Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Teacher expectations refer to the beliefs and assumptions that educators hold about their students' abilities, behavior, and potential for academic success.
Related terms
Self-fulfilling prophecy: A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when someone's belief or prediction about a future event influences their actions in such a way that it causes the prediction to come true.
Stereotype threat: Stereotype threat is the anxiety or fear experienced by individuals who feel at risk of conforming to negative stereotypes about their social group. It can negatively affect performance in academic settings.
Halo effect: The halo effect refers to the tendency of people to assume that if an individual possesses one positive characteristic or trait, they must also possess other positive characteristics or traits. This bias can influence teacher expectations and student performance.