Pedagogy Subtest 1

Question 1

1. A tenth-grade teacher decides to have students engage in a series of debates on several school-related topics, such as the school dress code and extending the school day. This type of activity is particularly appropriate for tenth-grade students primarily because students at this age have typically developed the ability to:

A) recognize multiple perspectives on an issue.
B) consider the implications of complex moral decisions.
C) distinguish between arguments and discussions.
D) engage in formal operational thinking.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

2. Which of the following behaviors among students in a middle school is most closely related to the process of identity formation?

a) preferring to work collaboratively with peers on long- and short-term projects in academic courses
b) forming cliques whose members consistently dress and behave in distinctive or unconventional ways
c) working more diligently in classes whose teachers are perceived to be kinder and more supportive
d) seeking the assistance of close friends when confronting difficult personal situations or decisions

Answer 2

B

Question 3

3. In a middle school, suspensions due to fights among students have increased in recent years. Research suggests that school staff can best reduce this type of behavior by emphasizing which of the following approaches?

a) implementing units at each grade level to teach students the elements and applications of moral reasoning
b) helping students learn to identify and avoid negative situations that appear likely to escalate in intensity
c) providing students with explicit training and practice in the use of conflict resolution skills
d) increasing the severity of consequences for students who exhibit violent behavior on school grounds

Answer 3

C

Question 4

4. A middle school student with a poor self-concept in a particular academic area is most likely to experience which of the following difficulties in that area?

a) monitoring his or her understanding of material
b) estimating his or her competence and ability accurately
c) working effectively with others on small-group tasks
d) maintaining a consistent level of performance

Answer 4

B

Question 5

5. Compared with the moral development of middle school students, the moral development of older adolescents is more likely to have progressed to:

a) a recognition that morality is a relative concept that depends on one’s motivations and life circumstances.
b) a deference to the moral values of individuals who hold positions of authority in society.
c) an understanding of morality in which behaviors and decisions are more closely aligned with their personal values and beliefs.
d) a vision of morality that is influenced primarily by peers of the same age and background.

Answer 5

C

Question 6

6. A high school teacher often has students debate issues related to current topics of study. The teacher has decided to instruct students in recognizing logical fallacies (e.g., red herrings, ad hominem, slippery slope). Instruction in this area is likely to be most effective in promoting which of the following cognitive abilities?

a) concept generalization
b) hypothetical thinking
c) perspective taking
d) analytical reasoning

Answer 6

D

Question 7

7. The regular use of substances such as alcohol or drugs has been shown by medical research to affect the learning and development of high school students primarily by:

a) altering the way the brain processes and retains information.
b) diminishing healthy levels of anxiety.
c) decreasing engagement and participation in school activities.
d) causing an overall reduction in IQ level.

Answer 7

A

Question 8

8. A middle school teacher’s class is highly diverse in terms of students’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds, ability levels, and socioeconomic status. In a class with this degree of diversity, which of the following factors is likely to have the greatest positive influence on students’ learning?

a) The teacher emphasizes a highly structured large-group approach to instruction.
b) Students have significant input into decisions about instructional goals and timelines for various learning tasks.
c) Students have many opportunities to compare their performance to that of their peers.
d) The teacher communicates high expectations for students’ learning and a belief in students’ ability to be successful.

Answer 8

D

Question 9

9. When teaching students new concepts, a teacher makes a point of following direct instruction with guided and independent practice activities. Though students seem to have a good grasp of new concepts at the time, the teacher discovers that they are often unable to remember what they have learned. Which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective in enhancing students’ ability to internalize newly learned concepts?

a) having students use a section of their binders to maintain an ongoing list of newly learned concepts
b) stating for students the targeted concept at the beginning and end of each lesson
c) identifying a variety of authentic contexts in which students can apply newly learned concepts
d) using various incentive systems to reward students for mastering new concepts

Answer 9

C

Question 10

10. A middle school has recently purchased software for school computers. The new software provides the capability to create webs, flowcharts, T-charts, and other types of organizers. Having students use this type of software regularly can be expected to enhance their learning most in which of the following areas?

a) fostering in students a sense of confidence in their ability to learn challenging content
b) facilitating students’ ability to achieve content standards at a more rapid pace
c) helping students visualize more clearly relationships between important concepts and ideas
d) encouraging students to relate new concepts to their own experiential backgrounds

Answer 10

C

Question 11

11. In which of the following situations are teacher expectations most likely to have a negative influence on students who are low achievers?

a) The teacher allows low-achieving students slightly more time to respond to questions during discussions than high-achieving students.
b) The teacher selects less difficult reading material for students who are less proficient readers than for students who are more proficient readers.
c) The teacher provides more scaffolding to students who are struggling to learn than to students who are performing as expected.
d) The teacher accepts from low-achieving students work of poorer quality than work from high-achieving students.

