An Investigation of Teacher Expectancies of Instructional Materials

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility that a teacher's preconceived notion of the worth of an instructional material would affect the academic achievement of the children with whom the material was used. Participating teachers were provided with materials accompanied by fictitious evaluative summaries deliberately prepared to bias their opinion in either a positive or negative direction. Analyses of students' pretest and posttest mean scores suggest that the impression a teacher holds of an instructional material may significantly influence subsequent academic achievement. Results also indicate that a teacher's impression of the material may be significantly influenced by the evaluative activities of Special Education Instructional Materials Centers.