Teacher Expectations and the Black-White Scholastic Achievement Gap

Authors

Abstract

Decades after the desegregation of schools, a Black-White achievement gap remains in the American school system. Researchers have given many possible explanations, including socioeconomic factors and teachers’ expectations of their students. In this paper, I summarize some of the literature on racial prejudice in teach er expectations and its impact on students’ academic and personal lives. I also analyze the role of stereotypes and other factors in teacher expectations and the communication of explicit and implicit expectations through teaching practices and nonverbal behavior. Finally, I discuss the use of teacher workshops as a possible means for narrowing the ethnic achievement gap.

Recommended Citation

(2017) "Teacher Expectations and the Black-White Scholastic Achievement Gap," Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/intuition/vol12/iss2/7