The present study has been conducted to understand the realities and teachers’ notions of underachiever’s education in elementary schools. For this objective, sampling was made at 10 elementary schools from each of 16 school districts nationwide. Survey was conducted of 320 people who were made up of 1 person in charge of the administration work for underachiever’s teaching per school and 1 teacher (including part-time teacher) in charge of that underachiever’s teaching per school. The analysis of the administrators’ replies showed that the rate of occurring underachievers was 2.42%~ 5.05%, and the rate was higher in math than in reading and writing. After diagnostic evaluation, one-to-one teaching in various forms is conducted, but still unsolved problems are the development of standardized diagnostic evaluation system, special education under the discretion of homeroom teachers, forming the environment for such education, parents’ objection, lack of operational expense, etc. On the other hand, the analysis of the teachers’ replies revealed the following problems: The parents’ participation was insufficient in the course of planning the education: The lack of standardized textbooks, the burden of excessive other work, inappropriate work division and deficient teaching time, parents’ lack of concern: Insufficient incentives including insufficient lecture fee. Also the teachers expressed considerably negative opinions about the present education system for underachievers and various support systems. At the same time, they called upon the reduction of administrative work, more incentives, standardized texts and learning aids, human support including part-time teachers, more intensified teachers training and on-the-job training, etc. The outcome of this study suggests that the appropriateness and efficiency of the present system of underachiever’s teaching need to be reviewed as well as standardized diagnostic evaluation, the development and distribution of appropriate textbooks, participation of parents, the decline of teachers’ administrative work, and various supports.
Key words: realities of underachiever education, teachers’ notions.