Expecting more: Teacher differences as moderators of expectancy effects

Abstract

For five decades, researchers have investigated the teacher expectation phenomenon. Researchers have examined teacher behaviors that portray expectations, student characteristics that influence teachers’ expectations, and how students determine teachers’ expectations. However, most research has aggregated teacher data in examining the mediating factors. This chapter focuses on teacher beliefs as moderating expectation effects. Evidence is presented showing that differences in teacher beliefs result in differing student social and academic outcomes. The results are presented from the first year of a randomized control trial in which intervention teachers were trained in the practices of high expectation teachers, those who have high expectations for all their students.