Teachers are trained to adjust curriculum and give extra help to students who struggle to learn. However, teachers are not as prepared to deal with students who resist learning yet seem to have the ability to do well in school and apparently choose not to complete assignments or participate in class activities, consequently choosing to earn failing grades. This study begins an investigation of why students refuse to work by interviewing nine high school students nominated by their teachers as evidencing resistance to learning in at least one class. The results reveal that although all of the students in the study were unique, and several idiosyncratic factors seemed to be contributing to their lack of achievement in school, there also seemed to be commonalities that suggest several more general potential causes of student resistance to schooling; many of the students have personal and family issues that interfere with learning, students seem drained by extracurricular activities or jobs, some elements of the school environment increase students resistance to learning, and teachers are a major factor in students learning attitudes. Implications for preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and administrators are discussed. (Contains 71 references.) (GCP)