The Pygmalion Effect- The Power of Belief in Schools
Research has been undertaken in many classrooms around the world into a phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect. The research demonstrates the impact of teachers’ expectations. Teachers’ expectations can dramatically affect students achievement. If a teacher is told that his or her students are bright, the teacher will be more supportive, use more complex vocabulary, teach more challenging material, allow more ‘wait’ time for students to answer questions and provide more thoughtful and useful feedback to the students. In turn, the students receiving this attention will perform to this level.