Research shows that a student’s genetic makeup can have a strong influence on their academic performance.Some interpret this as meaning there is little that can be done to help those who struggle academically – and that spending extra money on these students to help them succeed is pointless.
But is this the case?
A major misconception is that genes are destiny. This is wrong because genes are never the full story.
This is because environmental factors (“nurture”) also play a role in levels of academic achievement. Well-designed and well-delivered remediation can also help struggling students even in cases where genetic factors (“nature”) may be the source of the difficulties.
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