Explain how a positive stereotype such as "Asian students are smart" can become a self-fulfilling prophecy similar to what Rist viewed in teacher expectations of students based on their social class

Question

What will be an ideal response

Answer 1

Rist observed teachers separating students into groups and labeling them in ways that distinguished their academic ability. They then treated them accordingly, resulting in informal tracking that lasted throughout their education. There are many stereotypes that label individuals in our society. These stereotypes influence the way teachers perceive students. If a teacher perceives their Asian students to be smarter than other students they are likely to treat them differently than others students. For example, they will have higher expectations. Rist's and other research support the theory that higher teacher expectations can lead to increased performance in students. Therefore, in this case, the Asian students would likely be tracked down a highly achieving academic path that will result in them fulfilling the label originally given to them, thus, the self-fulfilling prophecy.