Teacher Stereotyping and the halo effect

Teacher Stereotyping and the halo effect

1. Long Established sociologists such as Rist, Hargreaves, Cicourel and Kitsuse, Becker and Keddie's research shows that teachers initially evaluate pupils in relation to their stereotypes of the 'ideal pupil' (Speech, dress, personality, cooperativeness, politeness are factors of this).

2. Harvey and Slatin showed photographs of children from different ethnic and social class backgrounds to a sample of ninety six primary school teachers, and they found white, middle class children were identifieed as more likely to be successful students, while teachers had lowered expectations of those from poorer and non-white backgrounds.

3. Gillborn found that this 'ideal pupil' stereotype held by teachers also favours those who are white, and that many teachers simply do not see black children as likely academic successes. He found teachers were denying opportunities to black children, especially black Caribbean pupils, regardless of their social class or gender, their ability or achievements, their subject choices or their drive and ambition.

4. Hartley and Sutton suggest the 'ideal pupil' stereotype is also more likely to be applied to girls, including Indian-Asian girls, than to boys.

   • Students (particularly male) from lower-working-class homes, and from some ethnic groups, are often seen as being poorly motivated and lacking support from home, and liable to be disruptive during lessons. This may mean that they are perceived by teachers as lacking ability, even if they are very able.