FED Foundations of Education 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which U.S. Supreme Court case established that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional?
- Plessy v. Ferguson
- Brown v. Board of Education (Correct answer)
- Engel v. Vitale
- Tinker v. Des Moines
Correct answer: Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and ruled that 'separate but equal' schools violated the Equal Protection Clause.
Question 2: The philosophy of pragmatism in education is most closely associated with which thinker?
- Immanuel Kant
- John Dewey (Correct answer)
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- Friedrich Froebel
Correct answer: John Dewey
John Dewey championed pragmatism and progressive education, arguing that learning must connect to real-life experience and problem-solving.
Question 3: Which federal law mandates a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for students with disabilities?
- Every Student Succeeds Act
- Title IX
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Correct answer)
- Carl D. Perkins Act
Correct answer: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide FAPE and develop an IEP for each eligible student.
Question 4: In Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, the 'zone of proximal development' refers to:
- Skills a learner has already mastered independently
- The gap between what a learner can do alone and with guidance (Correct answer)
- A student's IQ range for a given age
- The physical space optimized for collaborative learning
Correct answer: The gap between what a learner can do alone and with guidance
Vygotsky defined the ZPD as the distance between a learner's actual developmental level and their potential level with skilled assistance.
Question 5: Which educational philosophy holds that schools should transmit a core body of established knowledge and cultural heritage?
- Progressivism
- Existentialism
- Essentialism (Correct answer)
- Social reconstructionism
Correct answer: Essentialism
Essentialism argues that education should focus on essential knowledge and skills that have proven valuable across generations.
Question 6: The concept of the 'hidden curriculum' in schools refers to:
- Elective courses not listed in the official catalog
- Unwritten norms, values, and behaviors implicitly taught (Correct answer)
- Classified government-mandated content standards
- Online courses delivered without teacher knowledge
Correct answer: Unwritten norms, values, and behaviors implicitly taught
The hidden curriculum encompasses implicit lessons about authority, conformity, and social roles that schools convey beyond formal instruction.
Question 7: Which historical figure is credited with founding the kindergarten movement?
- Maria Montessori
- Johann Pestalozzi
- Friedrich Froebel (Correct answer)
- Horace Mann
Correct answer: Friedrich Froebel
Friedrich Froebel established the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837, emphasizing play as a vehicle for young children's learning.
FED Foundations of Education 2
Which U.S.
Supreme Court case established that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional?