This article focuses on the accounts by teachers who are positioned and who position themselves as “effective.” It draws on the relational aspects of positioning theory with respect to a determination of how the “effective teacher” position necessarily positions students. Findings suggest that students are positioned as (a) individuals within a sociocultural context, (b) fully capable of academic achievement, and (c) responsible for their school success. The third position of students suggests the presence of a seemingly disjointed belief and understanding of students. This work moves beyond simplistic explanations of how this belief may reinforce a competitive and individualistic ideology, suggesting that the presence of seemingly disjointed beliefs and understandings are important to consider in relation to who holds those views, the purpose of such views, and the social context in which those views are advanced.
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