PGCE Pedagogy and Teaching Methods 2

Question 1

What does 'scaffolding' mean in teaching practice?

Accepted Answer

Providing temporary support structures that help pupils access and complete tasks beyond their current independent ability

Answer

Scaffolding provides temporary, tailored support (prompts, frames, worked examples) that enables pupils to achieve more than they could independently, and is gradually removed as competence grows.

Question 2

What is 'metacognition' and why is it important for pupil learning?

Accepted Answer

Thinking about one's own thinking - planning, monitoring and evaluating one's own learning strategies

Answer

Metacognition - the ability to reflect on and regulate one's own learning - is one of the highest-impact strategies identified by the EEF, with an average effect of +7 months progress.

Question 3

In Bloom's Taxonomy, which level requires the highest order of thinking?

Accepted Answer

Creating

Answer

In the revised Bloom's Taxonomy (Anderson and Krathwohl, 2001), 'Creating' (synthesis) sits at the top, requiring pupils to generate new ideas, products or ways of viewing things.

Question 4

What is 'cold calling' as a classroom questioning strategy?

Accepted Answer

Selecting pupils to answer questions without them volunteering, to ensure wider participation

Answer

Cold calling involves the teacher selecting pupils to respond to questions regardless of whether they have raised their hands, improving participation and formative assessment coverage.

Question 5

What does 'wait time' mean in classroom questioning, and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

The pause after asking a question before accepting an answer, which improves quality of responses

Answer

Research by Mary Budd Rowe shows that increasing wait time from 1 to 3 or more seconds substantially improves the quality and length of pupil answers and increases participation.

PGCE Practice Test

PGCE Practice Test

PGCE Pedagogy and Teaching Methods 2