Developmental Psychology in Schools

Question 1

What term is used to refer to any theory or practice related to teaching

Answer 1

Pedogogy

Question 2

What role did Piaget emphasise for the teacher?

Answer 2

Providing the best physical environment for the child to overcome their egocentrism and develop conservation

Question 3

What is meant by the term discovery learning?

Answer 3

Encouraging children to learn by themselves

Question 4

What is the most efficient way of learning?

Answer 4

Guided discovery, where children are the centre of their learning, but a teacher provides feedback as they develop their understanding.

Question 5

How did Piaget propose children overcome egocentrism?

Answer 5

Interaction with peers because this shows the child different perspectives outside their own and their “all knowing” grown ups

Question 6

Explain the terms sociocognitive conflict and cognitive conflict and how they arise

Answer 6

Sociocognitive conflict is a cognitive conflict that arises as a result of a social interaction eg a disagreement. Cognitive conflict arises when there are two or more competing solutions to a situation or problem. Peers provide the ideal amount of sociocognitive conflict when two opposing egocentric views are presented.

Question 7

How does cognitive conflict help overcome egocentrism?

Answer 7

Through these conflicts, children question their own understanding, leading to a resolution of the conflict and cognitive advance.

Question 8

What are meant by peer facilitation effects?

Answer 8

The pairing of two children can have a positive impact on children’s later individual performance. Peer effects are relatively long-lasting.

Question 9

Give an example of peer facilitation effects

Answer 9

Children perform better on classic Piagetian tasks in pairs than alone. The social interaction required to reach a common understanding forces the child to examine their own understanding and compare it to that of the other child, helping the child overcome their own egocentrism.

Question 10

Why might you not notice the effects of peer work immediately?

Answer 10

The benefits of peer interaction are sometimes only observed after a delay. This could happen because the changes in thinking promoted by sociocognitive conflicts help children benefit from subsequent learning experiences.

Question 11

How well do these peer effects translate to more complex problems?

Answer 11

Positive peer interaction effects are not restricted to very young children on Piagetian-based tasks. It also occurs on more complex problem solving and positive peer interaction-effects are not bound to the physical environment, but can also occur while working together on a computer.

Question 12

When do mixed sex pairs work well?

Answer 12

Mixed-sex pairings can work out well if positive collaboration is actively promoted and encouraged. Cognitive advancement is more likely to occur if the more developed peer is the girl.

Question 13

What did Vygotsky believe regarding the sharing of knowledge?

Answer 13

knowledge exists intermentally between individuals before it can exist intramentally, within an individual.

Question 14

How does this belief about knowledge explain Vygostsky’s zone of proximal development?

Answer 14

The child’s intermental ability becomes intramental because of appropriate interaction.

Question 15

What is meant by scaffolding?

Answer 15

Scaffolding is the means by which adults structure and simplify the environment to facilitate children’s learning and to guide them through their zone of proximal development.

Question 16

What are the five methods of scaffolding in the pyramid building task by wood?

Answer 16

General verbal prompts- action is suggested but not specified
Specific verbal instruction- the action is specified but only verbally
Material indications- The materials needed for the task are physically pointed out
Preparation- everything is set up for the child, they only have to complete the action
Demonstration- the adult demonstrates the action for the child

Question 17

How did wood propose failure should be treated in the pyramid building task?

Answer 17

with increasing levels of control, if a child is successful the level of control should decrease

Question 18

What are the two key principles of scaffolding?

Answer 18

Fading- less control with an increased understanding and transfer of responsibility from teacher to learner

Question 19

When getting peers to apply scaffolding to each other what are the ideal pairs?

Answer 19

Of mixed ability and be able to freely share ideas with each other. The higher ability child should focus just above the lower child’s current ability.

Question 20

What does STAD stand for and what is it?

Answer 20

The student teams achievement division is a method showing how peer learning can work. The students are divided into groups of mixed gender, race and ability and are given a topic to discuss until they have come to the conclusion that they know the topic well.

Question 21

What are meant by attainment targets?

Answer 21

Descriptions of the knowledge children should have acquired as they work their way through the education system.

Question 22

What two reference types are usually used in exams?

Answer 22

Most scholastic tests are norm-referenced, they provide a measure of how well children do compared to other children. There are tests that are criterion-referenced and they give a measure of a child’s performance relative to a specified criterion.

Question 23

What is the advantage of criterion referencing?

