Abstract
Expectations are beliefs that someone should or will achieve something. Expectations influence performance—positive expectations improve outcomes, whereas negative expectations worsen them. This interaction is well known in the context of education and academic performance; however, we do not know how teacher expectations changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used a descriptive qualitative approach to explore the impact of the COVID-19 public health measures on expectations in schools. Specifically, to what extent did teacher expectations for students and themselves change during this unprecedented period. In addition, to what extent did teachers’ perceptions of what administrators expectated from them change during this same period. Twelve teachers were purposefully sampled across Canada and interviewed in the spring of 2021. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results generally indicated that expectations for students and for teachers (i.e., themselves) changed. Students were still expected to do their best and teachers still generally had high expectations for themselves, but their expectations were tempered depending on each group’s needs. For example, if students showed significant behavioural or emotional needs, academic expectations were reduced. Administrators made some efforts to be supportive and realistic during this time; however, many participants felt it was not enough and found their administrator’s expectations were unrealistically high. Furthermore, participants described greater difficulty develo** relationships with students during the pandemic, which also impacted how much teachers could expect of them. The findings contribute to the literature by providing suggestions for future research and proposing an expanded version of a conceptual model for expectations in schools. More importantly, the findings can inform school leaders on how to best support teachers, and how teachers can support and advocate for themselves, during high-stress situations or extreme circumstances such as a pandemic.
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The first author would like to acknowledge the financial support that was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral program.
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Flanagan, A.M., Cormier, D.C., Daniels, L.M. et al. Exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teacher expectations in schools. Soc Psychol Educ (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09924-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09924-0