Effects of Familiarity on Teachers' Expectations on Hmong Students

Research has shown teachers base their expectations on student characteristics such as gender, SES, and ethnicity. These expectations can have an effect on students because they may influence teachers’ behaviors. This study attempted to investigate the role of familiarity on teachers’ expectations for students of an ethnic group that has not been studied to date, namely, the Hmong. Surveys were completed by 55 teaching staff in public elementary schools with the highest and lowest percentages of Hmong students in a school district in the Upper Midwest. Ratings of Hmong and Non-Hmong students on classroom behavior and academic performance were compared. The results showed that teaching staff tended to rate Hmong students higher than Non-Hmong students in areas of positive classroom behavior and some academic areas, whereas Non-Hmong students tended to be rated higher on negative classroom behaviors. Teaching staff in schools with the highest percentage of Hmong students tended to rate Hmong students higher than did staff in schools with the lowest percentages of Hmong students, suggesting that more familiarity with Hmong students may lead to more positive expectations of them.