Teacher Expectations and Perceptions of Polynesian and Pakeha Pupils and the Relationship to Classroom Behaviour and School Achievement

Abstract

SUMMARY.A study of 90 nine-year-olds in five ethnically mixed New Zealand classrooms was undertaken to investigate teachers' perceptions of Polynesian and Pakeha pupils and the relationship of these perceptions to expectations for general ability. Results showed that the Polynesian minority group pupils were perceived less favourably than the Pakeha majority on dimensions reflecting parent-home factors and academic work skills. In line with this, teachers held lower expectations for the ability of Polynesian pupils than their Pakeha classmates. However, observations of teacherpupil interaction showed no ethnic group differences. Despite the absence of any overt discrimination against minority group pupils there were achievement differences favouring the majority group in terms of standardised achievement test performance and in teachers' ratings of achievement at the end of the year. It was concluded that while teacher expectation effects did not severely bias children's learning, negative perceptions and expectations for Polynesian children led to them being treated similarly to others expected to be of low ability and helped to maintain the status quo of lower achievement.

Expecting the best for students: Teacher expectations and academic outcomes

“…Stoddart found significant differences in teacher perceptions (with those for Maori always being significantly lower) for knowledge of strategies needed to perform socially appropriate behaviours, for the ability to perform socially acceptable behaviours, and for awareness of the effects that the child's actions have on the social environment. These results align somewhat with the findings of St. George (1983) who found that teachers had less favourable views of the academic work skills (e.g.…”

“…Maori students, on the other hand, are believed to come from families where education is not valued and where parents are not encouraging of teachers' efforts. St. George (1983) made similar comments in relation to her finding that teachers judged the Polynesian students in her study (most of whom were Maori) to come from less supportive home backgrounds than the New Zealand European students.…”

“…One study that investigated teacher expectations for 90 year 5 students in five New Zealand classrooms was carried out several years ago by St. George (1983).…”

Teacher expectations and perceptions of student attributes: Is there a relationship?

“…A further implication of teachers' expectations is that when teachers have high expectations for some students and low for others this may lead to a halo effect in which teachers also perceive there to be differences in student characteristics. St George (1983) investigated the relationship between teacher perceptions of student characteristics and expectations for student performance. The results revealed that Maori students in New Zealand were perceived more negatively by their teachers than were New Zealand European students (St George, 1983) and their teachers also held lower expectations for their achievement.…”

Analyse longitudinale de l’effet Pygmalion

“…Citons, entre autres, les études de Clifton (1981) sur des élèves ontariens, de Matthews (1982) sur des élèves anglais du secondaire et de St-George (1983) sur des élèves du primaire de NouvelleZélande.…”