This conventional wisdom has been confirmed by studies indicating that ratings given to teachers whose behavior is described as enthusiastic are significantly related to student achievement. That is, higher levels of enthusiasm correlate positively with higher student achievement. In these studies, teachers perceived as teaching enthusiastically are described variously as stimulating, energetic, mobile and animated, as well as straightforwardly enthusiastic. In some studies, teachers are perceived as enthusiastic because they appear interested in, excited by, and involved in the subject matter. Other studies merely suggest that specific physical behaviors such as movement, gesture, variation in voice, and eye contact are also related to student achievement.
Experience readily connects such behaviors to an enthusiastic person.
Interestingly, studies suggest that teacher enthusiasm is less significant for young children than was once thought. It is hypothesized that an overtly enthusiastic manner may be distracting or overstimulating to very young learners. Also, it is thought possible that certain teaching procedures routinely used with young children are powerful enough treatments to act effectively independent of factors such as teacher enthusiasm. In any case, the effects of enthusiasm are now connected to the middle and high school years. Beyond these general findings, researchers are reluctant to posit many claims about the effects of enthusiastic teaching.