Teacher Expectations Through the Eyes of Students and Teachers: A Qualitative Multiple-Case Study

Teacher expectations are strongly shaped by educational tracking, with students in lower tracks often perceived as less capable, less motivated, and more disruptive. Such expectations can lead to teachers adjusting their educational goals and behaviours in the classroom, contributing to a self-fulfilling prophecy. This multiple-case study examined teacher expectations in five grade 8 lower track classrooms in Flanders, Belgium. Interviews and focus groups with teachers and students were analysed using a framework of high- and low-expectation behaviours. Students mainly emphasized teachers’ relational behaviours, such as care and support, rather than pedagogical strategies as indicators for teacher expectations. Although most teachers and students described predominantly high expectation behaviours, both groups expressed negative perceptions of the track itself. Teachers attributed students’ difficulties to external factors beyond their control, reflecting a deficit-oriented perspective. These findings suggest that tracking continues to shape teacher expectations and students’ educational experiences in ways that may reproduce existing inequalities.