The Study
This study led by Don Hamachek, professor of educational psychology in at Michigan State University, explores the relationship—if any—between teacher expectations and student performance. The inquiry provides a summary of the literature concerning induced versus natural expectations of teachers and the performance of students. It examines both positive and negative messages sent by teachers and explores the relationship of self-concept and achievement. The study also offers teachers a number of suggestions for self-assessment and reflection.

The Findings
A teacher’s expectation of any student’s academic performance can have a powerful affect on how students feel about themselves and how they perform academically. The academic reputation of older siblings gets passed on to their younger brothers and sisters and becomes a good predictor of the younger sibling’s performance. Teachers unwittingly tend to interact more positively and favorably with children they perceive to be “brighter.” Students who receive positive expectation messages, tend to live up to these expectations and perform well. The reverse is also true. Teachers can develop positive expectations by creating a warm, inviting classroom climate and giving all students more positive feedback and opportunities to respond to questions, while at the same time teaching more.

What It Means to You
How students perform in school is affected by how they think they can perform, and often that assessment is based on cues picked up from their teachers’ verbal and nonverbal behaviors toward them. Although teachers cannot give students a positive self-concept, they can, by keeping a watchful eye on the feedback they give, the output they expect, the climate they foster and the input they offer, reinforce those expectations that make the development of a positive self-concept more possible. Teachers’ expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. Students’ behavior will generally complement and reinforce teachers’ expectations. When teachers anticipate superior behavior, they “reward” students with positive behaviors such as: smiling, leaning toward the student, making eye contact and nodding affirmatively. In contrast, perceived “low achievers” receive more criticism than praise, receive less teacher feedback, are given less work and less demanding work and have less friendly interaction with the teacher. A worthwhile staff development goal would be to help teachers become more conscious of what they do or say that facilitates or short-circuits positive teaching-learning and self-concept outcomes.

More Information
Consult Hamachek, D., “Expectations Revisited: Implications for Teachers and Counselors and Questions for Self-Assessment,” December 1995, The Journal of Humanistic Education and Development, vol. 34, pp. 65-74

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