How teachers' expectations…

...impact student achievement.

Hello all. Welcome to the 159th edition of TEPS Weekly!

Research tells us that teachers should have high expectations of their students. When teachers believe in their students’ abilities, it positively influences academic and non-academic growth.

But what do “high expectations” mean in a real classroom?

Students are different in their abilities, pace of learning and confidence levels. So, is it logical for a teacher to have the same high expectations for all students?

Let’s look at a classroom example.

Scenario 1

Tasneem is teaching the Grade 5 Mathematics topic ‘Angles’. The learning outcome is: Students will be able to measure and compare angles using a protractor and classify them as acute, right or obtuse. She has a well-planned lesson and explains the concept step by step. She is energetic, and students are active and attentive. 

At the end, she cold-calls students to answer the question: “How do we identify an acute angle?”Student 1 answers, “The angle has smaller degrees.” She responds, “Good attempt,” and calls on another student.

Student 2 answers, “The angle is smaller than a right angle.” She appreciates the student with a ‘Good’ and elaborates with the correct answer: “An acute angle measures more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees.”

In this classroom, the teacher has a good lesson plan and a positive attitude, and she appreciates students’ efforts. But did she aim for every student to understand, or was it enough that one student answered?

Now imagine the same situation differently.

Scenario 2

The teacher asks, “How do we identify an acute angle?”

Student 1: “The angle has smaller degrees.

”Teacher: “Can you be specific about which degrees?

”Student 1: “Less than 180.” 

Teacher: “Good attempt. But it is not quite correct. Who can help?” She then calls on another student.

Student 2: “It is less than 90 degrees.”

Teacher: “Is 90 degrees itself an acute angle?”

Student 2: “No.”

Teacher: “Correct. Now give the complete definition. What range of degrees makes an angle acute? ”

Student 2: “More than 0 and less than 90 degrees.” 

Teacher: “Good.”

Then, she asks Student 1: “Can you try again?”

Student 1: “More than 0 and less than 90 degrees.” 

Teacher: “Very good.”

The difference in Scenario 2 is that the teacher does not stop at the first response. She stays with the students, asks a few guiding questions, brings in another student and then returns to the first. The focus is clear: every student should be able to state the complete answer.

This shows a strong belief that all students can improve with the right support. Because of this belief, the teacher gives time, support and another chance instead of moving ahead quickly. This is having high expectations of students in practice. It does not mean expecting all students to respond in the same way or at the same speed. It means expecting everyone to reach the learning outcome, with the right degree of scaffolding as needed. The goal remains the same, but the scaffolding changes – through prompts, peer responses and revisiting students. When teachers' high expectations for students are scaffolded in this manner, students build confidence, not pressure. 

This idea is strongly supported by a well-known study called Pygmalion in the Classroom by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson (1968). In a school, all students took a test. Teachers were told that around 20% of students had scored well, which indicates a high IQ. In reality, these students had been ‘labelled’ as high scorers at random. By the end of the year, these 20% students showed greater IQ gains than other students.

The main idea of the study is not that just believing in students will automatically improve their results. It shows that expectations matter because they change how teachers treat students. And when teachers act differently, students start learning and performing differently.

The authors argue that:

• teachers may communicate expectations through subtle signals – in what they say, how they say it, their facial expressions, posture, warmth and the kinds of opportunities they give students. 

• students may begin to do better partly because they are treated as if they are capable of doing better. 

• the effect did not seem to come from teachers spending much more time with those 20% of students. The difference may have been in the quality and nature of interaction, not just the quantity of attention.

If teachers' expectations shape how students learn, then the next question is: What can teachers do in the classroom to show high expectations of their students?

Practical strategies to build high-expectation classrooms

There is no single strategy to achieve the high expectations. It is a series of interconnected strategies that work together in the classroom. 

1. Communicating clear learning outcomes: Clearly communicated learning outcomes set a clear goal for students. When the goal is clear, students also understand the process to reach it effectively.

