Teacher expectations can be influenced by a student’s social class, and those expectations can impact the student’s academic achievement. Students from lower social classes may face lower expectations, leading to lower performance, while students from higher social classes may face higher expectations, leading to higher performance.
For further information, read more
Teacher expectations can be influenced by a student’s social class, and those expectations can impact the student’s academic achievement. According to a research article by Springer Link, “Teachers’ expectations, in turn, are shaped and influenced by features of individual students (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender), the context in which they teach (e.g., the school, the community), and the larger social structures that define the broader social context (e.g., class and status hierarchies)” (Elliott & Kovacs, 2016). This implies that a student’s social class can be a determining factor in how their teacher sets expectations for their academic performance.
Famous education reformer and social activist, Paulo Freire, highlighted the impact of social inequality on education and student achievement. He believed that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” but that education can also reinforce the existing hierarchical social structures if it fails to address social inequalities (Lima & Macedo, 2016). Therefore, teacher expectations need to be set based on each student’s potential, rather than their socio-economic background, to promote equality of opportunity.
Here are some interesting facts to consider about the relationship between teacher expectations, social class, and student achievement:
- Studies have shown that teacher expectations can significantly impact student achievement (Jussim & Harber, 2005).
- Research suggests that teachers tend to have lower expectations for students from lower social classes (Dusek & Joseph, 1985).
- Students from lower social classes may have less access to resources outside of school, such as tutoring or educational materials, which can impact their academic achievement (Hirschfield & Gasper, 2011).
- A study found that “students who were enrolled in schools located in poor neighborhoods and whose teachers had low expectations had lower academic self-concepts and achievement” (Lindgren & Mills, 2018).
- Teachers can also unconsciously communicate lower expectations through nonverbal cues, such as body language (Jussim & Harber, 2005).
A table could be added to visually demonstrate the impact of teacher expectations on student achievement, based on social class. Here is an example format:
Student’s Social Class | Teacher Expectations | Student Achievement |
---|---|---|
Higher | Higher | Higher |
Higher | Lower | Lower |
Lower | Higher | Higher |
Lower | Lower | Lower |
In conclusion, the relationship between teacher expectations, social class, and student achievement is complex, but there is evidence to suggest that teacher expectations can be influenced by a student’s social class, which in turn can impact their academic performance. To promote equality of opportunity, it is important for teachers to set expectations based on each student’s potential, regardless of their socio-economic background.
See the answer to your question in this video
The importance of high expectations in the classroom and creating a culture where failure is seen as a learning experience are highlighted in this video. Cultivating a team mentality with both parents and students, setting clear expectations, and utilizing different communication tools are also emphasized. Additionally, the integration of fiction and nonfiction in modern classrooms is encouraged, with a focus on the latter to improve text complexity. Teachers are urged to challenge students with unattainable ceilings at the beginning of the year and to use micro-teaching and diverse strategies to ensure all students have room to grow.
There are other opinions on the Internet
A growing body of research suggests that the expectations a teacher sets for an individual student can significantly affect the student’s performance. Teacher expectations can, for example, be based on student characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and family income level, or indicators of past performance.
A growing body of research suggests that the expectations a teacher sets for an individual student can significantly affect the student’s performance. Teacher expectations can, for example, be based on student characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and family income level, or indicators of past performance.
Teacher-student relationships are extremely important in the academic development of a chi