1) Learners epistemic beliefs can best be described as learners views about:
a.What instructional techniques are most likely to help them learn classroom material
b.How researchers develop theories from the data they collect
c.How long they are likely to remember the things that they learn in school
d.The nature of knowledge and how it is acquired
2) Imagine that you are a teacher at a junior high school. Below are four behaviors you
might exhibit in your classroom. Considering the textbooks discussion of modeling,
choose the behavior your students are least likely to imitate.
a.You show them how to estimate the price of an outfit they might want to buy.
b.You show them how to fill out their class schedule form for next year.
c.You show them how much you enjoy reading professional education journals.
d.You show them how to make a tasty fruit drink for a hot day.
3) Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are two learning paradigms within
the behaviorist tradition. A major difference between these two paradigms is that:
a.Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli, whereas operant
conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses.
b.Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses, whereas operant
conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli.
c.Classically conditioned responses are voluntary, whereas responses learned through
operant conditioning are elicited by specific stimuli.
d.Classically conditioned responses are elicited by specific stimuli, whereas responses
learned through operant conditioning are voluntary.
4) If you consider research findings regarding dispositions, which one of the following
students would you expect to achieve at the highest level in the classroom?
a.Amy has the highest IQ in the class.
b.Britta eagerly seeks out new information and is conscientious about doing her
schoolwork.
c.Claudia focuses largely on whats happening at the moment; she doesnt worry too
much about might happen next week or next month.
d.When Delores encounters two or more perspectives on a topic, she quickly zeroes on
the one she thinks is probably the right one.
5) Which one of the following illustrates conceptual change?
a.As a Boy Scout, Andy has learned how to cook a wide variety of foods over an open
fire.
b.Brad misinterprets the scientific explanation of fire to fit what he believesthat fire is
an object with substance and weight.
c.Charlotte used to think that fire was an actual substance, but now she knows that its a
chemical change.
d.Dana wasnt aware of how much damage fire could really do until the house next door
burned down.
6) Which one of the following statements most accurately describes disabilities that
result from dysfunctions in the brain (e.g., mental illness)?
a.They are typically the result of abnormalities in the left (rather than right) hemisphere.
b.They are typically the result of abnormalities in the right (rather than left) hemisphere.
c.Recent technological advances have enabled specialists to detect most of them within
the first six months of life.
d.In some instances, they become evident only in adolescence or early adulthood,
perhaps as a result of changing hormone levels.
7) Which one of the following statements describes wait time and its effect on learning?
a.When teachers give students about five minutes of thinking time at the beginning of
class, students are more likely to learn class material meaningfully.
b.When teachers allow students more time to learn something, students learn it more
thoroughly.
c.When teachers wait until students are ready to pay attention, students are more likely
to learn effectively.
d.When teachers allow students more time to respond to a question, students are more
likely to answer the question, and often with a more complex response.
8) Which one of the following behaviors is most consistent with the idea that long-term
memory is organized as a hierarchy?
a.Aaron answers the question, Is a barracuda a fish? faster than he answers the question,
Is a barracuda an animal?
b.Betsy answers the question, Is a tree a living thing? faster than she answers the
question, Is a tree a plant?
c.When asked to picture a robin in his mind, Colin describes his image in vivid detail.
d.When asked to explain how to climb a tree, Darla describes a detailed series of arm
and leg movements.
9) Which one of the following is the best example of inert knowledge?
a.Kate is surprised to learn that Winston Churchill, Great Britains prime minister during
World War II, lost his battle for reelection in 1945.
b.Wally knows how to multiply and divide fractions but doesnt realize he can use this
knowledge when he needs to adjust measurements in a cake recipe.
c.In his everyday speech, Quincy correctly uses irregular verbs (e.g., go, went, have
gone), but he cant explain the difference between regular and irregular verbs.
d.After breaking her leg, Paisley is unable to play basketball for several months.
10) Only one of the following conclusions can be derived from recent research
regarding Piagets theory of cognitive development. Which one?
a.Middle school and secondary school students typically have an easier time thinking
logically in the social sciences than they do in the physical and life sciences.
b.Children will think more logically about a topic when they have acquired relevant
knowledge and experiences related to the topic.
c.Many young people continue to show signs of preoperational thinking until well into
the high school years.
d.Children have an easier time understanding fractions and proportions in adolescence
if such concepts are first introduced at the same time that division is introduced (e.g., in
third grade).