Lab Experiments

1

• Harvey Stain (1976)
• Preconceived ideas about social class of students
  (labelling/stereotyping)
• Sample 96 teachers
• Procedure
• showed photos of children
• Controlled other variables by dividing in terms
  of gender/ethnicity equally
• Teachers asked to rate children on expected
  performance/attitude etc
• - Findings
• Lower class children rated less favourably.
• Ratings based on comparing to students they
  taught
• Highlights how teachers pre-judge potential by
  class

• Charkin et al (1975)
• Sample 48 university students (who taught a
  lesson to a 10yr old boy)
• Procedure
• 1/3 told he was highly motivated/intelligent
• 1/3 told he was poorly motivated/low IQ
• 1/3 given no information
• Findings
• Charkin videoed lessons and found more eye
  contact/positive body language to student with
  higher expectation.

• Mason (1973)
• gave teachers negative/positive/
• neutral reports on a pupil.
• Teachers watched video of pupil taking a test
  observe for errors
• Asked to predict end/year grade
• Found that negative reports have much greater
  impact than others

Lab Experiments Education Context (teacher
expectations)
Problems Ethical problems where real pupils
involved young people have limited
understanding of what is happening deception
lack of informed consent and psychological
damage Narrow focus usually only focus on one
area which allows detailed understanding BUT not
always seen in relation to other issues, ie )
study expectations but not follow through to see
effects on self concept/SFP etc Practical
Problems schools are big/complex many things
may affect teacher expectations (class size,
streaming, type of school, catchment area, school
policy) Artificiality not the real world
using photographs/university students etc not
real life situations