Study: Genetics play an important role in academic performance

By Staff Writer

Millions of students drop out of high school every year, and many more struggle to pass their classes. Although a lot of the blame has been directed at lackluster education programs, a new study reveals that genetics have a significant impact on student achievement.

Researchers from the King's College London Institute of Psychiatry examined academic data from 4,000 pairs of twins. Claire Haworth, the study's lead author, said that students' environments influence their performance, but genetic factors play just as big of a role. These inherited characteristics explain why children in the same class - being taught by the same teacher - record drastically different scores.

Haworth added that these findings should dispel the notion that students are passive recipients that perform based simply on their learning capabilities. Instead, she said that children are active participants who select, modify and create their own educational experience in part due to their genetic makeup.

Although future research may identify which genetic characteristics allow students to gain more or less from school, the researchers suggest a model that personalizes education based on kids' strengths and weaknesses.

Adolescents who underachieve in school may benefit from boarding schools, which aim to provide help for troubled teens.