Teachers' Expectations Vary: Implications for Canadian Students of Different Ethnic Groups

• Author / Creator

  Flanagan, Agnes

• In Canada, there is an achievement gap between students of different ethnicities. An important alterable contributor to academic achievement is teacher expectations—the beliefs teachers hold about their students' academic capabilities. Teacher expectations affect students’ academic performance—high expectations positively impact academic performance and low expectations negatively impact academic performance. Using a survey, I collected data from 140 teachers at a teacher conference in March 2017. In addition to demographic questions, the survey had two scales that gathered information about teacher expectations and behaviours. Differential item functioning analysis showed that teachers had higher expectations for Asian students and lower expectations for Indigenous students compared with Caucasian students. Explanatory item response model showed teachers with six or more years of teaching experience, and teachers above 35 years old, had higher expectations for their students. Teachers did not report behaving differently towards their students. Ultimately, the results will directly affect students across Canada, whose future educational outcomes and careers are influenced by their teachers’ expectations. The first step is to inform teachers and education programs. Next, would be to explore whether these differing expectations affect students’ academic achievement outcomes positively or negatively.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Ethnic achievement gap
  • Differential item functioning
  • Teacher expectations
  • Implicit prejudice

• Graduation date

  Fall 2018

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Education

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3WD3QH6H

• License

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