Teachers’ Expectations of Primary School Children’s Cognitive Ability: Predictors and Consequences

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Examining Teacher Research and Classroom Practice

Abstract

Teachers’ expectations (TE) about students’ ability influence children’s performance, achievement-related, and social aspects of school. Biased expectations may be influenced by prejudices about the child and his/her family, but also by teacher or school-related variables. The present study addresses two questions. (1) Assessing 1,387 first- to third-graders, predictors of the expectations of 107 teachers were examined. TE, operationalized as regression residuals, were influenced by parents’ educational level, number of older siblings, class size, teachers’ familiarity with class and child, and child IQ. (2) Re-examining a subsample (N = 210), longitudinal data across one year showed TE to positively impact GPA, academic self-concept, and other achievement-related variables, but not social variables. Results and their implications for research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Tanja Gabriele Baudson, University of Trier

• Franzis Preckel, University of Trier