KVS PGT key terms

The blend of subject mastery and teaching skill that lets a teacher anticipate student misconceptions and choose explanations, examples and representations suited to a particular topic and learner group.

A learning theory holding that learners actively build understanding by connecting new information to prior knowledge, so teaching should provide experiences and questioning rather than pure transmission of facts.

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, where instruction is most productive.

Temporary, gradually withdrawn support such as prompts, models or structured steps that helps a learner complete a task beyond their independent reach, then hands responsibility back to them.

Ongoing, low-stakes checking of learning during instruction, used to adjust teaching and give feedback, as distinct from graded end-of-unit testing.

Evaluation conducted at the end of a unit, term or course to certify achievement against learning outcomes, typically reported as grades or marks.

An approach in which evidence gathered from students is used primarily to close the gap between current and desired performance, emphasising feedback, self-assessment and shared success criteria.

A test interpreted against fixed learning standards rather than against the performance of other test-takers, so all students can in principle reach the top level.

A test whose scores are interpreted by comparison with a reference group, ranking candidates relative to one another and producing a spread of results.

Planning that varies content, process or product in response to learner readiness, interest and profile, while keeping the same core learning goals for the whole class.

The principle and practice of educating students with disabilities and diverse backgrounds in mainstream settings, with curricula and environments adapted so all can participate fully.

A written plan for a student with special educational needs specifying present levels, measurable goals, services, accommodations and review dates, developed collaboratively with parents and specialists.

A hierarchical classification of cognitive objectives, from remembering and understanding through applying, analysing and evaluating to creating, used to frame questions and learning outcomes at increasing complexity.

Cognitive processes such as analysis, evaluation and creation that go beyond recall and comprehension, requiring students to reason, justify and construct rather than merely reproduce information.

An instructional approach in which students investigate authentic questions, formulate hypotheses and gather evidence, with the teacher guiding the process rather than supplying conclusions first.

A precise statement of what a learner should know, be able to do or value by the end of a lesson or course, written so that achievement can be observed and assessed.

The design principle that intended learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment tasks must all point at the same cognitive demands, so assessment genuinely tests the stated outcomes.

A scoring guide listing criteria and graded descriptions of performance levels, shared with students in advance so expectations are transparent and marking is consistent.

Systematic inquiry by a teacher into their own classroom practice, cycling through planning, acting, observing and reflecting to solve a local problem and improve instruction.

The disciplined habit of examining one's own teaching decisions and their effects, using evidence such as student work and feedback, in order to revise future practice.

The claim that students learn best when instruction matches a preferred modality such as visual or auditory; it is widely criticised for lacking evidence of improved achievement when matched.

A four-stage account of intellectual growth - sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational - in which reasoning shifts from concrete objects to abstract propositions.

A theory describing moral reasoning moving from punishment avoidance and self-interest through conformity to social norms toward universal ethical principles, assessed through moral dilemmas.

An assessment framework that spreads evaluation across the year and covers scholastic and co-scholastic areas, using multiple tools instead of relying on a single terminal examination.

India's framework policy replacing the 1986 policy, proposing a 5+3+3+4 school structure, foundational literacy and numeracy goals, multidisciplinary higher education and expanded teacher education requirements.

Indian legislation guaranteeing free and compulsory elementary education for children aged six to fourteen, setting norms for pupil-teacher ratios, infrastructure and prohibiting screening at admission.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training, an autonomous Indian body that prepares school curricula, textbooks and teacher training materials and advises on national education standards.

An NCERT document guiding syllabus design, pedagogy and assessment across Indian school stages, revised periodically; the 2005 version emphasised constructivism and child-centred learning.

The eleven obligations listed in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution, added by the 42nd Amendment, urging citizens to respect the Constitution, protect the environment and pursue education.

The justiciable rights guaranteed in Part III of the Indian Constitution, covering equality, freedom, protection against exploitation, religion, culture and education, and constitutional remedies.

The opening statement of the Indian Constitution declaring the source of authority as the people and listing the objectives of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

A deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion, valid when the conclusion follows necessarily from the premises regardless of whether they are factually true.

Reasoning from general rules to a specific conclusion, where a valid argument guarantees the conclusion if the premises hold; contrasted with reasoning that generalises from examples.

Reasoning from particular observations to a broader generalisation or pattern, producing conclusions that are probable rather than certain.

An error in reasoning that makes an argument invalid, such as attacking the person instead of the claim, begging the question, or drawing a conclusion from insufficient evidence.

A question type requiring identification of the relationship between a pair of words or numbers and application of the same relationship to a second pair.

In Hindi grammar, the phonological combination of adjacent sounds at word boundaries, producing a single modified form, as when a word-final vowel merges with an initial vowel.

Hindi compound formation in which two or more words combine into one unit with a single meaning, classified by type such as tatpurusha, dvigu, bahuvrihi and dvandva.

A Hindi prefix attached to a root verb or noun that modifies its meaning, for example changing direction, intensity or negation, without standing alone as an independent word.

A Hindi suffix added to a root or stem to form a new word or grammatical form, including case markers and derivational endings that change meaning or part of speech.