The pygmalion effect in inclusive schools

The appraisals that students receive at school can have important repercussions on their personal growth and on the development of individual self-esteem. The evaluation in the school context can be traced back to both the informal plan, whose actors are not only teachers but all those involved in the interactions, including students, but can also be traced back to a formal plan, the main actors of which are precisely the teachers who, through tests of various kinds, are required to make judgments on the academic performance of students. Both types of assessment can have important influences on those involved in the interaction process and significantly affect each person's overall school experience. These aspects are more relevant when taking into consideration pupils in disadvantaged conditions who, unfortunately, may encounter more frequent phenomena of discomfort and social exclusion. The evaluation in the educational and scholastic domain is configured, as in other contexts, as a process that is primarily subjective and that can be influenced by stereotypes or prejudices that can invalidate its objectivity. The aim of this work is to reflect on the possible consequences deriving from evaluation distortions by teachers on school inclusion. In particular, we will try to investigate the possible implications, both positive and negative, that the "Pygmalion Effect" or "Rosenthal Effect" can have in the school context and, in particular, on the emotional and motivational components of students who are in conditions of fragility.