Teacher Expectations? Pupil responses to teacher mediated classroom climate

Abstract

Three teacher types are developed from a consideration of the self‐fufilling hypothesis with respect to both classroom behaviour and academic achievement. Evidence used to support this typology is drawn from both qualitative and quantitative data. Pupils’ comments about their lessons and teachers are used to inform an ordering of rank correlations. The analysis stresses that teachers can effect the ways in which their pupils view the differential distribution of classroom achievement amongst their peers through the teachers’ classroom management in lessons. Adopting a symbolic interactionist perspective allows a direct link to be made to pupils’ classroom achievement as measured by end of year tests.