FED Foundations of Education 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 primarily prohibits:
- Prayer in public schools
- Sex discrimination in federally funded education programs (Correct answer)
- Corporal punishment in public schools
- Racial quotas in college admissions
Correct answer: Sex discrimination in federally funded education programs
Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
Question 2: Which term describes the belief that intelligence and ability are fixed traits that cannot be significantly changed through effort?
- Growth mindset
- Fixed mindset (Correct answer)
- Constructivism
- Behaviorism
Correct answer: Fixed mindset
Psychologist Carol Dweck coined 'fixed mindset' to describe the belief that talent is innate and effort has little impact on outcomes.
Question 3: The 'Common Core State Standards' were primarily designed to establish:
- A single national curriculum mandated by the federal government
- Consistent academic expectations across participating states (Correct answer)
- Minimum teacher certification requirements nationwide
- Standardized school funding formulas for all districts
Correct answer: Consistent academic expectations across participating states
Common Core established shared learning goals in math and English language arts across states, though adoption remained voluntary.
Question 4: In Benjamin Bloom's original taxonomy, which level represents the highest-order thinking skill?
- Application
- Analysis
- Synthesis (Correct answer)
- Knowledge
Correct answer: Synthesis
In Bloom's original 1956 taxonomy, Synthesis — combining elements into a new whole — was the highest cognitive level, later relabeled 'Creating' in the revised version.
Question 5: Which sociologist introduced the concept of 'cultural capital' to explain educational inequality?
- Max Weber
- Émile Durkheim
- Pierre Bourdieu (Correct answer)
- Karl Marx
Correct answer: Pierre Bourdieu
Pierre Bourdieu argued that students from higher social classes possess cultural capital — familiarity with dominant culture — that gives them an advantage in school.
Question 6: A teacher who uses extrinsic rewards such as stickers and prizes to motivate students is drawing primarily on which theoretical framework?
- Constructivism
- Behaviorism (Correct answer)
- Humanism
- Cognitivism
Correct answer: Behaviorism
Behaviorism, pioneered by Skinner and Pavlov, explains learning through stimulus-response patterns and the use of reinforcements and punishments.
Question 7: Which landmark report, published in 1983, declared the U.S. education system to be in crisis with the phrase 'a rising tide of mediocrity'?
- Goals 2000
- A Nation at Risk (Correct answer)
- Improving America's Schools Act
- The Coleman Report
Correct answer: A Nation at Risk
'A Nation at Risk,' issued by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, warned that declining academic standards threatened U.S. economic competitiveness.
FED Foundations of Education 3
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 primarily prohibits: