"Where I’m From:" Does Strong Teacher Appalachian Identity Impact Views of Student Efficacy?

Abstract

Abstract Teacher candidates in a beginning educational psychology course were surveyed about how they believe others perceive the communities and the region these students consider "home." Subjects were asked whether these outsiders’ beliefs were accurate and then were given an opportunity to correct misconceptions others might have about their values or traits. Additionally, subjects, most of whom plan to teach in Appalachia, characterized the strengths of, and expressed concerns about, their future public school students. While all but two percent of the subjects hailed from Appalachia, identification as "Appalachian" was weak; students also perceived that others outside the region viewed them in negative, regionally stereotypical terms which the subjects rejected as untrue. However, the majority of these same subjects, all future teachers, characterized their future students as having many unfavorable, stereotypical learning characteristics. These findings are important for teacher educators, especially considering the decades of research demonstrating the impact of teacher expectations on student performance.