Chapter 4 Test Questions
Multiple Choice
1. When Mr. Smith asks his students, “Is the universe rationally designed or ultimately meaningless?”, he
is expecting them to consider
a. axiology.
b. epistemology.
c. ethics.
d. metaphysics.
2. India’s teacher asked her to write an essay to explore the questions, What knowledge is true? and Is
there a difference between knowledge and belief? In answering these questions, Indira will be
examining the branch of philosophy known as
a. axiology.
b. epistemology.
c. ethics.
d. metaphysics.
3. Ethics deals issues such as
a. moral values and conduct.
b. being and existence.
c. how and what we know.
d. values in the realm of beauty and art.
4. Aesthetics deals with issues such as
a. moral values and conduct.
b. being and existence.
c. how and what we know.
d. values in the realm of beauty and art.
5. Mr. Jenner asked his students to write a paper investigating and defending their answer to the
question, “Does the end ever justify the means?” Mr. Jenner is requiring his students to investigate
a. aesthetics.
b. epistemology.
c. ethics.
d. metaphysics.
6. A thinking strategy that focuses on questions of the “what seems to be” type is
a. analytic thinking.
b. prophetic thinking.
c. wishful thinking.
d. self-fulfilling prophecy.
7. All of the following are examples of analytic thinking EXCEPT
a. discernment.
b. abstraction.
c. imagination.
d. generalization.
8. A thought process that involves drawing away from experiences to a conceptual plane is
a. discernment.
b. abstraction.
c. imagination.
d. generalization.
9. The process of abstraction includes all of the following steps EXCEPT
a. remembering a feature within one’s experience.
b. examining the precise characteristics of a feature.
c. gathering data on others’ experiences with a feature.
d. recalling a feature and applying it to other instances.
10. Pearl Bradt is a sponsor for the Metropolitan Science Olympiad. She considers an activity involving
designing and constructing a rubber band powered racing car. Before choosing to include the racing
car activity in this year’s competition, she should go through all of the following stages EXCEPT
a. decide on the prize that will be awarded.
b. abstract the competitive nature of the event.
c. imagine whether or not the event will spur students’ interest.
d. determine whether the activity is within the students’ experience.
11. Marcia Goodfellow teaches at Lakeside Middle. She divides her class into cooperative groups and
asks them to think about the annual migration of monarch butterflies that live near the school in the
summertime and in Mexico in the winter. She asks each group to brainstorm a list of advantages that
the migration might provide for the monarch population. She then asks the groups to apply what they
have come up with two reasons why humans might move from place to place. In using this strategy,
Marcia is asking the students to apply
a. deductive reasoning.
b. inductive reasoning.
c. prophetic logic.
d. discerning logic.
12. Billy is a student in Kari Carlson’s class who has an extremely difficult home life. He must take care of
his three younger siblings and often comes to school tired and exhausted from the chores he must
perform. Although Kari has a strict rule about not accepting assignments late, she has quietly let Billy
know that she will not penalize him if he misses some of the deadlines. In this situation, Kari is
demonstrating
a. connection.
b. discernment.
c. tracking of hypocrisy.
d. hope.
13. Tracking hypocrisy is important for the prophetic thinker because it enables teachers to
a. determine what is right and what is wrong.
b. identify the gap between what is practiced and what is promised.
c. be self-righteous.
d. evaluate the best from several goods.
14. The most important component of prophetic logic is
a. discernment.
b. connection.
c. tracking hypocrisy.
d. hope.
15. The prophetic teacher will do all of the following EXCEPT
a. remember the world is unfinished.
b. recognize the future is open-ended.
c. plan for the common goal of each student.
d. believe that what teachers do and say can make a difference.
16. The roots of idealism as a philosophy can be found in the thinking of
a. Aristotle.
b. Pierce, James, and Dewey.
c. Plato.
d. Nietzsche, Sartre, and Greene.
17. Myra Kovach believes that as a teacher she best serves her students by using role models of great
heroes to pass on the cultural heritage and unchanging content of education from the past. Myra’s
philosophy is rooted in
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
18. A curriculum based on the philosophy of idealism is best described as
a. interdisciplinary.
b. subject-centered.
c. student-centered.
d. idea-centered.
19. Plato taught that truth is
a. forever changing and found in ideas.
b. forever changing and found in the world of matter.
c. perfect and found in ideas.
d. perfect and found in the world of matter.
20. The roots of the Socratic Method come from Socratesʹ emphasis on
a. the natural sciences and scientific method.
b. an interdisciplinary curriculum centered on problems.
c. treating students as free personalities who define themselves through their own choices.
d. bringing forth knowledge that students already possess through skillful questioning.
