CG TET flashcards
115 cards from 10 fact-checked topic notes · English
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Concept of Development — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Development is multidimensional
- It occurs simultaneously across physical, cognitive, emotional, social, language, and moral domains—all interconnected and influencing each other.
- Development is continuous but not uniform
- Changes happen throughout life, but the rate varies—rapid in early childhood, slower in middle childhood, then accelerating again during adolescence.
- Development follows a predictable sequence
- All children follow the same general sequence (sitting before standing, babbling before speaking) though the timing varies individually.
- Development proceeds from general to specific
- A child first makes random arm movements, then learns to reach, then to grasp with the whole hand, and finally to use a pincer grip.
- Cephalocaudal and proximodistal patterns
- Development proceeds from head to toe (cephalocaudal) and from the centre of the body outward (proximodistal).
- Individual differences are normal
- Each child has a unique developmental timetable influenced by both genetic makeup and environmental experiences.
- Critical and sensitive periods exist
- Certain time windows are optimal for acquiring specific skills—language acquisition is easiest before age 7.
- Growth
- Quantitative increase in size, height, weight, or number of cells—measurable and physical
- Development
- Qualitative changes in structure, function, and behaviour—encompasses maturation and learning
- Maturation
- Biological unfolding of genetic potential, relatively independent of experience
- Learning
- Relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience or practice
- Cephalocaudal
- Head-to-tail direction of development (head control before leg control)
Concept of Learning — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Learning is an active process
- Children do not passively absorb information; they actively engage with content, manipulate ideas, ask questions, and make meaning through their own mental effort.
- Prior knowledge serves as foundation
- Every child enters the classroom with existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. New learning happens when children connect incoming information to this existing mental framework.
- Schema theory
- Knowledge is organized in mental structures called schemas. Learning involves either assimilating new information into existing schemas or accommodating schemas to fit new information (Piaget's terms).
- Social construction of knowledge
- Learning is not purely individual—it happens through interaction with peers, teachers, and the cultural environment. Discussion, collaboration, and dialogue are essential (Vygotsky's perspective).
- Context matters
- Learning is situated in specific contexts. Knowledge constructed in meaningful, real-life situations transfers better than abstract, decontextualized facts.
- Learner as meaning-maker
- The child interprets, questions, and transforms information rather than simply copying it. Two children receiving the same instruction may construct different understandings.
- Errors are part of construction
- Mistakes reveal how children are thinking and constructing meaning. They are diagnostic windows, not failures to be punished.
- Learner's role
- Traditional View: Passive receiver · Constructivist View: Active constructor
- Teacher's role
- Traditional View: Transmitter of knowledge · Constructivist View: Facilitator, guide
- Knowledge
- Traditional View: Fixed, to be transferred · Constructivist View: Constructed, personal
- Learning
- Traditional View: Memorization, reproduction · Constructivist View: Understanding, meaning-making
- Assessment focus
- Traditional View: Right answers · Constructivist View: Process of thinking
Measurement of Intelligence — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
- is a numerical score representing an individual's cognitive ability relative to their age group. It is not a fixed, unchangeable trait but can be influenced by environment and education.
- Mental Age (MA)
- refers to the intellectual level at which a child functions, regardless of their actual age. A child with MA of 10 means they perform intellectually like an average 10-year-old.
- Chronological Age (CA)
- is simply the actual age of the child in years and months from birth.
- Individual tests
- are administered one-on-one by trained psychologists and provide detailed assessment (e.g., Stanford-Binet, WISC).
- Group tests
- can be administered to many people simultaneously, are time-efficient but less detailed (e.g., Army Alpha, Army Beta tests).
- Verbal tests
- require language ability—reading, writing, or speaking. They may disadvantage children from different linguistic backgrounds.
- Non-verbal/Performance tests
- use pictures, puzzles, and patterns, making them fairer for children with language barriers or hearing impairments.
