University of Tabriz Journal of Philosophical Investigations 2251-7960 20 54 2026 01 21 Teacher Expectations of South Asian Students in a Hong Kong Primary School Teacher Expectations of South Asian Students in a Hong Kong Primary School 321 342 21252 10.22034/jpiut.2026.21252 FA Jessika Clarkson Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Miron Bhomwik Department of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Liz Jackson Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Journal Article 2026 02 18 South Asian ethnic minorities (SAEMs) represent a growing population in Hong Kong public education. However, schools struggle to offer them fair and equitable education. One frequently mentioned, but rarely studied component in their performance is teachers’ lower expectations. This article reports on a qualitative case study to examine ethnically Chinese teachers’ expectations of South Asian students in a public primary school in Hong Kong. Five Chinese teachers were interviewed, with observations in three of these teachers’ classrooms. Results indicate teachers have lower expectations. Several influencing factors were identified, including perceptions of cultural differences between Chinese teachers and South Asian ethnic minorities’ families and inadequate training of teachers in Chinese as a second language and incorporating diversified learning strategies into the curriculum. This is one of the first studies specifically focused on exploring in greater details primary teachers’ expectations about South Asian students in Hong Kong. South Asian ethnic minorities (SAEMs) represent a growing population in Hong Kong public education. However, schools struggle to offer them fair and equitable education. One frequently mentioned, but rarely studied component in their performance is teachers’ lower expectations. This article reports on a qualitative case study to examine ethnically Chinese teachers’ expectations of South Asian students in a public primary school in Hong Kong. Five Chinese teachers were interviewed, with observations in three of these teachers’ classrooms. Results indicate teachers have lower expectations. Several influencing factors were identified, including perceptions of cultural differences between Chinese teachers and South Asian ethnic minorities’ families and inadequate training of teachers in Chinese as a second language and incorporating diversified learning strategies into the curriculum. This is one of the first studies specifically focused on exploring in greater details primary teachers’ expectations about South Asian students in Hong Kong. https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_21252_99356ea93aa9597a790a7d2bc3011362.pdf