Low grade students
The educational system has failed to teach how to teach and how to study.
Survey respondent
Our team dove into looking at the struggles “lower-grade students” face in Kuwait, focusing on how they’re often left out and treated unfairly because everyone’s all about high grades. We saw firsthand how these students missed out on opportunities and got different treatment from teachers, who were stuck on this narrow view of what being smart looks like. We explored a bunch of stuff – like how grades affect how we see ourselves, what’s out there to help students, and the real deal with scholarship opportunities.
Realizing how important our work could be, we wanted to shed light on the struggles and potential of students who often get overlooked. We aimed to raise awareness, build respect, and lift up lower-grade students, advocating for recognizing all kinds of smarts and helping these students shine and make a difference. Through our work, we want to challenge the old-school way of thinking, uncover different forms of intelligence, and push for fairness and equal chances for everyone.
A system solely dependent on grades is very prone to corruption and manipulation within institutions
Survey respondent
We began our research focusing on key themes and believed these were the most important questions to ask our peers.
Teaching environment
• How are student grades the only current reflection of how well a teacher teaches?
• Do teachers receive training on how to assess success in the classroom?
• How are resources allocated for students with lower-grades?
Personal lives
• Are lower-grade students affected only in school or does this translate beyond into their work/careers?
• Does the student's family offer moral support to low-grade students?
Government’s/society’s role
• Does the government have a network of resources to support low-grade students?
• How can we raise more awareness regarding low-grade students and the hardships that they face? How do we get society to believe in them?
And as any research project goes, we were full of assumptions that would later be clarified by some very succinct realizations.
Assumptions
• Society does not give low-grade students much opportunities to succeed and takes away their voice and it becomes harder to earn respect.
• Teachers differentiate between low and high grade students and this affects how they are perceived.
• Scholarships are awarded only to high-grade students with freedom to choose a major, low-grade students have limited choices if they are awarded a scholarship.
• Society values students solely based on their grades and does not value intelligence types other than being “book smart” and achieving high-grades.
• Resources for lower-grade students are lacking; only high-grade students are granted opportunities to succeed via services and resources such as scholarships.
• Teachers place a large weight on grades, which impacts their perception of their students and how they treat them.
• Furthermore, teachers’ performances are judged only based on the grades their students achieve
Realizations
• Low-grade students do not have the same opportunities as high-grade students.
• Parents and the environment affect students’ grades.
• Majority think Kuwait’s educational system is: ineffective, has inadequate resources, relies on memorizing rather than understanding the material, and fails to teach life skills.
In most cases, the education environment can be a toxic environment.
• The English language is not taught efficiently contributing to less opportunities for low grade students
The data that we collected
Here is some of the data that we collected in a survey that we put forward to our fellow students. We received 29 responses, 28 from university students and 1 from a high school student. The survey mostly consisted of close-ended questions but included two open-ended questions, which were used to delve deeper into the issue and find insightful solutions. Of course we understand that there are some limitations to the data that we collected. So for full transparency we’ve listed those limitations below. Remember that these are just a starting point for us and you to dig into this critical issue deeper.
Data details and limitations
Limited Diversity
Although we got responses from students across 8 universities, a majority (62%) are from the American University in Kuwait (AUK).
Limited Demographic Information
The survey did not collect detailed demographic information about the respondents, such as gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status, which limits the ability to analyze the data further.
Small Sample Size
The number of respondents in the survey is relatively small, which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Key insights from our data
76% feel that people in general (professors, parents, and society) do not believe in the success of students who have low grades.
Around 90% of respondents do not believe that lower-grade students are offered the same opportunities as high-grade students, and feel that Kuwait's educational system is not effective.
83% of respondents think that parents and the environment contribute toward a student getting lower grades.
Our conclusion
The members of our team have faced firsthand the challenges of academic performance and societal discrimination against students with lower grades. These experiences have deeply impacted our motivation and overall scholastic performance.
We both have shared experiences of judgment, even within our own families, which often made us feel unheard and stripped of our deserved respect due to our academic standing. We believe that the distribution of resources and attention should not be monopolized by high-achieving students. We think that ethical principles dictate equal access to opportunities and resources for all students, regardless of their academic grades, to empower them to pursue their passions.
Our education system plays a pivotal role in shaping the futures of students, underscoring the need for a focus on their emotional and mental well-being. Personalized support, coupled with a deep understanding of each student's unique circumstances, is pivotal in ensuring equitable opportunities for all.
The current emphasis on grades within the system often restricts the definition of a student's value to mere numbers. Exploring alternative educational models that prioritize well-being and personalized assistance is a potential avenue for addressing this issue, facilitating an environment in which students can unlock their full potential.
Additionally, it is essential to address the prevalent issues of exam anxiety and stress, which significantly affect both academic performance and overall well-being. We firmly believe that by addressing these challenges, the education system can foster a more supportive and inclusive environment for all students, ultimately facilitating their journey to success.