El efecto Pigmalión y su influencia en la autoestima del alumnado de Educación Infantil

Resumo

Pygmalion effect refers to the role that expectations, both, our own and those that others have about us, play in people ́s behavior. Within the educational field, this effect directly influences the relationships that teachers develop with their students and, at the same time, the construction of their self-esteem and academic performance. However, there are not, in our knowledge, previous systematic review studies that have analyzed this casuistry. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of the Pygmalion effect on the self-esteem of Childhood students. To this aim, a systematic review of the scientific literature published up to April 2022 was carried out through the databases Eric, Dialnet and PsycInfo. The positive and negative consequences that teachers' expectations can have on children's personality and learning have been corroborated. It has been concluded that knowing the Pygmalion effect allows us to create a healthy and respectful learning climate, to give a critical and positive feedback, to enhance academic achievement and to improve our own and students’ self-esteem. Moreover, a series of guidelines or recommendations have been included to show how to develop teaching in the most beneficial way, using the Pygmalion effect as a pedagogical tool.