Egypt CAOA Teacher Competition cheat sheet

Deep pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) = subject knowledge + knowledge of how that specific content is learned, represented, and commonly misconceived.

Shulman's categories: content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, curriculum knowledge, PCK, knowledge of learners, educational context, and educational ends.

Declarative knowledge = knowing that; procedural knowledge = knowing how; conditional knowledge = knowing when and why to apply each.

A misconception is a stable, plausible prior model; it is corrected by cognitive conflict and re-explanation, not by repetition of the correct statement.

Vertical alignment maps a topic across grade bands; horizontal alignment maps it across subjects at the same grade.

Subject accuracy rule: when a simplification contradicts the accepted model, label it explicitly as a simplification rather than presenting it as fact.

Key-idea structure: each unit should name 3-5 enduring understandings that transfer beyond the specific lesson examples.

Direct instruction fits well-structured content and novices; inquiry/discovery fits ill-structured content and learners with adequate prior knowledge.

Worked-example effect: for novices, studying worked examples beats solving equivalent problems; fade examples as expertise grows (expertise reversal).

Bloom's revised taxonomy order: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create.

Wait time of 3-5 seconds after a question raises response length and participation; most teachers wait under 1.5 seconds.

Cooperative learning requires individual accountability plus positive interdependence; unstructured group work lacks both.

Scaffolding is temporary and must be withdrawn; a scaffold that is never removed becomes a dependency.

Formative questioning ratio: aim for a high proportion of higher-order questions after basic recall is secure.

Piaget's stages: sensorimotor (0-2), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11), formal operational (11+); conservation appears at concrete operational.

Vygotsky's ZPD = the gap between independent performance and performance with adult or more capable peer support; the ZPD is where instruction should target.

Erikson's school-age stage is industry vs. inferiority (roughly 6-12); adolescence is identity vs. role confusion.

Kohlberg's levels: preconventional (obedience, self-interest), conventional (approval, law and order), postconventional (social contract, universal principles).

Maslow's hierarchy: physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualization; lower needs generally dominate until met.

Classical conditioning pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus; operant conditioning shapes behavior through reinforcement and punishment.

Working memory is limited in capacity and duration; chunking and retrieval practice reduce load and strengthen long-term storage.

Growth mindset (Dweck): attributing success to effort and strategy sustains persistence more than attributing it to fixed ability.

Reliability = consistency of scores; validity = whether scores support the intended interpretation and use. A test can be reliable but invalid.

Classical test theory: observed score = true score + error (X = T + E); reliability is the proportion of variance that is true-score variance.

Criterion-referenced tests compare performance to a standard; norm-referenced tests compare to a peer group.

Formative assessment is for learning during instruction; summative assessment is of learning at the end of a unit.

Bloom's mastery criterion is typically set as a performance standard, not a fixed percentage of students passing.

Item difficulty index p = proportion answering correctly; item discrimination compares high scorers with low scorers on that item.

A table of specifications (test blueprint) maps items to content areas and cognitive levels to support content validity.

Rubrics are analytic (separate criteria) or holistic (single overall judgment); analytic rubrics give more diagnostic feedback.

TPACK = technological knowledge + pedagogical knowledge + content knowledge, with the intersections producing effective technology integration.

SAMR levels: substitution, augmentation, modification, redefinition - the first two enhance, the last two transform.

Blended learning combines face-to-face and online instruction; the flipped model delivers content first online and uses class time for practice.

Digital citizenship covers safety, privacy, copyright, netiquette, and responsible online behavior.

Cognitive load applies to multimedia: split-attention and redundancy effects mean text-plus-narration of the same words impairs learning.

LMS analytics (completion, time-on-task, forum activity) are indicators for intervention, not proof of learning.

Universal Design for Learning: multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement.