Student perceptions of differential teacher treatment in open and traditional classrooms.

234 4th–6th graders from 8 open and 8 traditional classrooms completed the Teacher Treatment Inventory, rating the frequency with which 44 teacher behaviors were accorded 1 of 4 hypothetical target students. Nominations by principals and teacher self-ratings on the Walberg-Thomas Open Education Teacher Questionnaire were used to operationally define classroom structure. Ss described low achievers (LAs) as the recipients of more negative feedback, teacher direction, schoolwork, and rule orientation than high achievers (HAs). HAs were perceived as receiving higher expectations and more opportunity and choice than LAs. These treatment differences were perceived regardless of sex of student rated. The hypothesis that Ss in open classrooms would perceive less differential treatment of HAs and LAs than Ss in traditional classrooms was not supported. Although unrelated to the open or traditional orientation of teachers, classrooms did differ in the extent of differential treatment perceived by Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)