Model Students? Teachers' Perceptions and Expectations of Their Asian and White Students

Asian have been considered model students by their teachers. This study examines the various components of the model student, in particular the teachers perceptions of the behavioral and emotional characteristics of their Asian via-a-vis white at both the elementary and secondary level. Significant differences were noted for the general categories of emotonal stabity and academic competence. Multiple classification analysis was conducted to ascertain the effects of ethnicity, father's socioeconomic status, academic competence, emotional stability, and sociability with the teacher's educational expectations of his/her students. It is concluded that there were ethnic differences which favor Asian in the teacher's educational expectations; that these ethnic differences were actually greater due to the lower socioeconomic status of Asians relative to whites; and that these differences were largely explained by the intervening variable teacher's perceived academic competence of their students.