Applying Learning Theories in Scenarios Flashcards

A student is highly engaged in reading because she is allowed to choose her own books. According to self-determination theory, this engagement is primarily supported by:

Answer: The need for autonomy

Self-determination theory identifies autonomy — the feeling of volitional control over one's actions — as a core driver of intrinsic motivation.

A curriculum revisits the theme of ecosystems in 3rd, 6th, and 9th grade, each time adding greater complexity and depth. This design reflects:

Answer: A spiral curriculum

Bruner's spiral curriculum returns to core ideas across grade levels with increasing sophistication so understanding deepens over time.

Rather than explaining how to solve a problem, a teacher provides materials and guiding questions so students discover the solution independently. This instructional approach is called:

Answer: Discovery learning

Discovery learning, associated with Bruner, involves students constructing knowledge through exploration guided by open-ended prompts.

A teacher spreads review sessions across four weeks leading up to a test instead of reviewing everything the night before. Research on memory shows this is more effective because of:

Answer: Distributed (spaced) practice

Distributed practice allows the memory consolidation process to work between sessions, dramatically improving long-term retention compared to massed practice.

A teacher alternates practice problems among fractions, decimals, and percentages within a single session rather than finishing all fraction problems before moving on. This strategy is called:

Answer: Interleaving

Interleaving mixes different problem types or topics during practice, improving the ability to discriminate between concepts and transfer learning.

Before introducing new content, a teacher asks students to close their notes and answer five questions about yesterday's lesson. This practice strengthens retention primarily through:

Answer: Retrieval practice (the testing effect)

Retrieval practice strengthens long-term memory by requiring active recall, which is more effective than passive re-reading or review.

A student refuses to attempt challenging tasks due to fear of failure. Using Weiner's attribution theory, the most effective teacher response is to help the student attribute past failures to:

Answer: Insufficient effort, an internal controllable factor

Attribution theory holds that attributing failure to effort (controllable and internal) promotes persistence, while fixed attributions lead to learned helplessness.