BEd Bachelor of Education Bachelor of Education Learning and Development Principles 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher notices a student avoids challenging tasks to protect their self-image. This behavior is best explained by which motivational theory?
- Self-determination theory
- Attribution theory
- Self-worth theory (Correct answer)
- Expectancy-value theory
Correct answer: Self-worth theory
Self-worth theory (Covington) proposes that students may avoid effort to preserve their sense of ability, since failure after trying threatens self-worth.
Question 2: Which type of play, described by Mildred Parten, involves children playing alongside each other without direct interaction?
- Cooperative play
- Associative play
- Parallel play (Correct answer)
- Solitary play
Correct answer: Parallel play
Parallel play occurs when children engage in similar activities side by side but do not coordinate or share goals, typical around ages 2–3.
Question 3: According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, the central conflict of the school-age years (6–12) is:
- Trust vs. mistrust
- Initiative vs. guilt
- Industry vs. inferiority (Correct answer)
- Identity vs. role confusion
Correct answer: Industry vs. inferiority
During the industry vs. inferiority stage, children develop competence through schoolwork and peer comparison, with success building a sense of capability.
Question 4: A teacher uses think-alouds and graphic organizers to support reading comprehension. This practice primarily reflects which approach?
- Direct instruction of metacognitive strategies (Correct answer)
- Differentiated instruction
- Inquiry-based learning
- Cooperative learning
Correct answer: Direct instruction of metacognitive strategies
Think-alouds and graphic organizers are metacognitive tools that make thinking visible, directly teaching students how to monitor and organize their comprehension.
Question 5: The principle that children can learn by observing others without direct reinforcement is central to which theory?
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
- Social cognitive theory (Correct answer)
- Information processing theory
Correct answer: Social cognitive theory
Bandura's social cognitive theory demonstrates through the Bobo doll experiments that children can acquire new behaviors by observing and imitating models.
Question 6: Which memory system stores general factual knowledge independent of personal experience, such as knowing that Paris is the capital of France?
- Episodic memory
- Procedural memory
- Semantic memory (Correct answer)
- Working memory
Correct answer: Semantic memory
Semantic memory holds general world knowledge and facts that are not tied to specific personal experiences or contexts.
Question 7: A preschool teacher designs lessons around children's natural curiosity and lets them explore materials freely. This approach most closely aligns with:
- Direct instruction
- Montessori philosophy (Correct answer)
- Behaviorist principles
- Explicit teaching
Correct answer: Montessori philosophy
The Montessori approach emphasizes child-led exploration, prepared environments, and intrinsic motivation rather than teacher-directed lessons.
BEd Bachelor of Education Bachelor of Education Learning and Development Principles 3
A teacher notices a student avoids challenging tasks to protect their self-image.
This behavior is best explained by which motivational theory?