If a theory of education is to be helpful to the practising teacher, it must take the social context of learning into account. Originally published in 1982, Colin Rogers does just this, exploring the implications of two decades’ detailed research in to the social psychology of teaching and learning. The central theme that emerges from this study is the importance of the still controversial ‘teacher-expectancy effect’ – the effect of teachers’ expectations on the performance of pupils. By examining in detail the claims made by those who believe that the expectations of teachers...