- Culture-fair tests
- attempt to minimise cultural and linguistic bias by using universal symbols and patterns (e.g., Raven's Progressive Matrices).
- Above 140
- Genius/Near genius
- 120-140
- Very superior
- 110-120
- Superior
- 90-110
- Normal/Average
Theories of Learning — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)
- Learning occurs when a neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus alone produces the response. The dog salivated to the bell after repeated bell-food pairings.
- Connectionism / Trial and Error (Thorndike)
- Learning is the formation of bonds (connections) between stimuli and responses. The cat in the puzzle box learned to escape through repeated trials, not sudden insight.
- Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
- Behaviour is shaped by its consequences. Reinforcement (positive or negative) increases behaviour; punishment decreases it. The organism operates on the environment.
- Gestalt / Insight Learning (Köhler, Wertheimer)
- Learning is not piecemeal but involves perceiving the whole situation. Köhler's chimpanzee Sultan suddenly stacked boxes to reach bananas — insight, not trial-and-error.
- Cognitive Development (Piaget)
- Children actively construct knowledge through schemas, assimilation and accommodation. Development proceeds through four invariant stages tied to age.
- Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky)
- The gap between what a child can do alone and what the child can do with guidance. Learning leads development when teaching targets this zone.
- Scaffolding (Vygotsky / Bruner)
- Temporary support provided by a more knowledgeable other, gradually removed as the learner gains competence.
- Social Constructivism
- Knowledge is co-constructed through language, culture and social interaction — not built in isolation.
- Pavlov
- Theory Name: Classical Conditioning · Core Idea: S–S association; involuntary response · Famous Experiment / Concept: Dog, bell, salivation
- Thorndike
- Theory Name: Connectionism / Trial-Error · Core Idea: S–R bond; learning by doing · Famous Experiment / Concept: Cat in puzzle box
- Skinner
- Theory Name: Operant Conditioning · Core Idea: Behaviour shaped by reinforcement · Famous Experiment / Concept: Skinner box (rat, pigeon)
- Köhler
- Theory Name: Insight Learning · Core Idea: Sudden perception of solution · Famous Experiment / Concept: Sultan the chimpanzee
Gestalt and Insight — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts"
- This founding principle means that our perception of a complete pattern carries meaning that individual components lack. A melody is more than separate notes; a sentence is more than individual words.
- Perceptual Organization
- The mind automatically organizes sensory information into coherent patterns using innate organizing tendencies, not learned associations.
- Insight Learning
- Learning occurs through sudden understanding of relationships between elements of a problem, not through gradual trial-and-error. The learner perceives the whole situation, reorganizes it mentally, and arrives at a solution.
- Köhler's Chimpanzee Experiments (1913–1920)
- Köhler studied chimpanzees on Tenerife island. In his famous experiment, Sultan the chimpanzee joined two sticks to reach a banana placed outside his cage—a solution that appeared suddenly after a period of apparent inactivity.
- Productive Thinking vs Reproductive Thinking
- Gestalt psychologist Max Wertheimer distinguished between productive thinking (creating new solutions through insight) and reproductive thinking (applying previously learned methods mechanically).
- Role of Past Experience
- While insight appears sudden, it builds on the learner's previous experience. The elements must be familiar; what is new is their reorganization.
- Cognitive Field
- The learner perceives the entire problem situation as a "field" and restructures relationships within this field to reach understanding.
- Founders
- Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, Wolfgang Köhler (Germany, 1912 onwards)
- Key Experiment
- Köhler's ape experiments on insight (1913–1920)
- Central Idea
- Learning is perceptual reorganization, not S-R bonding
- Famous Subject
- Sultan the chimpanzee
- Insight Characteristics
- Sudden, complete, transferable, based on understanding
Heredity and Environment — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 11 cards
- Heredity (Nature)
- The transmission of physical and psychological traits from parents to offspring through genes. Traits such as eye colour, height potential, blood group, and certain temperamental dispositions are inherited.
