What impact does a teacher's low academic expectations have on student behavior, according to self-fulfilling prophecy theory?

In the context of self-fulfilling prophecy theory, a teacher's low academic expectations can lead students to internalize and conform to those expectations. When a teacher believes that students have limited potential, they may provide less encouragement, support, and challenges, which can result in students believing they are less capable. This can perpetuate a cycle where students perform in ways that align with the teacher's low expectations, thereby reinforcing those expectations further.

As students receive less stimulation and lower-level assignments, they may become disengaged, not striving for better performance because they feel that their efforts will not be recognized or rewarded. Thus, they may indeed reinforce the teacher's low standards by not demonstrating their full capabilities, ultimately leading to underachievement. This interaction between a teacher's expectations and a student's performance emphasizes how powerful expectations can be in shaping educational outcomes.