ABSTRACT
This chapter describes both the factors that are critical in the teacher’s development of expectations for various groups of her pupils and the process by which such expectations influence the classroom experience. Lack of communication with the teacher, lack of involvement in the class activities and infrequent instruction all characterized the situation of the children. The discussion of the self-fulfilling prophecy is relevant: given the extent to which the teacher utilized control-oriented behavior with the Clowns, data from the leadership and performance studies would indicate that it would be more difficult for that group to experience a positive learning situation. If the classrooms observed had contained only those students perceived by the teachers as having a desirable social status and a high probability of future success outside the confines of the ghetto community, the teachers could be assumed to have continued to teach well, and under these circumstances, to the entire class.
