Question

Ms. Valentino could tell from the first day of school that Javier was going to be one of her struggling Latino students. He came to school wearing worn clothes. No parent accompanied him, and he acted withdrawn and shy. By the end of the first grading period, she confirmed her impressions. Javier's grades were low. This scenario most likely illustrates:

a. differentiation.
b. the Pygmalion effect.
c. a self-fulfilling prophecy.
d. a sustaining expectation.

Answer 1

The scenario with Ms. Valentino and Javier is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, where teacher expectations influence student performance. Research has shown this effect to be particularly significant among disadvantaged students.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described illustrates c. a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is when a teacher's initial expectations about a student's performance may unconsciously influence their behavior towards the student, which in turn can affect the student's performance, confirming the original expectations. The story of Ms. Valentino and Javier exemplifies this effect, where the teacher's early judgment based on Javier's appearance and behavior might have influenced her interaction with him, potentially contributing to his low grades. Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) found that teacher expectations can have a significant impact on student performance, particularly for disadvantaged students. This highlights a larger issue within education systems that tend to favor students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

Answer 2

The answer is c): a self-fulfilling prophecy

Explanation :

The scenario most likely illustrates a self-fulfilling prophecy because, the prediction or expectation of Ms. Valentino had regarding Javier (i.e., Javier was going to be one of her struggling Latino students), actually came to pass, just the way she felt about it. Her feelings or beliefs were based on prior knowledge she had about Javier’s actions and attitude. Based on Ms. Valentino’s assessment of Javier, she had an expectation about him, and which came to pass—a self-fulfilling prophecy. Self-fulfilling prophecies come to pass, depending on the strength of certain situations that eventually lead to their occurrence.