Answer 11

D

Question 12

12. Which of the following practices by a sixth-grade mathematics teacher is most likely to have a negative effect on students who perform below grade level expectations?

a) using frequent informal assessments to monitor students’ progress
b) relying heavily on partner and small-group activities during instruction
c) providing manipulative materials for students’ use as needed
d) implementing long-term homogeneous grouping for instruction

Answer 12

D

Question 13

13. A ninth-grade English teacher wants to enhance students’ comprehension of the literature they are reading. Providing students with instruction and practice in using which of the following strategies is likely to be most effective for this purpose?

a) mnemonics
b) chunking
c) visualization
d) scanning

Answer 13

C

Question 14

14. A middle school is located in a community with limited educational resources, and many students have limited Internet access. In this situation, teachers at the school should make which of the following instructional goals their first priority?

a) incorporating opportunities for students to engage in collaboration as a regular part of instruction
b) using frequent formative assessment of student learning throughout the instructional cycle
c) ensuring that students have the background knowledge needed to benefit fully from instruction
d) using discovery methods as the primary means for introducing new instructional topics

Answer 14

C

Question 15

15. A ninth-grade teacher frequently assigns student projects. First the teacher discusses the objectives for the project with students. Next the students develop a project plan, outlining the activities they will perform and products they will develop to achieve the targeted objectives, and then they review their plan with the teacher. This approach is likely to be most effective in achieving which of the following goals?

a) supporting students in assuming responsibility for their own learning
b) communicating to students high expectations for their performance and learning
c) increasing the relevance of academic content to students’ lives and experiences
d) ensuring that instruction is responsive to students’ individual needs and interests

Answer 15

A

Question 16

16. At the beginning of the school year, a seventh-grade teacher learns that the class will include a student who has been identified as gifted. Which of the following actions by the teacher would be most effective in addressing the academic needs of this student?

a) providing independent enrichment activities that prompt the student to explore current topics of study in greater depth and complexity
b) developing more lengthy class and homework assignments to ensure that the student is fully engaged in learning
c) assigning the student to prepare and teach a lesson to the rest of the class at least once during each instructional unit
d) including in the classroom library a selection of advanced materials on topics that are likely to interest the student

Answer 16

A

Question 17

17. During instruction, a teacher tries to use examples from a variety of cultures and groups to illustrate key lesson concepts and regularly incorporates information about the contributions and perceptions of diverse groups. This practice is likely to enhance students’ learning primarily by:

a) increasing their comfort level with open-ended activities that allow for many different responses.
b) promoting their ability to discuss effectively a wide range of content-related topics and issues.
c) helping them learn to recognize signs of stereotypical thinking in themselves and others.
d) allowing them to view content they are learning through the lens of many different perspectives.

Answer 17

D

Question 18

18. Which of the following behaviors by a fifth-grade English language learner represents the most advanced stage of second-language acquisition?

a) using primarily present tense verbs in conversation
b) asking clarifying questions to enhance understanding
c) providing single sentence responses to literal questions
d) producing simple sentences in social contexts

Answer 18

B

Question 19

19. Which of the following actions is most important in addressing the learning needs of a student with a mild hearing loss?

a) ensuring that the student has an unobstructed view of the teacher during instruction
b) repeating directions for activities and assignments for the student at least three times
c) providing the student with a study carrel in a quiet area of the classroom for independent work
d) posing questions to the student more frequently than to peers to check for understanding

Answer 19

A

Question 20

20. Students with specific learning disabilities most often demonstrate which of the following learning profiles?

a) inconsistent pace in achievement of academic expectations for the student’s age and grade level
b) persistent evidence of academic underachievement despite average intelligence and the provision of research-based instruction and intervention
c) a regular pattern of below grade-level performance across academic areas for two or more consecutive years
d) ongoing need for teacher and/or peer guidance and support to complete both in-class assignments and long-term projects

Answer 20

B

Question 21

21. A teacher decides to assign students to study teams. The purpose of the teams is for students to help each other throughout the year (e.g., gathering handouts for an absent classmate, helping each other prepare for tests). The teacher first observes how students relate to each other for a few weeks before assigning teams. Then the teacher provides students with explicit instruction in how the teams are to function. These study teams can be expected to benefit students most by:

a) enhancing students’ overall motivation to succeed academically.
b) establishing a network of peers to provide students with academic support.
c) promoting the development of students’ collaboration skills.
d) maximizing the amount of time students are engaged in active learning

Answer 21

B

Question 22

22. One student in a tenth-grade teacher’s English class has a history of low achievement in English and shows little motivation for learning. The student reads at grade level and demonstrates a good understanding of content in class discussions. However, when given a choice of activities, the student almost always selects those that are least demanding and turns in work that meets only the minimum performance criteria. In discussions with the teacher about these issues, the student states, “I’ve never been any good at reading and writing and it’s too late to get better now.” This student is most clearly exhibiting signs of:

a) perfectionism.
b) learned helplessness.
c) depression.
d) cognitive delay.

Answer 22

B

Question 23

23. A teacher who is reflecting on the learning environment in a class should give the highest priority to addressing which of the following issues?

a) Many students tend to choose the same partner for activities in which students will work in pairs.
b) Two students with disabilities frequently appear to be isolated and ignored by their classmates.
c) Some students are substantially more communicative about their thoughts and feelings than others.
d) During small-group activities, students often initiate informal competitions with peers in other groups.

Answer 23

B

Question 24

Question 24
24. A teacher can best promote productive academic discussions by taking which of the following steps firststart italics?

a) informing students that the content of the discussion will be included on tests
b) assigning one student responsibility for leading and summarizing the discussion
c) reminding students of the importance of being polite during discussions
d) ensuring that students understand the goals and purpose of the discussion

Answer 24

D

Question 25

25. Which of the following teaching practices is likely to have the greatest positive effect on students’ motivation to achieve?

a) presenting instruction in small increments with frequent reviews of content
b) allowing students to choose the peers they wish to work with in group activities
c) providing instructional tasks that are meaningful and relevant to students’ experiences
d) using peer and self-assessment as the primary methods for assigning grades

Answer 25

C