ABSTRACT
The idea that aspiration levels influence learning achievement comes from the theories of self-fulfilling prophecy and teacher expectations. Self-fulfilling prophecies are the effects of teacher expectations. Teacher expectations are mainly based on the perceived learning performance and the social background of the pupil. Teacher expectations also indicate how teachers perceive the possibility of the pupil to benefit from instruction. The effect of these expectations is called the sustaining expectation effect. This chapter focuses on a study which was carried out with 11- and 12 year old pupils in grade 8 of 53 schools for primary education in the eastern and southern part of The Netherlands. The study included several questionnaires about contextual and individual variables such as school climate and instruction. The Dutch secondary school system is divided into four types. Students are allocated by selection. The selection is mainly based on the recommendation of the principal of the primary school and on scores on achievements tests.
