Are programmes dealing with teachers’ expectations for their students effective?

We know that the expectations that teachers have for their students’ learning and behaviour can be a factor that influences the learning process and results. As a response to this, certain programmes have been developed that aim to correct teachers’ biased expectations concerning their students’ learning. These programmes seek to promote an overall improvement, an improvement in their communication and an adaptation of the teaching strategies. But do these programmes work?

Very few evaluations have been carried out so far, however the evidence at present indicates that these programmes achieve improvements in teachers’ expectations, students’ academic results and other personal and socio-affective aspects of children and adolescents. Although generally these are small improvements, they are particularly notable in the cases of students with learning difficulties.

However, not all programmes are equally effective. For them to work, the programmes should be aimed at achieving a change in the teachers’ behaviour. They should offer teachers external information about their students’ learning potential and they must include classroom observations and offer feedback about teachers’ possible differential treatment of students in school. It is equally important that the teachers themselves are the ones who use this information to design and implement the changes they deem necessary.