GTLE Pedagogy SHS key terms

A learning theory holding that learners actively build knowledge by connecting new information to prior experience, rather than passively receiving it, so teaching should provide meaningful tasks and opportunities for learners to construct understanding.

A mental framework or organized pattern of knowledge that a learner uses to interpret new information; learning occurs when existing schemas are revised or new ones are formed through assimilation and accommodation.

Vygotsky's concept describing the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with guidance from a more capable person; instruction is most effective when targeted within this zone.

Temporary support given by a teacher or peer to help a learner complete a task beyond their independent ability, gradually withdrawn as competence grows so the learner takes over the task.

What a learner already knows and can do before new instruction begins; it strongly determines how new content is interpreted, so teachers should assess it and build on it deliberately.

Piaget's sequence of four stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) describing how reasoning changes with age; it guides the level of abstraction appropriate in lessons.

The drive to engage in an activity because it is interesting or satisfying in itself, rather than for external reward; it is associated with deeper engagement and more durable learning.

The drive to act in order to obtain an external outcome such as praise, grades, prizes, or avoidance of punishment; it can support learning but may weaken intrinsic interest if overused.

The experience of acting with a sense of choice and volition; it grows when the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are met, supporting sustained learner engagement.

The capacity of students to take charge of their own learning, including setting goals, choosing strategies, monitoring progress, and evaluating outcomes with decreasing dependence on the teacher.

Awareness and regulation of one's own thinking, including planning how to approach a task, monitoring comprehension while working, and adjusting strategies after evaluating results.

The extent to which a learner possesses the physical, cognitive, emotional, and experiential prerequisites needed to benefit from a particular learning task at a particular time.

Planning and delivering lessons that adjust content, process, product, or learning environment to match varied readiness, interests, and learning profiles within the same classroom.

An approach in which all learners, including those with disabilities or other special needs, are educated in mainstream settings with the support and adaptations they require to participate fully.

Learning difficulties or disabilities that require additional or adapted provision beyond what is ordinarily available, such as modified materials, assistive devices, or specialist teaching support.

A written plan for a learner with special educational needs that specifies present levels of performance, measurable goals, services, accommodations, and arrangements for review and monitoring.

Assessment carried out during learning to gather evidence about student understanding and to adjust teaching or provide feedback, with the primary purpose of improving learning rather than grading it.

Assessment administered at the end of a unit, term, or programme to judge achievement against standards and to report or certify learning, typically producing a grade or score.

The use of assessment evidence by teachers and learners to decide where learners are, where they need to go, and how to get there, with feedback central to the process.

Information given to a learner about their performance relative to a goal, ideally describing what was done well, what needs improvement, and the next steps to take.

Assessment that interprets a learner's performance against predetermined learning standards or criteria, rather than against the performance of other learners in a group.

Assessment that ranks or compares a learner's performance with that of a reference group, so results show relative standing rather than absolute mastery of specified content.

A scoring guide that lists the criteria for a task and describes levels of quality for each criterion, making grading more transparent and consistent for teachers and learners.

A two-way planning grid that maps content topics against cognitive levels and allocates item numbers or marks, helping ensure a test samples the intended objectives representatively.

The degree to which a test measures what it is intended to measure and supports the interpretations and decisions made from its scores, including content, construct, and criterion evidence.

The consistency or stability of scores produced by an assessment across occasions, forms, or raters; a reliable test yields similar results when conditions are equivalent.

Assessment administered before or early in instruction to identify learners' prior knowledge, misconceptions, strengths, and specific difficulties, so teaching can be targeted accordingly.

A hierarchical classification of cognitive objectives, from remembering and understanding through applying, analysing, evaluating, and creating, used to design tasks and test items at varied levels.

Statements describing what learners should know or be able to do by the end of a lesson or course, ideally expressed with observable action verbs and clear conditions and standards.

The deliberate matching of intended learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment tasks, so that what is taught and tested genuinely reflects the stated outcomes.

The planned totality of learning experiences offered by a school, including intended content, objectives, activities, resources, and assessment, whether written down or enacted in classrooms.

The unofficial lessons learners absorb from the routines, structures, and social relations of schooling, such as punctuality, deference to authority, and implicit values about success.

A document that sets out the content, sequence, and assessment requirements of a specific course or subject, often derived from a broader national or school curriculum framework.

A medium-term plan that breaks a syllabus into teachable units across a term or year, indicating topics, sequencing, time allocation, and suggested activities and resources.

A teacher's detailed daily blueprint for a single lesson, typically stating objectives, materials, stages of instruction, activities, timing, and how learning will be checked.

An instructional approach in which learners investigate problems and infer rules or concepts largely through their own exploration, with the teacher guiding rather than directly explaining.

An approach that organises instruction around learner-generated questions and systematic investigation, developing skills of hypothesising, gathering evidence, and drawing and defending conclusions.

A method in which learners work over an extended period on a complex, authentic task that produces a tangible product, integrating knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

Structured small-group work in which learners depend on one another to complete a shared task, with individual accountability and positive interdependence deliberately built into the design.

A strategy in which one learner provides instruction or support to another, often benefiting both parties by consolidating the tutor's understanding and providing tailored help to the tutee.

The deliberate use of questions to probe understanding, stimulate thinking, and involve learners, including wait time, higher-order prompts, and distribution across the class.

The set of strategies a teacher uses to create and maintain an orderly, productive, and supportive learning environment, including routines, expectations, monitoring, and response to disruption.

Established, predictable procedures for recurring activities such as entering the room, distributing materials, and transitioning between tasks, which reduce lost time and disruption.

An approach to behaviour guidance that emphasises clear expectations, respectful communication, teaching appropriate behaviour, and logical consequences rather than humiliation or physical punishment.

A response to conflict or harm that brings affected parties together to acknowledge impact, repair relationships, and agree on how to move forward, rather than simply punishing the offender.

A school service that helps learners with educational, career, personal, and social development through information, advice, appraisal, and confidential counselling by trained personnel.

The ethical duty of teachers and counsellors to protect personal information disclosed by learners, sharing it only with consent or where there is a clear risk of serious harm.

The process of directing a learner to a more appropriate specialist or service, such as a counsellor, health worker, or social agency, when needs exceed the teacher's competence or role.

The principles and standards governing teachers' conduct, including honesty, fairness, respect for learners' dignity, avoidance of exploitation, and maintenance of professional competence.

The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and conduct expected of teachers as members of a profession, including preparation, continuous learning, accountability, and service in learners' interests.

The habit of systematically examining one's own teaching decisions and their effects in order to understand what worked, why, and what to change in future lessons.

A cyclical, practitioner-led inquiry in which a teacher identifies a problem in their own setting, plans and implements an intervention, collects evidence, and reflects to improve practice.

The use of multiple sources, methods, or participants to cross-check findings in research, strengthening the credibility of conclusions drawn from the evidence collected.

The systematic application of tools, media, and processes to support teaching and learning, including both digital devices and the instructional design that determines their effective use.

The purposeful embedding of information and communication technologies into subject teaching and learning activities, rather than teaching technology as a separate, isolated subject.

A mode of delivery that combines face-to-face classroom instruction with online or digital learning components, using each setting for the activities it serves best.

The ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital tools, together with the judgement to use them safely, ethically, and effectively.

The process through which individuals acquire the values, norms, knowledge, and behaviours of their society, in which schools play a major role alongside families and communities.

The branch of philosophy examining the aims, nature, and justification of education, including questions about what knowledge is worthwhile and how teaching should proceed.

The theory and practice of teaching, encompassing how teachers plan, interact with learners, and make instructional decisions in light of learning goals and context.