students learn more consciously and independently. A student who goes through these steps deliberately also develops ownership of their learning. Oppong (2018) emphasizes that this process does not develop on its own—even in cognitively strong learners. Support and explicit instruction are essential.

Why Is This Important for Gifted Students?

Although gifted students often have strong memory, fast information processing, and advanced reasoning skills (Kettler, 2014), this doesn’t mean they automatically possess the skills needed to effectively manage their own learning process. In fact, some of these students may lack exactly what’s essential for long-term success: insight into how they learn, how to motivate themselves, and how to deal with challenges or mistakes.

Research (Cheng, 1993; Oppong, 2018) shows that while gifted students do tend to have a broader repertoire of metacognitive strategies—and use them more spontaneously than their peers—these skills don’t develop on their own or continue to grow without support. Like any other learner, they need guidance to apply these skills purposefully and effectively.

Especially for underachievers—students who fail to learn despite their potential—this kind of support is essential. But even students who achieve good grades may still be performing below their actual level if their schoolwork rarely challenges them. In such cases, a lack of metacognition and self-regulation remains hidden behind “sufficient” results. As a consequence, they don’t develop the strategies needed to grow, learn independently, or stay motivated in the long run.

In addition, negative beliefs about their own abilities (“I can’t do this”) or low task valuation (“This is boring”) can significantly impact their motivation and perseverance. This is where you, as a teacher, play a key role: by helping students reflect on their learning process and offering them strategies, you give them control not only over what they learn, but also how they learn it. Self-regulation is not a bonus skill reserved for “difficult cases”—it’s a foundation every learner needs, including gifted students.

From Theory to Classroom Practice: Why Support Is Crucial

The core insight is clear: metacognition and self-regulation are not automatic skills—even in students with high learning potential. While some may appear to apply these strategies intuitively, research (Oppong, 2018) shows that all students, including the strongest learners, benefit from explicit instruction, practice, and guidance to better understand and direct their learning process.

A key principle here is scaffolding: providing temporary, targeted support that aligns precisely with the student’s current level. This concept builds on Vygotsky’s theory of the zone of proximal development (ZPD)—the gap between what a learner can do independently and what is achievable with support. In the classroom, this means offering just enough help to move the student forward, without taking over the thinking process. At the same time, you encourage them to gradually apply what they’ve learned more independently.

In practice, scaffolding can involve asking targeted reflection questions during a task, co-planning a learning activity, offering visual structure, or giving feedback that invites adjustment and self-evaluation. As the student gains more control over their own learning, the support can gradually be reduced. The ZPD shifts accordingly, and the student grows in autonomy and self-confidence.

A striking example of how important reflection and curiosity are in this process comes from physicist Isidor Rabi. When asked why he became a scientist, he answered: “Because my mother never asked me what I had learned in school, but always: ‘Did you ask a good question today?’” That simple shift—from reproducing knowledge to developing questions—is exactly what fuels self-regulated learning. And it all begins with the space and encouragement you, as a teacher, provide—day after day.

What Can You Do as a Teacher in the Classroom?

Supporting self-regulated learning doesn’t need to be an additional program: it lies in small choices and interventions that you apply consciously in your teaching practice. Below you’ll find tips based on the article by Oppong (2018) that you can implement right away, with specific attention to gifted students who need deeper learning, autonomy, and space for reflection.

1. Choose challenging and meaningful tasks

Gifted students thrive on assignments that are new, complex, and multifaceted. Think of open-ended tasks without a single correct answer or tasks that allow for multiple perspectives.

• For example, let students research a social issue and propose possible solutions, supported by arguments from different viewpoints.
• Offer choices in how they approach the task, so they build ownership over their learning and experience greater autonomy, which in turn boosts motivation.

2. Help students cope with failure and uncertainty

Self-regulated learning also means learning to persevere when something doesn’t come easily. For many gifted students—who are used to learning quickly and effortlessly—facing real challenge can be confronting. They often have less experience with making mistakes or not yet understanding something.

• Respond positively to signs of frustration: “It’s okay to find this difficult. That’s a sign you’re learning, not failing.”
• Show strategies for managing uncertainty: encourage students to verbalize their approach, rephrase the assignment in their own words, or work with classmates to explore a different angle. This helps them understand that uncertainty isn’t a sign of failure, but a normal—and even valuable—part of the learning process.

3. Encourage reflection on thinking and motivation

Invite students to pause and consider how they think and why they find something important. Let them express their own ideas about what knowledge is and how they know something. This kind of reflection fosters both self-awareness and motivation.

• For example, you can ask questions like: “Why do you think this is true?”, “What makes this assignment meaningful to you?” or “How confident do you feel about being able to do this?”

4. Work in short cycles of goal, action, and reflection

Guide students in consciously planning, executing, and evaluating their learning process—ideally through compact, repeatable learning activities.

• For example, after each lesson or task, have them write down: “What was my goal?”, “What did I do?”, or “What worked? What would I do differently?” Use tools like a reflection card or learning journal.

5. Offer (partial) choices in approach or content

By giving students responsibility over their learning path, you increase their motivation and engagement. This doesn’t always require full freedom—let them choose, for example, between different working methods, research questions, or presentation formats.

• Regularly discuss with students why they make certain choices and what works best for them.

6. Use dialogue as a learning tool

Encourage the social construction of knowledge through conversation, discussion, debate, or collaborative learning.

• Let students work in small groups to discuss, debate, or brainstorm complex issues.
• Create moments where they question each other’s viewpoints and learn to engage with different perspectives.
• Also address emotions in learning interactions: “How did it feel to disagree with someone?” This also helps develop emotional self-regulation.

7. Teach students to think critically about sources and evidence

Help them learn not to accept information at face value, but to actively evaluate it:

• Use questions like: “Is this source reliable?”, “Are there other ways to approach this problem?”, or “Which strategy fits best here?”
• Introduce strategies such as mind maps, source analysis, or comparing arguments.
• Encourage deeper learning by enriching knowledge, making connections, and formulating their own questions.

8. Connect subject content to the learning process

Link what you teach (content) to how students learn. This strengthens transfer and helps students apply strategies more consciously:

• Ask questions like: “Which strategy did you use to solve this math problem?” or “How could you apply this technique to another task?”

By integrating these elements into your classroom practice, you not only provide gifted students with the challenge they need, but also with the tools to take charge of their own learning process. And that’s exactly what self-regulated learning is all about.

Conclusion

Self-regulated learning is not a luxury. It is a vital skill that benefits every student, but for gifted children, it often makes the difference between “good” and “excellent,” or between “underachieving” and “thriving.” By integrating SRL principles into your classroom—through targeted questions, moments for reflection, and space for developing strategies—you give students not only the opportunity to learn better, but also to feel better about their learning.

References

• Cheng, P.-w. (1993). Metacognition and Giftedness: The State of the Relationship. Gifted Child Quarterly, 37(3), 105-112.
• Kettler, T. (2014). Critical thinking skills among elementary school students: Comparing identified gifted and general education student performance. Gifted Child Quarterly, 58(2), 127-136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986214522508
• Oppong, E., Shore, B. M., & Muis, K. R. (2018). Clarifying the Connections Among Giftedness, Metacognition, Self-Regulation, and Self-Regulated Learning: Implications for Theory and Practice. Gifted Child Quarterly, 63(2), 102-119. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986218814008

Copyright © 2026 Dr. Sabine Sypré – All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced in any form or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author. Sharing online is permitted provided the author is credited and a link to this article is included.