Answer 23

The advantage of criterion-referenced tests is that teachers know where their efforts should be concentrated on, because the tests give a description of what the child knows, rather than how well he performs compared to others

Question 24

What is the disadvantage of criterion referencing?

Answer 24

The disadvantage of criterion-referenced testing is that it puts a lot of stress on students and that children may develop at a different pace of each other and this puts pressure on them to reach the attainment targets before a certain age.

Question 25

What are the potential benefits of dynamic assessment?

Answer 25

Dynamical assessment of a learner’s potential could be useful next to standard measurement methods, such as tests. Dynamical assessment is a good predictor of cognitive potential.

Question 26

Name a key factor to social pressure in the classroom

Answer 26

Social comparison

Question 27

What is meant by self worth protection?

Answer 27

Self-worth protection is the tendency of some students to reduce their levels of effort so that any subsequent poor academic performance will be attributed to low motivation rather than a lack of ability.

Question 28

What is meant by indirect aggression?

Answer 28

Behaviour such as spreading rumours and social exclusion

Question 29

What is meant by bias bullying?

Answer 29

When the victim is part of a particular group

Question 30

What are the four roles in bullying?

Answer 30

bully, victim, non involved and bully-victim

Question 31

What are the six participant roles in bullying

Answer 31

Ringleader, follower, reinforcer, defender, bystander and victim

Question 32

What factors affect whether the victim will tell anyone?

Answer 32

Amount of people decreases with age, boys are less likely to rat

Question 33

Name some potential causes of bullying

Answer 33

Society factors (tolerance of violence), school climate and quality of teacher and pupil relationships

Question 34

Why may people bully

Answer 34

Popularity and establishing dominance

Question 35

What is bullying an indicator of

Answer 35

prosocial behaviour

Question 36

What can be predictors of bullying behaviour

Answer 36

A harsh physical discipline and an insecure attachment at home. Parental-maltreatment and abuse is a likely risk factor in the bully-victim or aggressive victim group.

Question 37

What can be predictors of being a victim

Answer 37

Having poor social skills and little friendship support is a risk factor for being a victim.

Question 38

What are meant by quality circles

Answer 38

Small groups of children who meet to problem solve issues such as bullying.

Question 39

What are the benefits of cooperative work? What is needed for this to be successful

Answer 39

Cooperative group work may enhance interpersonal relationships and reduce victimisation. Careful management of these groups is necessary.

Question 40

What is SEAL?

Answer 40

Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning is a uk based curriculum that puts emphasis on social and emotional skills

Question 41

Describe two specific methods to reduce bullying

Answer 41

Assertiveness training can help victims or potential victims. Peer support uses the knowledge, skills and experience of children and young people themselves in a planned and structured way to tackle and reduce bullying through proactive and reactive strategies.

Question 42

Is peer support effective in preventing bullying?

Answer 42

Peer support helps the peer supporters and the school climate, but it is uncertain whether it has specific benefits for victims of bullying.

Question 43

How can bullying be reduced in school playgrounds?

Answer 43

Redesigning the playground and trained breaktime supervisors can decrease bullying in the playground in primary schools.

Question 44

What do reactive strategies deal with, what does this usually come in the form of

Answer 44

bullying situations when they have arisen; sanctions

Question 45

What do sanctions consist of?

Answer 45

Direct sanctions may vary in severity and can be used if bullying persists. It includes expelling children if bullying is very severe, or talk with the parents if it is less severe.

Question 46

Explain the two forms of justice named in the book

Answer 46

retributive justice, justice based on retribution. Restorative justice refers to a range of practices which focus on the offender or bullying child made aware of the victim’s feelings and the harm they have caused and making some agreed reparation.

Question 47

What is meant by the method of shared concern?

Answer 47

A counselling based approach for resolving bullying, which aims to sensitise bullying children to the harm they are doing to the victim and encourage positive behaviours to the victim.

Question 48

What is the difference between truants and school refusers?

Answer 48

Truants have no major psychological problem with attending school, but they choose not to. School refusers can be eager to go to school but are unable to because of high levels of anxiety associated with this activity

Question 49

What were school refusers first thought to have

Answer 49

separation anxiety because of an extremely strong bond with the parent

Question 50

What is the difference between school anxiety and school phobia?

Answer 50

School anxiety is a genuine fear related to the school environment and school phobia is related to separation anxiety.

Question 51

What three categories can school refusers be put into?

Answer 51

1. Separations anxiety
2. Specific phobias
3. More General anxiety and depression