Leerkrachtverwachtingen als een dynamisch concept

Project onder begeleiding van Dr. Anneke Timmermans (a.c.timmermans@rug.nl)

The expectations that teachers hold for the future performance and behaviour of individual students are generally assumed to be stable over the course of the school year. However, teachers gather new information about their students on a daily basis in the form of observations of (on-task) behaviour, how they play with other children, and whether they were able to do the tasks that they were asked to do. Moreover, teachers less frequently gather new information in the form of (standardized) tests. If teachers face new information that is in contrast with their original expectations about the performance or behaviour of children, then wouldn’t they reflect upon their expectations?

Thus far, teacher expectations have not yet been considered a dynamic construct that may change with new information or changing circumstances. Therefore, many seemingly basic questions such as how, when and why teacher expectations for individual students change and the impact thereof on students’ future academic performance and behaviour remain largely unanswered.

By means of (intensive) longitudinal research it becomes possible to assess various (methodological) aspects of teacher expectation stability. Examples are, whether teacher expectations become more stable towards the end of the year, for older students or students from stigmatized groups and whether some groups of teachers have more stable expectations of students than others. This study provides the knowledge that is necessary to intervene and try to create more positive and effective learning environments for all children, but in particular vulnerable and stigmatized children.