Teacher Expectations Influence Student Academic Performance Although Essay

Teacher Expectations Influence Student Academic Performance

Although every classroom setting is unique, young learners in particular share the need to "learn how to learn" in a group setting that can be overcrowded and disruptive. To help address these challenging needs, studies have shown that the expectations that teachers establish can help provide the framework needed to manage classrooms and provide students with an environment that is safe and conducive to learning. To gain some further insights into how these expectations influence student academic performance, this paper describes five such teacher expectations that can positively influence student academic achievement. These expectations include completing class and homework in a timely fashion in order to earn passing scores, developing positive communication skills, refraining from disruptive or violent behaviors, coming to class on time and developing the critical thinking and assertiveness skills they will need to compete in the future. Following this review, a summary of the research and important findings are presented in the paper's conclusion.

Review and Discussion

The relationship between the type and level of teacher expectations and the corresponding academic outcomes are well established, and studies have shown time and again that the higher that teachers set the bar, the higher students tend to respond academically and vice versa.For instance, according to Zanna (1999), "Teacher expectations predict student achievement mainly because they are accurate, although they do lead to small self-fulfilling prophecies and biases" (p. 281). The type of teacher expectations that are best suited for a given group of students, though, will vary depending on a wide range of socioeconomic and jurisdictional factors. For instance, Lane, Wehby and Cooley (2006) report that, "Teacher expectations at high-performing and low-risk schools may differ from teacher expectations at low-performing and high-risk schools" (p. 153). While these generalizations may hold true for many inner city schools, there are exceptional models that are outperforming their suburban counterparts by promoting assertiveness and critical thinking skills (Lane et al., 2006). Nevertheless, many inner-city schools are in fact confronted….....