You are here
Study: 'Pygmalion Effect' Links Teacher Expectations to Student Success
Education Week
October 8, 2014
By Jordan Moeny
A new study from the Center for American Progress concludes that teachers' expectations for their students are strongly correlated with students' graduation rates. Unfortunately, the study also says that teachers don't necessarily have high expectations for all of their students, especially poorer students and those of color.
The study focuses on the Pygmalion Effect, the theory holding that higher expectations of a person lead to higher performance. The opposite can also be true: If low expectations are placed on someone, they're more likely to perform poorly. This means that a teacher's faith, or lack thereof, in a student's abilities may influence the student's future achievement.