The Effective Application Of Pygmalion Effect In Junior English Teaching

Pygmalion effect,also known as the teacher expectation effect,has shown its positive role in education.Many achievements have been made in the theoretical study on Pygmalion effect,however,its application in practical teaching remains insufficient.Concentrating on the effective application of the Pygmalion effect in junior English teaching,this paper presents a comprehensive study including academic score analysis,questionnaire,class observation,and interview on 10 selected sixth-grade students from the class the author teaches in Shanghai Jianping West Middle School.Their scores of the middle-schoolentrance exam,the mid-term exam and the final exam were all recorded and analyzed by the author during the research.It is found that the 10 selected students who were given the positive expectation all have achieved significant improvement in their academic scores.Hence the effectiveness of Pygmalion effect in junior English teaching was verified.A questionnaire to these students was also completed to examine the effect of teacher expectation on the students’ interest and motivation in English learning.Their interest,selfconfidence,motivation of English learning,and the teacher-student relationship were all improved because of the utilizing of the teacher expectation.During the interviews with 3typical students,the inner perception of the teacher expectation and the students’ corresponding learning behavioral changes were revealed.According to all these researches,4 strategies of effectively utilizing Pygmalion effect in junior English teaching were presented and discussed,namely establishing a positive and effective evaluation system,differentiating the transmission of teacher expectation,diversifying the teaching activities and establishing a harmonious relationship between the teacher and the students.The proper and positive utilization of teacher expectation has proven to be helpful to improve teaching quality and stimulate students’ interest and motivation in English learning,as well as improve their academic performance.The strategies presented in this paper offer English teachers useful suggestions on how to improve junior English teaching.