Teacher expectations and underachieving gifted children

Abstract

This article examines how teacher expectations can contribute to gifted underachievement. Self‐fulfilling prophecy, perceptual bias, and accuracy are reviewed as three ways in which teacher expectations relate to classroom performance. The evidence suggests that a teacher's low expectations for a child can create a climate that encourages underachievement. Underachievement may also occur when teachers inappropriately assign lower grades to gifted children who fail to follow classroom behavioral norms. Recommendations are made for limiting the negative influence of teacher expectations and for enhancing their positive impact.