Expecting Success

For four decades, researchers have been investigating effects of teacher expectations on student outcomes. Often the question is asked, what is it about students that leads teachers to have high or low expectations for them? This book asks a different question: What is it about teachers that may mean they have high or low expectations for students? The idea some teachers have high or low expectations for all students is explored. Groups of teachers with uniformly high or low expectations for all students in reading were identified, their instructional practices and beliefs explored, and student academic and social outcomes investigated in four studies. Students with high expectation teachers made significantly greater reading progress over one year than students with low expectation teachers. Academic self-perceptions of students with low expectation teachers declined dramatically; those with highs increased. Teacher beliefs and practices differed in significant ways. High expectation teachers were more facilitative in their approach; lows were more directive. This book will be of particular interest to teachers, teacher educators, graduate students and education researchers.