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| Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle |
The correlation between setting high
student expectations and student success has been established though research
over the past number of years. Studies have shown that students achieve more
when teachers expect more. One study,
conducted by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968), posits that student success is largely a response to
faculty expectations and their belief in success. Positive expectations influence performance positively, and
negative expectations influence performance negatively. Rosenthal and Jacobson
originally described the phenomenon as the Pygmalion Effect (a reference to the 1912 George Bernard Shaw play "Pygmalion") . We might best let Shaw's dialogue explain the effect. In a brief exchange between Eliza Doolittle and
Colonel Pickering, Eliza says to the Colonel:
“I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will."
This exchange highlights the idea that a teacher’s belief in student success marked by the setting and communication of high expectations will, in fact, yield positive results. In part the Pygmalion effect is similar to a self-fulfilling prophecy where a person’s behavior is affected by an expectation, negative or positive, about a certain situation and where that expectation becomes fulfilled.
So you
may be wondering how, as an instructor, do I set high expectations that
motivate students to be successful in meeting the challenges of a rigorous
curriculum. Below are but a few ideas.
- Keep a positive attitude and promote enthusiasm. Promoting a “can do” environment will have a positive effect on student success.
- Communicate your expectations clearly and concisely prior to the first night of class. You can do this in your welcome message. Let the students know that the work will be challenging and at times hard but that this is manageable and achievable with the right amount of effort.
- Review with your students the course expectations set forth in the syllabus. Discuss grading, the amount of time you expect the student to dedicate to their studies, participation, attendance, content mastery, and skill development. Let your students know what it takes to be successful.
- Provide continual and frequent feedback that is connected to the course goals. Let them know what they are doing well, what needs improvement, and what you expect. It is easy to give positive feedback and avoid giving feedback that seeks improvement, but if delivered well, this type of feedback will help the student improve their performance.
- Set high expectations for yourself. Raise the bar on your own teaching standards and set milestones to meet these standards. Be prepared, provide meaningful, frequent feedback, and never underestimate the influence you can have on a student.
In conclusion, setting high student expectations is a
fundamental part of the learning environment, and how we communicate these
expectations cannot be underestimated. As we know, students will rise to meet
the challenges we set forth, and it is our job to assist our students in doing
so.
Robert Frost describes in his poem The Road Not Taken how he came to two diverging roads and selected the one less traveled. He states, “I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Perhaps the road less traveled was more challenging, but by taking it, Frost becomes a better person for having done so.
