Home > Published Issues > 2026 > Volume 12, Number 1, 2026 >
IJLT 2026 Vol.12(1): 54-63
doi: 10.18178/ijlt.12.1.54-63

Role of Teacher Expectation in Educational Inequality: A Systematic Review of Pathways from Student Background to Outcome

Xiaohuan Chen
College of International Study, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
Email: nulinuli0614@qq.com

Manuscript received April 27, 2025; accepted August 25, 2025; published February 27, 2026.

Abstract—Teacher Expectation (TE) plays a pivotal role in the field of educational equality. However, review studies considering the pathway of the influence of teachers' expectations on educational inequality are still limited. This systematic review synthesized 40 studies to explore how Students' Background (SB) factors, including race, gender, Socioeconomic Status (SES), and ethnicity, shape TE, which in turn influence Student Outcome (SO) across academic, psychological, and behavioral domains. Employing a systematic analysis framework, the result revealed that marginalized student groups (e.g., low-SES males, ethnic minorities, and Black students) face disproportionately lower TE, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage through biased academic tracking, disciplinary referrals, and reduced self-efficacy. Findings also highlighted how TEs reflect and reinforce structural inequities. Moderating factors such as teacher-student demographic alignment, culturally responsive pedagogy, and institutional policies are identified as critical levers for mitigating bias. The study further proposed actionable interventions, including implicit bias training, systemic TE monitoring, and equity-driven school reforms. By integrating fragmented evidence into a cohesive model, this review advanced a global research agenda, emphasizing longitudinal designs, intersectional analyses, and cross-cultural validations to address context-specific inequities. These insights underscore the urgency of reconceptualizing TE as both barriers and catalysts for educational justice, offering a road map for policymakers and educators to disrupt systemic biases and foster inclusive learning environments. 
 
Keywords—Teacher Expectation (TE), Students' Background (SB), Student Outcome (SO), educational inequality 

Cite: Xiaohuan Chen, "Role of Teacher Expectation in Educational Inequality: A Systematic Review of Pathways from Student Background to Outcome," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 54-63, 2026.

Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).