AP EdCET key terms

The art and science of teaching, covering how teachers plan lessons, choose methods, manage classrooms and assess learning. It links what is taught with how it is taught so that learners understand and apply knowledge.

The theory and practice of teaching adults, who are usually self-directed, bring life experience and want learning that solves real problems. It contrasts with pedagogy, which assumes more teacher direction for younger learners.

A hierarchical classification of learning objectives in the cognitive domain, moving from remembering and understanding through applying and analysing to evaluating and creating. Teachers use it to frame questions and tasks at different levels of thinking.

Ongoing, low-stakes checking of learning during a course, used to give feedback and adjust teaching. Examples include quizzes, oral questioning and exit slips, as opposed to a final summative test that assigns a grade.

Assessment carried out at the end of a unit, term or course to judge overall achievement against standards. It typically produces marks or grades and is used for reporting, certification or promotion decisions.

Precise statements of what a learner should know, be able to do or value by the end of a lesson or course. Good outcomes are observable and measurable, and they guide activities, resources and assessment design.

A written outline that a teacher prepares before a class, covering objectives, prior knowledge, teaching steps, activities, resources and evaluation. It keeps instruction organised and ensures time is used purposefully.

A scaled-down practice session in which a trainee teaches a small group for a short time, often on one skill, and receives feedback. It builds confidence and refines specific teaching behaviours before real classrooms.

A teaching orientation that places the student's needs, interests and active participation at the centre of planning and instruction. The teacher becomes a facilitator, and students discuss, investigate and construct understanding rather than only listen.

A view of learning holding that people build new understanding by connecting new information to what they already know. Teachers therefore design experiences, questions and problems that help learners actively construct meaning rather than memorise facts passively.

Temporary support a teacher provides so a learner can complete a task just beyond their current ability, with the help withdrawn as competence grows. Examples are worked examples, prompts, checklists and guided questioning.

Vygotsky's term for the gap between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with help from a more capable person. Instruction is most effective when aimed at this zone.

Howard Gardner's proposal that human ability is not a single general intelligence but several relatively distinct kinds, such as linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Teachers use it to vary activities and reach diverse learners.

The principle and practice of educating all children, including those with disabilities or from marginalised groups, together in ordinary schools with support suited to their needs. It opposes segregation and adapts curriculum, materials and assessment.

Educational provision designed for learners with disabilities or exceptional needs, using adapted curriculum, assistive devices, specialist teachers and individualised plans. It can occur in mainstream classrooms or specialised settings depending on the child's requirement.

A written plan prepared for a learner with special needs, stating present levels of performance, specific goals, services, accommodations and review dates. It is developed collaboratively with parents and specialists and guides day-to-day teaching.

The branch of study that examines the aims, values and assumptions behind education, asking what schools are for and what kind of person education should develop. It underpins debates about curriculum, discipline and the teacher's role.

A philosophical school holding that mind, ideas and values are more fundamental than material things. In education it stresses moral and spiritual development, teacher authority and the study of enduring ideas through great books and reflection.

A philosophical view that nature is the ultimate reality and that education should follow the child's natural development rather than imposed adult standards. Associated with Rousseau, it favours freedom, sensory experience and learning from the environment.

A philosophy, linked to Dewey, that judges ideas by their practical consequences and treats learning as active problem-solving. Education is seen as preparation for living in a changing society, with experience and experimentation at its core.

The study of how schools interact with society, including socialisation, social mobility, inequality, family background and culture. It asks how education can both reproduce and reduce social divisions.

The process by which individuals learn the norms, values, language and roles of their society. Schools are a major agent of secondary socialisation, alongside family, peers and media.

The unofficial lessons learners absorb from school routines, rules, relationships and organisation, such as punctuality, obedience and competition. These messages are not stated in the syllabus but shape attitudes and behaviour.

The principle that every learner should have a fair chance to succeed regardless of gender, caste, class, religion, region or disability. It requires removing barriers and providing support so that circumstances do not determine outcomes.

The entitlements guaranteed to every person under eighteen, set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Indian law. They include rights to education, protection, participation and freedom from exploitation.

India's RTE Act, 2009, which makes free and compulsory elementary education a fundamental right for children aged six to fourteen. It sets norms for pupil-teacher ratios, infrastructure and prohibits discrimination and capitation fees.

India's current national framework for education, replacing the 1986 policy. It proposes a 5+3+3+4 school structure, foundational literacy and numeracy, multidisciplinary higher education, and greater emphasis on mother-tongue instruction in early years.

An assessment approach, common in Indian schools, that evaluates learners regularly across scholastic and co-scholastic areas rather than only through term-end examinations. It aims to reduce exam stress and give a fuller picture of progress.

The system of principles and procedures a teacher follows to teach a particular subject, including the selection and sequencing of methods, materials and assessment. It connects general pedagogy to subject-specific practice.

A three-level way of describing language teaching. An approach is a set of beliefs about language and learning; a method is an overall plan based on it; a technique is a specific classroom activity.

An approach that makes real communication the goal and means of language learning. Lessons emphasise meaningful interaction, authentic tasks and fluency, with grammar taught as a resource for conveying meaning rather than as an end in itself.

The four receptive and productive abilities used in language: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Effective teaching integrates them and gives learners purposeful practice in each.

A method of teaching reading and spelling that connects letters or letter groups with the sounds they represent. Systematic phonics helps beginners decode unfamiliar words and supports early literacy.

The ability to understand, interpret and evaluate a written text by combining word recognition with background knowledge and inference. It is developed through questioning, prediction, summarising and vocabulary work.

The systematic study of learners' mistakes to identify their causes, such as first-language interference or overgeneralisation of rules. It helps teachers target instruction at genuine gaps rather than correcting every deviation.

A cycle in which a teacher identifies a classroom problem, plans and tries a change, observes the results and reflects, then repeats. It improves practice locally and builds professional judgement.

The habit of reviewing one's own teaching, through journals, peer observation or recordings, to understand what worked and what to change. It supports continuous professional growth and evidence-based improvement.

Recent events and developments in national and international politics, economy, science, sport and culture that an informed citizen should know. For competitive exams, candidates track appointments, awards, schemes and major reports.