TNTET Paper 2 key terms

A learning theory holding that learners actively build new understanding by connecting new information with prior knowledge, rather than passively receiving facts from a teacher.

The gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance from a more capable peer or adult; instruction should target this range.

Temporary support given by a teacher or peer-such as hints, models, or prompts-that helps a learner complete a task, gradually withdrawn as competence grows.

Ongoing assessment during teaching used to monitor learning, identify gaps, and adjust instruction; it is low-stakes and feedback-oriented, unlike summative assessment at the end.

A school assessment system that evaluates students continuously across scholastic and co-scholastic areas, using multiple tools to reduce dependence on a single terminal exam.

An approach where students with disabilities and diverse needs learn in mainstream classrooms with appropriate adaptations, rather than being segregated into separate schools.

A neurodevelopmental condition affecting specific academic skills-such as reading (dyslexia) or mathematics (dyscalculia)-despite average or above-average intelligence and adequate instruction.

The variations among learners in ability, interests, personality, pace of learning, and background that require teachers to use differentiated strategies.

Awareness and regulation of one's own thinking-planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning strategies-which helps students become self-directed learners and improves academic performance.

The developmental period from puberty to adulthood marked by rapid physical growth, identity formation, peer influence, and increased abstract reasoning; important for upper-primary and secondary teachers.

A stage theory describing how moral reasoning develops from obedience-based thinking to universal ethical principles, useful for understanding adolescents' classroom behaviour.

The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning in a language, such as the /p/ and /b/ in 'pat' and 'bat'; essential for teaching pronunciation and early reading.

The smallest meaningful unit of a word, either free (e.g., 'book') or bound (e.g., '-s' for plural); helps teachers explain word formation and spelling.

The rules governing how words combine into phrases and sentences in a language, including word order and agreement; grammar instruction often targets syntax.

Two fast reading strategies: skimming for the general idea and scanning for specific details such as dates or names; both are tested in comprehension sections.

The ability to understand, interpret, and evaluate a written text by linking its ideas to prior knowledge and identifying main points, details, and inferences.

An approach emphasising real-life communication and fluency over rote grammar, using pair work, role-play, and tasks to develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal words, such as 'break the ice'; important for vocabulary and comprehension questions.

Two sentence structures showing whether the subject performs the action (active) or receives it (passive); transforming between them is a common grammar item.

A classical Tamil work of 1,330 couplets by Thiruvalluvar covering ethics, governance, and love; a standard text in Tamil language papers.

The earliest known Tamil literature, composed roughly between 300 BCE and 300 CE, including anthologies of heroic and love poetry; a key topic in Tamil Paper I.

The value of a digit determined by its position in a numeral, e.g., 5 in 507 means 500; foundational for arithmetic and decimal understanding.

Numbers representing parts of a whole, written as a numerator over a denominator; operations on fractions require common denominators for addition and subtraction.

A ratio compares two quantities, while a proportion states that two ratios are equal; used in scaling, unitary method, and problem solving.

An equation in which the highest power of the variable is one, such as 2x + 3 = 11; solving it involves isolating the variable using inverse operations.

Congruent figures have identical shape and size, while similar figures have the same shape but may differ in size; both are central to geometry.

In a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides (a² + b² = c²).

Three measures of central tendency: mean is the average, median the middle value, and mode the most frequent value in a data set.

A number between 0 and 1 expressing how likely an event is, calculated as favourable outcomes divided by total outcomes in simple experiments.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen, with chlorophyll as the key pigment.

Three principles describing how forces affect motion: inertia, F = ma, and action–reaction; foundational for mechanics taught at the upper-primary level.

Substances with characteristic properties: acids turn blue litmus red, bases turn red litmus blue, and they neutralise each other to form salt and water.

Imaginary lines that locate places on Earth: latitude measures distance north or south of the equator, longitude measures east or west of the prime meridian.

Seasonal reversal of winds bringing heavy rainfall to India, especially the southwest monsoon from June to September, which is vital for agriculture.

A Bronze Age civilization (c. 2500–1500 BCE) known for planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, drainage systems, and trade; a core history topic.

Basic rights guaranteed to Indian citizens by the Constitution, including equality, freedom, and constitutional remedies; they are enforceable through courts and form a core civics topic.

A three-tier system of local self-government in rural India-gram panchayat, block panchayat, and district panchayat-created by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.

The supreme law of India, adopted in 1950, establishing the parliamentary system, federal structure, fundamental rights, and directive principles; a key civics topic.