The public has always had the perception that students of social sciences and language programs (in senior high school) achieve lower academically than students of natural science programs. Most teachers, unfortunately, seem to have the same opinion. This perception is indeed a reflection of the low expectations that society and teachers place on social science students.
Whether this achievement gap really exists and is consistent with a body of research evidence is not the issue. The questions that teachers need to reflect on are to what extent do teachers let this sort of perception affect their classroom instruction and students' achievement, and how aware are they of its impact on student's learning?
A study conducted by Robert Rosenthal shows that a teacher's perceptions of and actions toward a student is influenced by factors including the students' race, ethnic background, dress, speech pattern and test scores.
A number of other studies showed that teachers tend to act more favorably towards students who they think are bright and capable than towards those who they perceive are not.
Now let's ask ourselves these questions and see if the research tells the truth. Do we perceive our students objectively?
Do we accept them for what and who they are regardless of their looks, origin, skin complexion or economic standing?
Is our opinion of them fair and unbiased? We might be surprised to learn that the answers to these questions are most probably no.
We are what we think, an adage says. What we believe and perceive about ourselves or others will manifest itself into actions.
In the same way, a teacher's perceptions of their students will translate into action in the classroom. Through these actions teachers convey their expectations, which can be high or low, to students. Students, in turn, will perceive themselves and behave in accordance with these expectations.
If teachers want all of their students to be successful in their learning, there is no better way than to set high expectations of them. Implied in this mind-set is the belief that all students have the potential to achieve and succeed as learners.
This belief will in turn result in students developing a strong sense of self-efficacy - a term coined by Albert Bandura in 1986 to refer to how capable people believe they are at one type of task or another. The reverse is just as true, placing low expectations upon someone will generate a weak sense of self-efficacy.
What does it mean to set a high expectation of students? This means total adherence to the following aspects of classroom instruction.
First, teachers should apply the same learning standards for all students without exception. Although the path to the standards could be different for each student, all students are supposed to achieve the same learning goals. Lowering the standards can only mean lower expectations.
Second, teachers should respect the diversity of students in all facets. Every student is unique and teachers cannot approach them all in the same way. Some students are certainly better than others, and some take longer to learn.
If teachers believe all students can succeed in learning, they have to make sure each student is on the right path to a successful outcome. In other words, teachers need to adjust their classroom instruction to meet the needs of their students.
Third, teachers should shift their concern from teaching to student learning. This suggests that when students do not learn as expected, it is the teacher who should adjust their methods. Teachers should have the courage to look into their instruction ask themselves, "What can I do to help these students so that they learn better?" Being self-reflective is a quality that teachers should develop.
Fourth, setting high expectations means allowing students to learn in a safe and secure environment. Teachers often overlook this vital aspect of learning, and jump right away into teaching during the first days of school.
It is imperative that teachers instill a sense of community into their students before starting with their first learning topic.
Fifth, in order to build a safe and secure learning atmosphere, teachers should value what their students say and teach them to value what their classmates say, so that every member of the class contributes to the learning process.
Only with this culture of caring and learning can students live up to their fullest potential.
In conclusion, teachers should be most of all aware of the teacher expectancy effect - or the Pygmalion effect as it is often called - so that they can control their tendency towards favoritism.
All students must be treated fairly and equally. Setting high expectations for all students without exception is crucial in order to produce students with a strong sense of self-efficacy, from which successful and effective learning derives.
The author is a teacher at SMA Kolese De Britto, Yogyakarta, and is currently attending a graduate program at Loyola University Chicago, The United States of America
