How are teacher expectations related to student achievement? Are students readily influenced by erroneous teacher beliefs? Are some types of students more likely than others to be influenced by teacher expectations? Are the expectations of some types of teachers more likely to be self-fulfilling? What are some of the interpersonal processes by which teacher expectations influence and are influenced by students' achievements and motivation? To address these questions, the proposed research will examine relations among naturally-occurring teacher expectations influence student achievement. Five phases of research involving secondary analysis of data on over 3000 students and 200 teachers in sixth and seventh grade math classes in 12 districts in southeastern Michigan. Phase I will test the following hypotheses: 1) Teacher expectations lead to self- fulfilling prophecies and perceptual biases; 2) Teacher expectations are accurate (hypotheses 1 and 2 are not mutually exclusive); 3) Teacher expectations predict student achievement more because they are accurate than because they lead to self-fulfilling prophecies or perceptual biases. Phase II will test the hypothesis that student motivation mediates the self-fulling effects of teachers' expectations on student achievement. Phase III will address factors moderating (facilitating and inhibiting) teacher expectation effects. It will test hypotheses regarding the extent of self-fulfilling prophecies, perceptual biases, and accuracy among different situations, teachers, and students. Phase IV focuses on the hypothesis that the self-fulfilling effects of teacher expectations accumulate over several years (differences among students that result from self-fulfilling prophecies increase each year). Phase V will address the extent to which teacher expectations for whole classes are self-fulfilling, biasing, and accurate. Thus, the proposed research will address basic issues concerning the social construction of reality in an important practical context-- teacher expectations for students.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
5R29HD028401-04
Application #
2201064
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1992-06-01
Project End
1997-05-31
Budget Start
1995-06-01
Budget End
1996-05-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1995
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Rutgers University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
038633251
City
New Brunswick
State
NJ
Country
United States
Zip Code
08901
Smith, A E; Jussim, L; Eccles, J (1999) Do self-fulfilling prophecies accumulate, dissipate, or remain stable over time? J Pers Soc Psychol 77:548-65
Madon, S; Jussim, L; Eccles, J (1997) In search of the powerful self-fulfilling prophecy. J Pers Soc Psychol 72:791-809
Jussim, L (1993) Accuracy in interpersonal expectations: a reflection-construction analysis of current and classic research. J Pers 61:637-68