21. The thinking of Immanuel Kant and Jane Roland Martin indicates that they accepted
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
22. The roots of realism as a philosophy can be found in the thinking of
a. Aristotle.
b. Pierce, James, and Dewey.
c. Plato and Socrates.
d. Nietzche, Sartre, and Greene.
23. A curriculum based on the philosophy of realism is best described as
a. interdisciplinary.
b. subject-centered.
c. student-centered.
d. idea-centered.
24. Simon believes that the ultimate goal for his teaching should be to advance the rationality of his
students. He teaches by requiring them to study his subject as organized bodies of knowledge and by
assisting them to develop the skill of reasoning critically through observation and experimentation. He
continues to take courses so that he will be able to demonstrate relationships among all fields of
knowledge. Simon’s philosophy is rooted in
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
25. Aristotle taught that
a. ideas are formed through the study of the world of matter.
b. ideas formed in the mind constitute the basis of reality.
c. the absolute form of matter is ever changing.
d. trees in the forest only exist when there is someone to observe them.
26. The thinking of John Locke and Alfred North Whitehead indicates that they accepted
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
27. John Locke believed in the tabula rasa view of the mind. According to this view the mind
a. contains all knowledge at birth and the teacher must help the student remember that knowledge.
b. contains all knowledge at birth and the teacher must help students construct new meaning from
their life experiences.
c. is blank at birth and the teacher must provide ideas that make impressions on it.
d. is blank at birth and the teacher must provide sensory experiences to make impressions on it.
28. Leah Silverstein is an English teacher recently transferred to Catalina Hills Middle School. She is
excited about being part of an interdisciplinary team with a social studies, a mathematics, and a
science teacher. The four members of the team structure their curriculum around problem solving and
critical thinking. They develop real-life experiences so that their students can be actively engaged in
their learning. The philosophy of Leah and the other members of the team is rooted in
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
29. A curriculum based on the philosophy of pragmatism is best described as
a. interdisciplinary.
b. subject-centered.
c. student-centered.
d. idea-centered.
30. Jacqui Conlon has organized her sixth grade class so that the curriculum is totally individualized.
Each student has negotiated a learning contract with Jacqui and the school district objectives are
covered in a way that is best suited to that child. Assessments to demonstrate achievement of the
objectives are agreed upon by Jacqui and the student. The curriculum shows that Jacqui’s philosophy
is rooted in
a. existentialism.
b. idealism.
c. pragmatism.
d. realism.
31. A curriculum based on the existentialist philosophy is best described as
a. interdisciplinary.
b. subject-centered.
c. student-centered.
d. idea-centered.
32. Eastern ways of knowing emphasize all of the following EXCEPT
a. inner peace.
b. tranquility.
c. individuality.
d. mysticism.
33. All of the following ways of knowing are common to Native North American views EXCEPT
a. traditional stories and beliefs that dictate a way of knowing and living.
b. a reverence for nature and a sense of human responsibility to nature.
c. loyalty to a single human chieftain or leader.
d. the belief in a supreme being.
34. Elizabeth Smoke is a third grade teacher at Spirit Rock Middle School. The school has a very high
percentage of Native North American students and Elizabeth wants to design an authentic assessment
that would be meaningful to them. With this goal in mind, Elizabeth would have the best chance of
success if she were to build the assessment around
a. competitive athletics.
b. business and commerce.
c. the westward expansion of the United States.
d. nature and the environment.
35. Essential components of an educational experience in a school where there are many Native North
Americans should include all of the following EXCEPT
a. independent studies.
b. hands-on learning.
c. making connections.
d. celebrating the moment.
Chapter 4 Test Questions
Short Answer
1. Each year in his Philosophy of Education course, Professor Parak must convince his skeptical students
why the study of philosophy is beneficial in providing a solid foundation for the study of education.
Compare the study of philosophy and the study of education in three ways that would assist Dr. Parak
in supporting his views. (Learning Outcome 4.1a)
2. Describe how you would apply the three characteristics of philosophical thinking (abstraction,
imagination, and logic) to an idea. Illustrate by an example that includes the types of questions you
would ask in each of the stages. (Learning Outcome 4.1b)
3. There are a number of ways in which the philosophies of realism and pragmatism are alike. On the
other hand, there are also major differences between the two views. Compare and contrast the two
views by discussing two similarities and two differences between them and the way in which they
affect the classrooms of those who accept them. (Learning Outcome 4.2a)
4. If existentialists have the rather gloomy view that there is no ultimate meaning, explain how it is
possible to develop a curriculum that provides a positive experience for students. (Learning Outcome
4.2b)
5. You have been hired by the Painted Rock School District and are about to begin your first teaching
position in a school with a population that is largely American Indian. Explain what you need to know
about Native North American ways of thinking if you are to be a successful teacher in the school.
(Learning Outcome 4.3)
Chapter 4 Answer Key
Multiple Choice
Chapter 4 Answer Key
Short Answer
