Motivational and Affective Characteristics of Underestimated Students: A Contribution to the Diagnostic Competence of Teachers

In this contribution, two investigations on teachers' diagnostic competence and the motivational-affective characteristics of underestimated and overestimated students are presented. Each time, eight elementary school classes and their mathematics teachers participated in investigations in Germany and China. The fourth graders worked on a mathematics achievement test and a self-description questionnaire. Teachers estimated students' test performance as well as motivational-affective characteristics. The distinction between underestimated and overestimated students was made on basis of the estimated and the real test performance. Both investigations have concurrent results. Teachers could predict test achievement with good accuracy, but had difficulties to assess students' motivational-affective characteristics. Underestimated students showed the same test performance and learning motivation as overestimated students, but had lower expectancy for success, lower self-concept of ability and higher test anxiety. Teachers expected that underestimated students would get worse grades on the next mathematics test and would be satisfied with lower grades than overestimated students. Teachers' judgment error did not confine to test performance but generalized to students' motivational-affective characteristics.