APPSC DyEO key terms

A central law making free and compulsory elementary education a fundamental right for children aged 6-14. It sets school norms, bans screening at admission, prohibits corporal punishment, and reserves 25 percent of private school seats for disadvantaged children.

A centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2001 to universalise elementary education through school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and community participation. It was later subsumed under Samagra Shiksha, which integrates elementary, secondary, and teacher education.

An integrated centrally sponsored scheme from 2018 covering pre-school to senior secondary schooling. It merges SSA, RMSA, and teacher education, and funds school grants, inclusive education, digital initiatives, and vocational education as a single umbrella programme.

A centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2009 to expand and improve secondary education. It targets universal access, removal of gender and social gaps, quality improvement, and better school infrastructure at the secondary stage.

An assessment approach that evaluates learners continuously throughout the year and covers scholastic and co-scholastic areas. It uses varied tools such as observation, projects, and periodic tests to reduce dependence on a single terminal examination.

Assessment conducted during teaching to gather evidence about learning progress and adjust instruction. It is diagnostic and feedback-oriented, and its results typically inform remediation rather than being used for grading or promotion decisions.

Assessment carried out at the end of a unit, term, or course to judge the extent of learning achieved. It is used for certification, reporting, and promotion, and usually takes the form of term-end examinations.

Specific, observable statements describing what a learner should know or be able to do at the end of a unit or stage. They guide lesson planning, classroom activities, and assessment, and form the basis of outcome-based monitoring in schools.

A curriculum design principle in which intended learning outcomes, teaching-learning activities, and assessment tasks are deliberately matched to one another. Misalignment between these three elements weakens both instruction and the validity of assessment.

A teacher's structured written outline of a single lesson, typically including objectives, previous knowledge, teaching aids, stepwise activities, questions, and evaluation. It helps sequence instruction logically and manage classroom time effectively.

A scaled-down practice technique in which a trainee teaches a small group for a short time, focusing on one skill such as questioning or reinforcement. The lesson is observed and critiqued, then re-taught for improvement.

A teacher's deliberate habit of examining their own classroom decisions and their effects on learners, then adjusting future practice. It may use journals, peer observation, or video review and underpins continuing professional development.

A small-scale, cyclical inquiry conducted by a practitioner to solve a specific local problem. The cycle of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting produces practical knowledge and immediate improvement in the setting studied.

An approach in which children with disabilities and other marginalised groups learn in regular neighbourhood schools with appropriate support and accommodations. It treats learner diversity as normal and requires changes to curriculum, pedagogy, and school environment.

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

A specially trained teacher who supports children with disabilities, often by working with them individually or in small groups and by advising regular classroom teachers. The role may be itinerant, serving several schools.

A theory proposing four sequential stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage is marked by qualitatively different thinking, such as the emergence of conservation and later of abstract hypothetical reasoning.

Vygotsky's term for 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 pitched within this range.

Temporary structured support given by a teacher or peer so a learner can complete a task beyond their independent ability. Support is gradually withdrawn as competence grows, transferring responsibility to the learner.

A view of learning holding that learners actively build knowledge by connecting new experience to prior understanding, rather than passively receiving information. Teaching therefore emphasises exploration, questioning, and authentic tasks.

Skinner's behavioural principle that behaviour is shaped by its consequences. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a response, while punishment or extinction decreases it, forming the basis of reward systems and behaviour modification in classrooms.

The drive to engage in an activity for its own interest, enjoyment, or sense of competence, rather than for external reward. It is associated with deeper learning and persistence and can be supported by autonomy and meaningful tasks.

The variation among learners in ability, aptitude, personality, interest, pace, language, and background. Recognising these differences justifies differentiated instruction, flexible grouping, and varied assessment rather than a single uniform approach.

A persistent difficulty in acquiring or using specific academic skills such as reading, writing, or mathematics, despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. It is not caused by sensory impairment or lack of schooling and requires targeted remediation.

An assessment that interprets a learner's score relative to the performance of a comparison group, often using percentiles or standard scores. It is suited to ranking and selection rather than to describing mastery of specific content.

An assessment that interprets performance against a defined standard of mastery rather than against other learners. It reports what a student can and cannot do and is central to competency-based and learning-outcome-based evaluation.

A measure of how far scores spread around the mean, calculated as the square root of the average squared deviation. A small value indicates scores clustered near the mean; a large value indicates wide dispersion.

A symmetrical, bell-shaped frequency curve in which most scores cluster near the mean and fewer occur at the extremes. Many standardised test scores approximate it, which underpins percentile and standard-score interpretation.

The consistency of an assessment instrument in producing stable results across occasions, forms, or raters. A test cannot be valid beyond its reliability, though high reliability alone does not guarantee validity.

The extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure and supports the inferences drawn from scores. Common forms include content, construct, and criterion-related validity.

A school's multi-year strategic document identifying its current situation, priorities, measurable targets, activities, responsibilities, timelines, and resource needs. It is prepared participatively and reviewed annually to guide improvement.

A body required in government and aided schools under the RTE Act, composed largely of parents and local representatives. It monitors school functioning, prepares and recommends the development plan, and oversees utilisation of grants.

The process by which head teachers or supervisors observe, guide, and support teachers to improve instruction. It is developmental rather than punitive and includes classroom observation, feedback, demonstration, and follow-up.

A planning framework that designs curriculum and instruction with multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression so that diverse learners can access content without separate adaptations. It reduces barriers at the design stage.

A hierarchical classification of educational objectives in the cognitive domain, moving from remembering and understanding through applying and analysing to evaluating and creating. It is widely used to frame questions and learning outcomes at different levels of complexity.

The theory and practice of teaching, encompassing how content is selected, sequenced, explained, and assessed for particular learners. It includes decisions about questioning, grouping, activity design, and classroom interaction.

The systematic application of tools, media, and processes to improve teaching and learning. It ranges from low-cost aids and radio to learning management systems, adaptive software, and open educational resources.

Teaching and learning materials released under licences that permit free use, adaptation, and redistribution. They lower cost and allow teachers to localise content to their language and context.

An instructional design combining face-to-face classroom teaching with online or digital learning components. The mix is planned so that each mode serves a distinct purpose, such as direct explanation in class and practice online.

A national digital platform offering curriculum-linked content, QR-coded textbook resources, and teacher training courses in multiple Indian languages. States such as Andhra Pradesh use it to host energised textbooks and professional development modules.