Have a look at these two scenarios. Which one is more effective, and why?

Scenario 1

The teacher begins the class by saying, “Today, you will learn to measure and classify angles.”

Scenario 2

The teacher begins the class by saying, “Today, you will learn how to measure angles using a protractor and classify them as acute, right or obtuse. By the end of the class, you should be able to measure any angle and identify its type.”

In Scenario 1, students get a general idea of the topic, but it is not clear what exactly they are expected to do by the end of the class. In Scenario 2, the learning outcome is specific and the expectation is clear. Students know what they will learn and what they should be able to do.

This clarity helps students stay focused and work towards a clear goal. They are more prepared to attempt questions, explain answers and take responsibility for their learning.

2. Providing the right scaffolding: Scaffolding should be provided without lowering expectations. When teachers scaffold by modelling, breaking tasks into smaller steps, guiding students when needed and giving hints or examples, students are better able to attempt challenging tasks and make progress towards the expected goal.

Have a look at these two scenarios. Which one is more effective, and why? 

Scenario 1

The teacher explains the concept. Later, she adjusts tasks based on students’ levels.

• Students who struggle are given simpler tasks like identifying or marking angles with help from the teacher.

• More confident students are asked to measure and compare angles using a protractor.

Scenario 2

The teacher models how to draw, measure and classify angles. She provides step-by-step instructions, with additional help where needed.

• The teacher understands that there are different learning levels, but she keeps the task the same for all students – all students are guided to measure, compare and classify angles independently.

In Scenario 1, the difference in tasks shows that the teacher has lower expectations from some students. When students are only given simpler tasks with help, it shows a belief that they may not be able to reach the full learning outcome. In Scenario 2, the teacher shows that she has high expectations from all students. The goal remains the same, and the teacher provides the necessary scaffolds to help every student reach it.

3. Expecting every student to answer – no opt-out: In a high-expectation classroom, students should not be allowed to avoid answering or stop at partial responses. This does not mean they must answer correctly straight away. Rather, the teacher should provide scaffolding and guide them towards the complete, correct answer. 

For example, as seen in the introduction, the way a teacher responds to student answers matters. In the first scenario, the teacher, Tasneem, accepted partial answers. In the second scenario, she stayed with the students, guided them with prompts, involved another student and ensured both could give the complete, correct answer. This helps students experience success and reinforces that everyone is expected to try and learn; partial answers are not accepted. 

4. Giving feedback and encouraging revision:  Feedback should be clear and actionable, helping students understand what to do next to reach the learning outcome. It should focus on effort and strategy, not just innate ability. When feedback emphasises only ability (eg: ‘You are smart’), students may avoid tasks that are challenging to protect that label, feel discouraged when they make mistakes, and believe that ability is fixed rather than something they can improve.

For example, consider the task and feedback:

Task: Measure the angle and identify whether it is acute, right, or obtuse.Student Action: The student measures the angle correctly using a protractor, but does not identify its type.

Feedback 1: “Answer not complete.”Feedback 2: “Good. You have measured the angle correctly. Now identify its type and revise your answer.”

The first feedback is not actionable. The teacher accepts a partial response without pushing the student to complete the task. It doesn’t tell the student what exactly is missing or what to fix. The teacher is not expecting better from the student. 

Feedback 2 shows a high expectation of the teacher from the student. It acknowledges what the student did correctly, gives a clear next step and encourages revision.

During revision, students get the opportunity to go back to the answer and correct it. Here, the student can identify the type of angle correctly and then show the improved response. This helps the student reach the intended learning outcome. Without revision, learning may stop at a partial answer. 

When teachers have high expectations, believe in all students and provide scaffolding, feedback and demand revision, students feel confident, put in effort and achieve better results.

---

If you found this newsletter useful, please share it.

If you received this newsletter from someone and you would like to subscribe to us, please click here.

Edition: 5.14