Teachers’ Expectations as a Mediator of the Relation Between Children’s Socioeconomic Status and Achievement

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Teacher Knowledge and Beliefs in the Context of Schooling

Abstract

This study examines the role of teachers’ expectations in the association between children’s SES and achievement. Furthermore, it is questioned whether this mediation effect differs across children’s ethnicity. In this study, 3948 children from kindergarten are examined. Data are analysed by means of structural equation modelling. First, results show that teachers’ expectations mediate relations between SES and language and math achievement, after controlling for children’s ethnicity, prior achievement and gender. This indicates that teachers may exacerbate individual differences between children. Second, the mediation effect with respect to math outcomes differs across ethnicity, in a way that the effect is stronger for majority children. This could indicate that minority children are not particularly disadvantaged by the expectations of their teachers.

Authors

• Sara Speybroeck, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

• Sofie Kuppens, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

• Jan A. Van Damme, KU Leuven