- Environment (Nurture)
- All external influences acting on a child after conception—family, school, peers, culture, nutrition, and socio-economic conditions. Environment can enhance or limit the expression of inherited potential.
- Genes and Chromosomes
- Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes; genes located on chromosomes carry hereditary information. The 23rd pair determines sex (XX = female, XY = male).
- Genotype vs Phenotype
- Genotype is the genetic makeup; phenotype is the observable characteristic that results from gene-environment interaction. Example: a child may inherit genes for tall stature (genotype) but poor nutrition may limit actual height (phenotype).
- Nature-Nurture Interaction
- Modern psychology rejects the "either-or" debate. Intelligence, personality, and even physical traits emerge from continuous interaction. Example: musical talent may be inherited, but without practice and exposure, it will not develop.
- Critical and Sensitive Periods
- Certain environmental inputs have maximum impact during specific developmental windows. Language acquisition is easiest before age 6–7; early malnutrition causes irreversible cognitive damage.
- Co-twin Studies
- Research on identical twins reared apart helps estimate the relative contribution of heredity and environment. High similarity in IQ among such twins points to strong genetic influence; differences point to environmental effects.
- Physical traits
- Hereditary Influence: Eye colour, hair colour, skin tone, blood group, inherited diseases (haemophilia, colour blindness) · Environmental Influence: Nutrition, climate, physical exercise, illness
- Intelligence
- Hereditary Influence: Sets the upper limit (potential IQ) · Environmental Influence: Schooling, stimulation, socio-economic status determine how much potential is realised
- Personality
- Hereditary Influence: Basic temperament (introversion/extroversion tendencies) · Environmental Influence: Parenting style, peer influence, cultural norms
- Language
- Hereditary Influence: Innate language acquisition device (Chomsky) · Environmental Influence: Exposure to language, quality of verbal interaction
Creativity — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Creativity defined
- The ability to produce ideas, solutions, or products that are both novel (original, new) and appropriate (useful, valuable). It is not the same as artistic talent alone—creativity exists in science, mathematics, language, and everyday problem-solving.
- Divergent vs Convergent thinking
- Convergent thinking narrows down to one correct answer (tested by IQ tests). Divergent thinking expands outward to generate many possible answers (the hallmark of creativity). Both are valuable; creative individuals excel at divergent thinking.
- Creativity is not fixed
- Unlike the earlier belief that creativity is an inborn gift, modern psychology holds that creativity can be developed and nurtured through appropriate environment and teaching methods.
- Relationship with intelligence
- Guilford and Torrance found that creativity and IQ have a threshold relationship—a minimum level of intelligence (around IQ 120) is needed for high creativity, but beyond that threshold, higher IQ does not guarantee higher creativity.
- Four Ps of Creativity (Rhodes)
- Person (traits of creative individuals), Process (stages of creative thinking), Product (the creative output), Press (environmental factors that encourage or inhibit creativity).
- Intrinsic motivation
- Creative individuals are primarily driven by internal interest and curiosity rather than external rewards. Excessive external pressure can actually reduce creative output.
- Guilford's Structure of Intellect
- Identified divergent production as the operation underlying creativity
- Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT)
- Most widely used creativity test; measures fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration
- Fluency
- Number of relevant ideas generated
- Flexibility
- Variety of categories or approaches in responses
- Originality
- Unusualness or uniqueness of ideas
- Elaboration
- Amount of detail added to basic ideas
Problem Solving — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 8 cards
- Child as Active Learner
- Children are not empty vessels; they come with prior knowledge, curiosity and the capacity to construct meaning through exploration.
- Problem Solving Defined
- A cognitive process in which the learner identifies a goal, recognises obstacles, and devises strategies to reach a solution when no ready-made answer is available.
- Scientific Temper
- NCF 2005 emphasises developing a questioning attitude—observing, hypothesising, experimenting and drawing conclusions—mirroring the scientific method.
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Genuine problems spark curiosity; children engage more deeply when problems are meaningful and connected to their life context.
