1. Lab Experiments – Education Context (teacher expectations)
Harvey & Stain (1976)
Preconceived ideas about social class of students (labelling/stereotyping)
Sample – 96 teachers
Procedure
showed photos of children
Controlled other variables by dividing in terms of gender/ethnicity equally
Teachers asked to rate children on expected performance/attitude etc
- Findings
Lower class children rated less favourably.
Ratings based on comparing to students they taught
Highlights how teachers pre-judge potential by class
Charkin et al (1975)
Sample – 48 university students (who taught a lesson to a 10yr old boy)
Procedure
1/3 told he was highly motivated/intelligent
1/3 told he was poorly motivated/low IQ
1/3 given no information
Findings
Charkin videoed lessons and found more eye contact/positive body language to student with higher expectation.
Mason (1973)
gave teachers negative/positive/
neutral reports on a pupil.
Teachers watched video of pupil taking a test – observe for errors
Asked to predict end/year grade
Found that negative reports have much greater impact than others
Lab Experiments – Education Context
(teacher expectations)
Problems
Ethical problems – where real pupils involved – young people have limited understanding of what is happening – deception – lack of informed consent and psychological damage
Narrow focus – usually only focus on one area which allows detailed understanding BUT not always seen in relation to other issues, ie ) study expectations but not follow through to see effects on self concept/SFP etc
Practical Problems – schools are big/complex – many things may affect teacher expectations (class size, streaming, type of school, catchment area, school policy)
Artificiality – not the real world – using photographs/university students etc – not real life situations