2. The self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that
comes true simple by virtue of it having been
made.
Step 1- The teacher labels a pupil and makes a
prediction about them.
Step 2- The teacher treats the pupil according to
the prediction.
Step 3- The pupil internalises the teacher's
expectation and becomes the kind of pupil the
teacher predicted.
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
3. Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) study shows how the SFP works.They
told the school that they had a new test specially designed to identify
those pupils who would 'spurt' ahead.This was untrue because the
test was an IQ test.The researchers tested all the pupils and then
picked 20% of them randomly, and told the school that they were
'spurters'.When they returned a year later, they found that almost
half (47%) of those 'spurters' had made significant progress
especially the younger children.
They suggested that the teachers had been influenced by the test
and the teachers' beliefs were conveyed to the pupils e.g. body
language thus showing how the SFP works.
The SFP can also produce under-achievement. If a teacher has low
expectations from a child and communicates these expectations to
them, it might lead the child to develop a negative self- concept thus
leading to failures.
Teachers' Expectations
4. Streaming involves separating children into different
ability groups called 'streams'.They are taught separately
from the other.
Becker shows that teachers don't see working class
children as ideal pupils because they tend to see them as
lacking ability thus working class children are found to be
in lower streams. Once they are streamed, it is less likely
for them to move up the streams.The children in the
lower streams 'get the message' that the teachers have
written them off as no-hopers.
This creates the SFP in which pupils live up to their
teachers' low expectations by underachieving. By
contrast, middle class pupils tend to benefit as they are
closer to the 'ideal pupil'.
Streaming and the SFP
