Bihar STET Paper 2 key terms

The paper-two subject area covering how children grow, learn and behave, plus classroom teaching methods. It draws on psychology, measurement and inclusive practice rather than subject content, and carries weight in the Bihar STET Paper 2 score.

A learning theory holding that learners build new understanding by connecting new information to what they already know, rather than receiving facts passively. Teaching therefore starts from the child's existing ideas, uses activity and discussion, and treats errors as evidence of thinking.

Vygotsky's term for the gap between what a learner can do alone and what the learner can do with guidance from a more capable person. Instruction aimed inside this gap produces the most growth, which is why teacher support and peer collaboration matter.

Temporary, gradually withdrawn support a teacher provides so a learner can complete a task just beyond independent ability. Support may be a hint, a worked example, a checklist or a prompt, and it is reduced as competence grows.

A four-stage account of thinking: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. The key exam point is that the concrete operational child reasons about real objects and conservation, while abstract hypothetical reasoning appears only in the formal stage.

The understanding that quantity, mass, number or volume stays the same when appearance changes but nothing is added or removed. Preoperational children typically fail conservation tasks; concrete operational children succeed and can give reasons.

A sequence from pre-conventional morality based on rewards and punishment, through conventional morality based on social approval and rules, to post-conventional morality based on universal principles. It is used to interpret children's moral judgements and reasons.

A lifespan theory in which each stage poses a crisis to resolve, such as trust versus mistrust in infancy, industry versus inferiority in middle childhood, and identity versus role confusion in adolescence. Successful resolution builds a healthy personality.

The developmental period between childhood and adulthood marked by puberty, rapid physical change, identity exploration, stronger peer influence and growing abstract and critical thinking. Teachers should expect mood variability, privacy needs and questioning of authority during this stage.

The process by which a child learns the norms, values, language and behaviour expected in family, school, community and wider society. School socialisation adds rules of shared work, punctuality and cooperation with non-relatives.

Variation among learners in ability, pace, interest, language, background and learning style. Recognising these differences justifies flexible grouping, varied materials and multiple ways of assessing, instead of a single uniform treatment of the class.

Planning one lesson so that content, process or product is adjusted to different readiness levels, interests and profiles. The curriculum goal stays common while tasks, support and assessment routes vary, so all learners can progress.

The principle that children with disabilities and other marginalised groups learn in regular neighbourhood schools with necessary support, rather than being segregated. It requires accessible buildings, adapted materials, trained teachers and a curriculum that responds to diversity.

A persistent difficulty in acquiring or using specific academic skills, such as reading, writing or arithmetic, despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. Dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia are common examples and need identification and accommodation, not labelling or neglect.

Planned, individualised instruction given to learners who lag behind in a specific skill, after diagnosing the exact error pattern. It is short-term and targeted, and progress is checked by re-testing rather than by repeating the whole syllabus.

An assessment approach that spreads evaluation across the school year and covers scholastic and co-scholastic areas, using multiple tools such as observation, projects, oral work and tests. It reduces dependence on one terminal examination.

Assessment carried out during teaching to reveal what learners understand and to guide immediate adjustment of instruction. It is low-stakes, frequent and feedback-oriented, and is not primarily used for grading or promotion decisions.

Assessment at the end of a unit, term or course that judges achievement against learning goals for reporting or certification. It is typically formal and graded, and its results are used to summarise learning rather than to reshape the current lesson.

A test designed to locate the specific strengths and weaknesses behind a learner's overall performance, often in a skill such as reading or arithmetic. Its purpose is to plan remedial action, not to rank or certify the learner.

A test measuring how much of a defined syllabus or skill a learner has mastered after instruction. It is judged by content validity and reliability, and results are reported against norms or criteria.

The consistency of a test or assessment tool: whether repeated administration or different raters produce similar results. It is estimated by methods such as test-retest, split-half and inter-rater agreement, and it limits how far any single score can be trusted.

The extent to which an assessment measures what it claims to measure, for the purpose intended. A test can be reliable yet invalid, for example a consistently scored test that covers the wrong content.

A numerical index of general mental ability, historically computed as mental age divided by chronological age multiplied by one hundred. Modern tests use standard scores, and exam questions test the concept and interpretation rather than the precise formula.

The internal or external force that starts, directs and sustains goal-directed behaviour. Intrinsic motivation comes from interest and satisfaction; extrinsic motivation comes from rewards, praise or punishment, and overusing external rewards can weaken intrinsic interest.

A consequence that increases the likelihood of a behaviour recurring. Positive reinforcement adds something pleasant, such as praise; negative reinforcement removes something unpleasant, such as ending a nagging reminder, and neither is the same as punishment.

An approach in which learners investigate examples and materials to arrive at concepts largely by themselves, with the teacher guiding rather than explaining first. It builds curiosity and retention but needs structure and feedback to avoid confusion or wasted time.

The paper-two section testing proficiency in the candidate's first language, commonly Hindi or Urdu, including comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, composition and pedagogy of language teaching. It is compulsory for all candidates regardless of subject.

The paper-two section testing English language proficiency and English teaching pedagogy, including comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, writing tasks and classroom method. It is compulsory for every candidate and is distinct from Language I.

The study of how language is best taught: balancing listening, speaking, reading and writing, choosing between grammar-focused and communicative approaches, planning tasks, and assessing the four skills rather than only memorised rules.

An approach that organises lessons around meaningful communication and real purposes for using language, rather than around isolated grammar rules. Fluency, interaction and learner talking time are emphasised, with grammar taught as support for communication.

The four receptive and productive abilities: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listening and reading are receptive, speaking and writing productive; effective language lessons integrate all four and assess them separately.

The paper-two subject section for candidates applying as Mathematics or Science teachers, covering content and pedagogy of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology at the relevant school level, plus teaching methods, error analysis and assessment in these subjects.

The specialised knowledge a teacher needs to make a subject learnable: common misconceptions, useful representations, analogies, sequence of topics and ways to assess understanding. It goes beyond knowing the subject to knowing how to teach it.

Applying mathematical ideas to unfamiliar situations through understanding the problem, planning a strategy, carrying it out and reviewing the result. Polya's four steps describe this cycle and guide classroom questioning.

A disciplined way of investigating questions by observing, framing a testable hypothesis, experimenting with controlled variables, recording data and drawing evidence-based conclusions. School science should let learners practise these steps rather than only read about them.

The paper-two subject section for candidates applying as Social Science teachers, covering history, geography, civics, economics and their pedagogy. It tests content knowledge together with map and source skills, concept clarity and methods of teaching the subject.

A question that asks learners to interpret a given extract, map, photograph or data table and draw inferences from it. In Social Science it develops evidence handling and critical reading rather than recall of textbook conclusions.