Relations among Teacher Rankings, Pupil-Teacher Interactions, and Academic Achievement: A Test of the Teacher Expectancy Hypothesis

Abstract

The framework for this study was a model of teacher expectancy postulating links between teacher expectations, teacher and pupil behaviors, and academic achievement. The model was tested by exploring relations among teacher rankings of pupils, observations of pupil attentiveness, observations of teacher-pupil interactions, and standarized achievement test scores. Significant relations were obtained between teacher rankings and certain of the behavior categories, between behaviors and achievement, and between teacher rankings and achievement. It was concluded from the analyses, however, that a teacher expectancy effect was not operating in this situation as a determinant of achievement. The measurement of teacher expectations and the role of IQ in the behavior-achievement relation are also discussed.