Title:
Citation:
Jussim, L. & Harber, K.D. (2005). Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies: Known and
unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies. Personality and Social
Psychology Review, 9(2), 131-155.
SUMMARY
Purpose of the
research
In reviewing over 35 years of research, the authors posit
that the impact of self-fulfilling prophecies are small and may dissipate, they
have a more powerful effect on marginalized groups, and teacher expectation may
predict student outcomes more. This was a comprehensive meta analysis that had
not been done over 20 years or synthesized at this broaden level.
Research questions
Essentially reviewing the impact of social perception and
how it creates social reality and if teacher expectations help or hinder social
issues.
(1) What
did the early teacher expectation research show?
(2) Do
teacher expectations influence student intelligence?
(3) How
powerful is the typical self-fulfilling prophecy in the classroom?
(4) How
accurate is the typical teacher expectation?
(5) Do
negative teacher expectations harm students more than positive teacher
expectations help students?
(6) Do
teacher expectations effects accumulate across different teachers and over
time?
Methods
The authors recognize the disconnect that sometimes occur
between expert thought, empirical data, and narrative reviews. Paying attention
to this gap, they focus on effect sizes and empirical evidence more than on the
authors’ conclusions and analysis interpretations by others in their
meta-analysis.
Subjects
The authors reviewed and highlighted major works that were
inclusive of several meta-analyses to explore each of the questions posited.
This highlights some of the major topics discussed, although they never offered
an exact number of how many articles reviewed.
In an attempt to refute his critics, Rosenthal became a
pioneer in the meta-analysis process and with Rubin (1978) analyzed 345
experiments dividing them into 8 categories to demonstrate the existence of self-fulfilling
prophecy. Rosenthal later updated his meta-analysis in 1994.
Raudenbush (1984) authored a meta-analysis of 18 studies
which found a small mean effect size (d=.11) with IQ expectations studies. Raudenbush
(1994) did a reanalysis and found 14 studies still showed no overall effects.
Results
While Rosenthal and Raudenbush concluded that teacher
expectation influences IQ, Wineburg (1987) and Snow (1995) provide critiques of
the research data. Some highlights of the authors’ analysis were:
- Self-fulfilling prophecies are real and the effects are typically small.
- The reason teacher expectations impacts exist are because of accuracy.
- There is not enough data to indicate whether positive or negative expectancies have the most effect.
- There is a pattern of dissipation in regards to the accumulation extent of expectancy power with the notable exception of social stigmatized groups.
DISCUSSION
Implications
The authors point out the flaws in the narrative built
around self-fulfilling prophecy versus what the empirical data says. First,
they point out the effect sizes have not been as dramatic as posited. Of
significance to discuss in class is the accurate analysis of the
often-mentioned Pygmalion in the Classroom study (1968) by Rosenthal and Jacobson,
including what the results said (smaller effect size (.30) and correlation
(r=.15) and how people interpreted pointed out. A secondary point is that 40
years of programs intending to increase IQ results in disadvantaged populations
have failed to produce the IQ effect results people are inferring teacher
expectations do with self-fulfilling prophesies.
The analysis points to varying results based on timing of
the year for study intervention, age and level of school, newness of
situations, the students’ perceptions of teachers differential treatment,
tracking by ability level, and students identity with a stigmatized social
group linked to social inequalities.
The authors spent time exploring the disconnect phenomena
between social psychology (embracing) and educational psychology (skepticism)
conclusions on self-fulfilling prophecy. This is also impacted by the absence
of accuracy emphasis (is the teacher assessment in line with the student's performance level) within social psychology versus educational psychology and
their differing methodologies.
Brophy’s (1983) narrative review stated that self-fulfilling
prophecy had an effect on only 5-10% of students. Finally, with the
accumulation effect, a broad review of four studies showed dissipating effects
although their scope is limited by four studies.
Overall, this leads me to understand that there might be
other factors at play with how teacher expectations impact students and their
performance. Namely, if you are in a stigmatized group you feel this differently
and if the information is introduced early on it has more impact in that it can
influence other data the teacher is gathering (class performance, school
records, test results, etc.). The studies pointed out that further exploration
is needed on how teachers’ expectations are perceived as accurate based on what
they are seeing as performance evidence (is it objective or subjective, is it
accurate or not accurate, and does it stay stagnant or modify as more
information is introduced). The newness of situations seems to have an impact
so that initial tone is extremely vital. Furthermore, the other article I previously
reviewed explored more deeply the impact of teacher universal expectations on a
class versus individual student that might explain the differences of how
students perform.
CONTRIBUTION AND
FUTURE RESEARCH
Future research focus
The authors offer that research in “how teacher, school, and
community…characteristics moderate self-fulfilling prophecies is needed” (p.
153). While there is evidence of the fleeting and minimal impact of
self-fulfilling prophecies, there needs to be further research into the
“evidence that, in certain contexts and among certain groups, they are indeed
consistently powerful ad pervasive” (p.153).
Implications for the
technology enhanced learning (TEL) environment
When we consider technology-enhanced learning, this can
provide a vehicle of neutrality with teacher expectations and student
performance. In addition, such tools like Canvas and measuring the learning
analytics behind it can shed light onto student behaviors and curriculum
design. We can use this to more accurately and objectively assess how students are performing and the impact of teacher expectations.
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