teacher expectations
Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the behaviour and educational success of students and as such they carry a huge responsibility in the classroom. Everything the teacher says or do has a great impact on students’ lives as students depend on the teacher for guidance, for determining acceptable and social behaviour in the classroom and more importantly their learning and academic success. In addition, the role played by the teacher in fostering students learning causes them to exhibit certain attitudes which could have a long lasting negative or positive influence on students. Based on research it was surmised that high teacher expectation mean that the teacher believe that the student is a high-achiever and the dynamics surrounding the learning of that particular student or groups of students were underpinned by favourable conditions and it impacts learning in a positive way. On the other hand, where teachers hold low expectations of their students mean that they believe that the student is a low-achiever and the approach to learning is impacted negatively. Teachers form expectations for student performance and tend to treat students differently depending on these expectations.
For many years it has been a point of interest for researchers in how teacher expectations affect students both in their social behaviour and learning in the classroom. Rosenthal in his research found that when teachers thought students were destined for success, they became successful. He further argued that expectations teachers have for students can positively and negatively affect how they interact with students. According to Schunk (2008), Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) in their research chose several random elementary school students and told the teachers that these students would bloom intellectually during the year. After the first year the students did make significant gains and Rosenthal and Jacobson concluded that there was an existence of self-fulfilling prophecy
For many years it has been a point of interest for researchers in how teacher expectations affect students both in their social behaviour and learning in the classroom. Rosenthal in his research found that when teachers thought students were destined for success, they became successful. He further argued that expectations teachers have for students can positively and negatively affect how they interact with students. According to Schunk (2008), Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) in their research chose several random elementary school students and told the teachers that these students would bloom intellectually during the year. After the first year the students did make significant gains and Rosenthal and Jacobson concluded that there was an existence of self-fulfilling prophecy
References: Boehlert, M. (2005). Self-fulfilling prophecy. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. Hamm. Cornel. M. (1989). Philosophical Issues in Education: An introduction. London: RoutledgeFalner Press . Ormrod, E. Jeanne. (2011). Educational Psychology: Developing learners. Boston: Pearson Educational Inc. Schunk, Dale H. (2008). Learning theories: An educational perspective. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Stipek. D. (2002). Motivation to learn: Integrating Theory and Practice. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Woolfolk, Anita. (2004). Educational Psychology. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.