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
- Vygotsky's concept—problems should be slightly above the child's current ability so that with guidance (scaffolding) they can succeed and grow.
- Trial and Error vs Insight
- Thorndike highlighted learning through repeated attempts; Gestalt psychologists showed that sudden insight (aha moment) also solves problems. Both operate in children.
- Metacognition
- Awareness of one's own thinking. Effective problem solvers monitor their strategies and adjust when stuck.
- Transfer of Learning
- The ultimate goal is that problem-solving skills learned in one context transfer to new, unfamiliar situations.
Vygotsky — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Social origin of cognition
- Higher mental functions (logical thinking, problem-solving, language) originate in social interactions before becoming internalised as individual abilities. Learning happens first between people (inter-psychological), then within the child (intra-psychological).
- Culture shapes thinking
- Tools, language, customs, and traditions of a culture determine how children learn to think. A child in a tribal community learns different problem-solving approaches than an urban child — both are valid cognitive development paths.
- Language as the primary tool
- Vygotsky considered language the most important psychological tool. Children first use speech to communicate, then as private speech (talking to themselves while solving problems), and finally as inner speech (silent thinking).
- More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)
- Any person with greater understanding or skill than the learner — teacher, parent, older sibling, or even a peer who knows more about a specific task.
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
- The gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance. This is where real learning happens.
- Scaffolding
- Temporary support provided by MKO that is gradually removed as the child gains competence. Not Vygotsky's own term, but developed from his ideas by Bruner.
- Learning leads development
- Unlike Piaget who said development must precede learning, Vygotsky argued that properly organised learning activates developmental processes that would otherwise remain dormant.
- Socio-cultural theory
- Cognitive development results from social interactions within a cultural context
- ZPD
- The distance between actual developmental level (independent performance) and potential developmental level (guided performance)
- Private speech
- Self-directed speech children use to guide their own thinking (ages 3–7 approximately)
- Inner speech
- Internalised, soundless speech used for thinking in older children and adults
- MKO
- More Knowledgeable Other — anyone who has better understanding of the task than the learner
Learning and Pedagogy — Child Development and Pedagogy (Bal Vikas evam Shiksha Shastra) · 12 cards
- Learning as Construction of Knowledge
- Children do not simply absorb information; they actively build understanding by connecting new information to their existing mental frameworks (schemas). Teaching must therefore begin with what the child already knows.
- Prior Knowledge Matters
- Meaningful learning occurs when new concepts are linked to the learner's previous experiences and knowledge base. Rote memorization without connection leads to fragile, easily forgotten learning.
- Social Nature of Learning
- Learning is not a solitary activity. Interaction with peers, teachers, family, and community shapes understanding. Collaborative activities enhance cognitive development.
- Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation
- Intrinsic motivation (curiosity, interest, satisfaction) leads to deeper and more sustained learning than extrinsic motivation (rewards, grades, punishment). Effective pedagogy nurtures intrinsic motivation.
- Child as Problem-Solver
- Children naturally engage in inquiry and experimentation. The teacher's role is to create environments that encourage questioning, exploration, and discovery rather than providing ready-made answers.
- Errors as Learning Opportunities
- Mistakes reveal how children think. Instead of penalising errors, teachers should analyse them to understand misconceptions and guide learners toward correct understanding.
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
- The gap between what a child can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance. Effective teaching targets this zone through scaffolding.
- Multiple Pathways to Learning
- Children learn through diverse modes—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, experiential. Good pedagogy offers multiple entry points to the same concept.
- Constructivism
- Piaget (individual construction) and Vygotsky (social construction) are the main theorists
- Maslow's Hierarchy
- Five levels: Physiological → Safety → Belongingness → Esteem → Self-actualization
- McClelland's Theory
- Three needs: Achievement (nAch), Affiliation (nAff), Power (nPow)
- Intrinsic Motivation
- Driven by interest, curiosity, enjoyment of the task itself