At-risk students have more problems of learning in schools that might lead to delinquent behaviors and drop-out. It is important to find out their difficulties in learning in schools and let at-risk students receive suitable schooling. The research purposes are to investigate the identity and their formation based on the third space theory. This approach could reflect the school systems which would obstruct learning of at-risk students from their coping attitudes. Ten at-risk students who had delinquent behaviors were chosen from three Multiple Classes in a junior high school in Taipei. The school has better high school entrance performance. Multiple Classes teaching various activities but academy are designed for delinquent students who are not able to stay in regular classroom to learn. Classes include gardening, dance and navigation related activites. Research methods are individual in-depth interview and non-participatory observation. Interviewees were students, one teacher from each of the three Multiple Classes and Section Chief of Counseling in school. Observation was conducted in each of the three Multiple Classes using video recording and field diary. Data were analyzed by hermeneutic phenomenology approach. Interviews with student were the primary data, and interviews with teachers and class observation served as triangulation. After all cases were analyzed individually, cross cases analysis followed.

The results find the identity of at-risk students is to quit learning, and four students identified themselves as to playaround. Regarding identity formation, they bear huge pressure from learning with lots of negative emotions which results from not understanding what they are taught. These emotions led to their delinquency behaviors and marginalization in class, cut classes or even flunk out. Avoiding, giving up, resisting and spontaneous reaction were used by these students to cope with pressure in school. These attitudes relating to misbehaviors can not relieve their difficulties, but form a feedback loop that impeded student learning in the school systems. These school systems are academic curriculum, one-size-fits-all curriculum schedule and tests, and whole class instruction. The loop keeps them from learning, getting harder to follow up classes and even staying away from schools. Class delinquency of students often led to disciplinary actions which worsened teacher-student relationship and their attitude toward the teachers' classes. Even the relationship is fair, it does not mean to support their learning. Additionally, at-risk students lack of classmates to support their learning after quit learning because common activities of classmates are about learning. If they escape from learning to play around, they spend more time on play and created a vicious circle of low school. Their parents are commonly unfamiliar with their friends frequently hanging on. If they have friends to do with gangsters, they would act more delinquent behaviors and even rebel against their family rules.