Student Achievement: A Factor in Classroom Dynamics?

This study examined differences in interaction patterns between teachers and high and low achieving and high and low expectation students. Records of verbal teacher-student interactions, both public and private, were obtained through videotaping ten grade 3 and grade 6 classes during mathematics and language lessons. Teachers tended to interact most frequently with high achieving and high expectancy students, particularly at the grade 6 level, but consistently spent more time waiting for and interacting with low achieving and low expectation students.