AEPA APK Secondary (NT052) key terms

The idea that thinking changes in ordered stages from infancy to adulthood, moving from concrete, hands-on reasoning toward abstract, logical reasoning. Teachers match task difficulty to the stage a student has reached.

A mental framework a learner uses to organize and interpret new information. New experiences are either fitted into an existing framework or cause the framework to be revised.

Two ways schemas change. Assimilation fits new information into an existing mental framework; accommodation revises the framework when new information does not fit. Together they explain how understanding grows.

The range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance but not yet alone. Instruction is most effective when aimed at this range rather than at what the student can already do independently.

Temporary support a teacher provides so a student can succeed at a challenging task, such as modeling, hints, or partially completed examples. Support is gradually withdrawn as the learner gains competence.

Learning that occurs by observing others and imitating their behavior, especially when the model is valued or the behavior is reinforced. Teachers use demonstration and think-alouds to make expert performance visible.

Behaviorist accounts of learning. Classical conditioning pairs a neutral cue with a reflexive response; operant conditioning shapes behavior through consequences such as reinforcement and punishment.

Any consequence that increases the likelihood a behavior will recur. Positive reinforcement adds something desirable; negative reinforcement removes something unpleasant. Both strengthen behavior, unlike punishment.

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a learned behavior when the reinforcement that maintained it is no longer provided. Teachers often pair it with teaching and reinforcing a replacement behavior.

Awareness and regulation of one's own thinking, including planning how to approach a task, monitoring comprehension, and adjusting strategies. It supports independent, self-directed learning.

The ability to set goals, manage attention and effort, delay gratification, and monitor one's own progress. It develops with practice and is central to independent academic work.

A set of mental processes that manage goal-directed behavior, including working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Weak executive function can look like disorganization or impulsivity rather than low ability.

Intrinsic motivation comes from interest or satisfaction in the activity itself; extrinsic motivation comes from outside rewards or pressures. Intrinsic motivation generally supports deeper and more lasting engagement.

The belief that ability can improve through effort and strategy use, as opposed to a fixed view that ability is static. Teachers foster it by praising process and framing errors as information.

A lifespan theory describing social-emotional tasks at each stage, such as identity versus role confusion in adolescence. Understanding these tasks helps teachers interpret student behavior and needs.

The physical, cognitive, and social changes of the teenage years, including puberty, growing abstract reasoning, peer orientation, and identity formation. These changes shape classroom climate and task design.

A model proposing that basic needs such as safety, belonging, and esteem generally must be met before higher-level growth and learning can flourish. It supports attention to classroom safety and relationships.

The effect of friends and classmates on a student's attitudes, behavior, and academic choices. It can support or undermine learning, so teachers often use cooperative structures to channel it positively.

What a learner already knows that new instruction builds on. Activating and checking it before a lesson helps teachers connect new content and catch misconceptions early.

A brief introduction given before new material that links it to what students already know, providing a mental framework for the lesson. It helps learners organize and retain incoming information.

Ongoing checks during instruction used to adjust teaching and give feedback while learning is still in progress. Examples include exit tickets, questioning, and quick quizzes.

An evaluation at the end of a unit, course, or term that measures what students have learned for reporting or accountability. Examples include final exams, projects, and standardized tests.

The degree to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure and supports the inferences drawn from scores. A test can be reliable without being valid.

The consistency of an assessment in producing stable results across occasions, raters, or equivalent forms. Reliability is necessary but not sufficient for validity.

A systematic advantage or disadvantage in an assessment for a group of students because of factors unrelated to the construct being measured, such as culturally specific examples or language demands.

A scoring guide that lists criteria and describes levels of performance, used to evaluate open-ended work consistently. It clarifies expectations for students and supports reliable grading.

An evaluation in which students demonstrate knowledge by producing a product or carrying out a task, such as a lab, essay, or presentation, rather than answering selected-response items.

An assessment that asks students to apply skills to realistic tasks resembling work outside school. It emphasizes transfer and relevance over recall of isolated facts.

Norm-referenced tests compare a student's score with those of a comparison group; criterion-referenced tests compare performance against a defined standard or set of skills. The two answer different questions.

Administration of an assessment under uniform conditions and scoring procedures so results can be compared across students. Standardization supports reliability but does not guarantee validity for every purpose.

Information given to a learner about performance, ideally specific, timely, and focused on how to improve. Effective feedback addresses the task and process rather than only the grade.

Changes in how a student accesses instruction or an assessment, such as extended time or a separate setting, without altering what is being measured. They are documented in a student's plan.

Planning lessons so content, process, or product are adjusted to students' readiness, interests, and learning profiles. The goal is access to the same essential standards for all learners.

A framework for designing instruction from the start with multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression so diverse learners can access content without after-the-fact fixes.

Instruction in which small groups work together toward shared goals with individual accountability. It builds communication and interdependence when tasks and roles are structured well.

A teacher-led approach using clear explanations, modeling, guided practice, and independent practice with frequent checks for understanding. It is efficient for teaching well-structured skills and knowledge.

An approach in which students investigate questions, gather and analyze evidence, and construct explanations with teacher guidance. It develops reasoning and ownership of learning.

An extended instructional approach in which students investigate a complex question or problem and produce a meaningful product. It integrates content with collaboration and sustained inquiry.

Demonstrating a skill or thought process so students can observe and imitate it. Think-alouds and worked examples make invisible reasoning visible to learners.

The overall emotional and social tone of a classroom, including safety, respect, and belonging. A positive climate supports engagement, risk-taking, and academic achievement.

The strategies a teacher uses to organize routines, expectations, and behavior so learning time is protected. Effective management is preventive and instructional rather than only punitive.

A written, individualized plan based on a functional behavior assessment that identifies triggers, teaches replacement skills, and specifies supports and consequences for a student's challenging behavior.

A legally required written plan for a student eligible for special education, specifying present levels, measurable goals, services, and accommodations. General education teachers help implement it.

The legal principle that students with disabilities should be educated with peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supports cannot make inclusion successful.

Students acquiring English while learning academic content in it. Teachers support them with comprehensible input, visuals, language objectives, and structured speaking opportunities.

A team of educators who meet regularly to examine student data, share practice, and plan improvements collaboratively. The focus is on collective responsibility for student learning.

The habit of systematically reviewing one's own teaching, through notes, video, or feedback, to identify what worked and what to change. It drives continuous professional growth.

Using assessment results and other evidence to identify student needs and adjust instruction, grouping, or interventions. It links measurement to concrete changes in teaching.

Building respectful, two-way relationships with families and community partners to support student learning. Effective engagement is culturally responsive and offers multiple ways to participate.

The standards of conduct expected of educators, including confidentiality of student records, fairness, honesty, and avoiding conflicts of interest. Violations can carry legal and licensure consequences.

The legal duty of educators to report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities promptly. Teachers do not investigate; they report reasonable suspicion.

Federal law protecting the privacy of student education records and limiting who may access them. Teachers should share information about students only with those who have a legitimate educational need.

A written exam task requiring candidates to compose an extended answer, such as a lesson plan rationale or analysis of a scenario, scored with a rubric on organization, accuracy, and support.

Scoring a constructed response by rating separate criteria, such as content accuracy and quality of evidence, on a rubric. It gives targeted feedback and is more diagnostic than a single holistic score.

Supporting a written response with specific, relevant details from theory, research, or the scenario provided. Vague generalities score lower than concrete, connected examples.