Teachers'
Expectations Toward Disruptive Students in Hong Kong
S. Winter |
In
a study designed to examine differential teacher expectations towards
disruptive and nondisruptive students, Hong Kong Secondary School
teachers were asked to imagine two male pupils new to their class,
who were (comparatively) badly-behaved and well-behaved respectively.
Teachers were asked to indicate the probability that each pupil would
display each of a range of twenty characteristics. Teachers appeared
to have very different expectations regarding the personal characteristics
shown by the two pupils. These expectations encompassed intellect
and maturity, interpersonal and work-oriented attitudes and behaviour,
interests, home background and even physical appearance. In every
case the most unfavourable expectations were towards the disruptive
student. Teachers held broadly similar expectations towards disruptive
students, regardless of the ability level of the school in which
they taught. The same was true for nondisruptive students. Consequently,
many of the differential expectations displayed towards disruptive
and nondisruptive students observed in the entire sample of teachers
also extended to teachers in both the highest-ability and lowest-ability
schools. Expectations seemed unrelated to the subject matter taught.
However, the sex of the teacher appeared to have an effect on the
expectations displayed, with female teachers displaying more positive
expectations towards the disruptive student. |