The Bhutanese Leading the way.
By Vansanglura Vanchhawng
Aligning with national education reforms, this article explores how clear teacher expectations in our schools and colleges foster quality education. This collaborative vision bridges students, educators, and the community, supporting Bhutan’s goal of a skilled, value-driven society.
1. Need and Importance of Student-Teacher Participation in Quality Education
Quality education is a fundamental human right. It is officially recognized in global agreements like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10th December 1948. Quality education in the 21st century focuses on critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication, problem-solving skills, and life skills, placing an emphasis on the application of knowledge. It is important to instill in students the ‘Spirit of Enquiry’; free thinking and analysis of everything are essential for cognitive development to the fullest. Education in a wider sense means learning throughout your whole life. Excellence in education is achieved when both teachers and students are highly motivated, possess the academic and professional backgrounds necessary to perform at the highest level, and are sincere in their desire to see each other succeed.
Higher education is rightly beginning to become more responsive to learners’ needs. A new concentration on quality assurance and enhancement has developed over the last few years, and this increasingly makes student engagement one of its cornerstones. It is important to recognize students as the prime stakeholders in quality higher education. Efforts should always be made to promote student participation at all levels of the teaching-learning process on campus.
2. Related Literature on Teachers’ Expectations
The importance of teacher beliefs and expectations in facilitating student learning has long been recognized. All teachers have expectations for their students, as they should. The general claim seems to be that where teachers believe that their students can meet targets and provide appropriate learning opportunities and support, their students are likely to achieve those goals and improve their academic performance.
Expectations can facilitate the setting of achievable yet challenging targets for students. Research clearly establishes that teacher expectations play a significant role in determining how well and how much students learn. Bamburg (1994) found that the expectations teachers have for their students and the assumptions they make about their potential have a tangible effect on student achievement. Raffini (1993) reported that students generally rise or fall to the level of expectation of their teachers. When teachers believe in students, students believe in themselves. When those you respect think you can, you think you can. Brophy (1986) advises teachers to routinely project attitudes, beliefs, expectations, and attributions that imply their students share their own enthusiasm for learning. Research has shown that teachers’ expectations for students, whether high or low, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is, students tend to give to teachers as much or as little as teachers expect of them. Benard (1995) describes the value of high expectations in schools. Schools that establish high expectations for all students and provide the support necessary to achieve these expectations have high rates of academic success.
Meanwhile, research has also shown that teachers’ negative expectations can have a critical effect not only on the opportunities available for students to learn, but also on their actual achievement. Gender (1991) found that when students are viewed as lacking in ability or motivation and are not expected to make significant progress, they tend to adopt this perception of themselves.
When teachers, parents, and administrators maintain high expectations, they encourage in students a desire to aim high rather than to merely slide by. To expect less is to do students a disservice, not a favor. Research suggests that teacher expectations can predict changes in student achievement and behavior. Therefore, it is important that teachers develop positive and meaningful expectations toward their students.
3. Teachers’ Expectations of Students in the Academic Area
Many of today’s students enter college with poor study habits, as well as poor work habits. By clearly defining what is expected from the student in the class, as well as clearly communicating the means through which academic performance is to be measured, a teacher has the best chance of obtaining the maximum effort and best academic performance from each student in the class. College climates characterized by a strong sense of direction and built around student involvement tend to promote favorable outcomes by fostering student-faculty and student-peer relations, as well as establishing an expectation that students will behave responsibly.
It is therefore very important that teachers develop meaningful, positive expectations toward their students. This article highlights some of the important points expected of students by teachers. It is important to know that ‘expectation’ includes duties and responsibilities, as well as mastering a demanding core curriculum and other materials that will prepare them to assume their civic and social responsibilities in society.
3.1. Students Must Actively Participate in the Whole Teaching-Learning Process
Bhutanese college students must actively prepare for lectures by completing readings, framing thoughtful questions, and engaging in peer discussions. Grounded in Gyal-Khab (nation-building) and community values, active participation helps learners bridge traditional wisdom with modern scholarship, taking personal responsibility for their futures and the growth of their campus community.
Recent scholarship has emphasized the importance of student effort and involvement in academic and co-curricular activities as decisive elements in promoting positive college outcomes. Institutions must work to create a climate in which all students feel welcome and able to fully participate. It is equally important to nurture an ethic that demands student commitment and promotes student responsibility. The single decisive factor affecting college outcomes is the degree to which students are integrated into the life of the campus, interact with faculty and peers, and are involved in their studies.
3.2. Readiness to Learn
In higher education, Bhutanese students transition from teacher-led high schools to independent learning. They must take ownership of their studies with dignity and integrity. It is important that schools and higher education institutions, rooted in community values, balance academic curiosity with national responsibility to drive their own intellectual and personal growth. Colleges are learning communities, and students are expected to develop logical inquiry, critical study, originality, analytical thinking, and counter-arguments. They are expected to embrace the pragmatic value of studies, which means they must learn independently and not expect to be spoon-fed.
I challenge my students every semester to step up as future CEOs of the Gelephu Mindfulness City and shape Bhutan’s destiny. I urge them not to just follow instructions blindly, but to be part of the process that decides and leads the Bhutanese nation forward. Our aims and objectives for education must forge fearless leaders who build tomorrow, not just faithful followers who watch it happen. I push my students to “aim beyond the stars, build bold dreams, and turn them into great victories.” Our theme should be: “Think Globally, Act Locally.”
3.3. Use of Different Domains
In Bhutan, students must navigate campus life through traditional and digital spaces—from lecture halls with tech integration to common dining halls and student representative rooms—while upholding the values of Gross National Happiness (GNH) (guided by the Royal University of Bhutan framework). They are expected to engage in practical tasks that build character and wisdom, aligning with national institutional norms that foster personal responsibility, community trust, and a unified campus Tsawa-Sum (the King, the Country, and the People of Bhutan ethos).
3.4. Students Must Engage in Their Reading
To help Bhutanese students engage with reading, teachers can link global literary themes to Gross National Happiness (GNH) values, bridging traditional wisdom and modern challenges. Students often struggle with dense academic texts due to language shifts or abstract contexts. Active journaling combined with guided peer circles can bridge this gap.
Conclusion
To conclude, student engagement and shared responsibility are essential for successful higher education. While colleges must remain transparent and fulfill their societal duties, true academic quality relies on a partnership where active student participation, strong teacher beliefs and expectations, and mutual accountability drive meaningful learning outcomes. Research in education shows that high teacher expectations, a strong belief in student potential, and shared responsibility between teachers and students lead to better learning results.
Bhutan’s education in general, and higher education in particular, is a shared journey where students, teachers, and society build knowledge together. By moving past passive learning and fostering true academic partnerships, we empower our youth with the confidence and skills needed to lead our nation forward. Education remains the ultimate tool to secure a sustainable and prosperous future for Bhutan.
Kadrinchey la.
PhD (Edu)., ThD (USA)., Postdoc in Gifted Education,, Columbia University, New York City.
Professor, Norbuling Rigter College, Paro
