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Sri Lanka Teachers' Service Graduate Open Exam study materials
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Sri Lanka Teachers' Service Graduate Open Exam practice questions

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Question 1General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Sri Lanka's Parliament consists of how many elected members under the current Constitution?

  1. 196
  2. 250
  3. 210
  4. 225 Correct answer.

Explanation

The Constitution provides for a unicameral Parliament of 225 members, chosen by proportional representation with a preferential vote system. This figure has remained unchanged since the 1978 constitutional reforms.

Question 2General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which body is constitutionally responsible for conducting elections for the President and Parliament in Sri Lanka?

  1. The Auditor General's Department
  2. The Department of Registration of Persons
  3. The Public Service Commission
  4. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka Correct answer.

Explanation

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution established the Election Commission as an independent body charged with conducting presidential, parliamentary and provincial council elections. It also handles referenda and the registration of political parties.

Question 3General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The official administrative capital of Sri Lanka, where the Parliament complex is located, is:

  1. Colombo
  2. Galle
  3. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Correct answer.
  4. Kandy

Explanation

Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte became the legislative and administrative capital when Parliament moved there in 1982. Colombo remains the commercial capital and largest city.

Question 4General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which language is recognised, together with Sinhala and Tamil, as a link language under Sri Lanka's language policy?

  1. Arabic
  2. Dutch
  3. Pali
  4. English Correct answer.

Explanation

The Constitution names Sinhala and Tamil as official languages and English as the link language. English is widely used in administration, commerce and higher education.

Question 5General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is responsible primarily for:

  1. Collecting customs duties at ports
  2. Administering the Employees' Provident Fund
  3. Regulating the stock exchange listings
  4. Maintaining price stability and issuing currency Correct answer.

Explanation

The Central Bank is mandated to maintain economic and price stability and to issue the national currency. It also supervises licensed commercial and specialised banks.

Question 6General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is a World Heritage Site located in Sri Lanka's Cultural Triangle?

  1. Sigiriya Correct answer.
  2. Yala National Park
  3. Horton Plains
  4. Adam's Peak

Explanation

Sigiriya, the ancient rock fortress and palace complex, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lies within the Cultural Triangle along with Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla.

Question 7General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The head of the Sri Lankan public service, who chairs the Public Service Commission, is appointed by the:

  1. President Correct answer.
  2. Chief Justice
  3. Auditor General
  4. Speaker of Parliament

Explanation

Members of the Public Service Commission are appointed by the President, subject to constitutional safeguards introduced to strengthen independence. The Commission advises the President on public service appointments and promotions.

Question 8General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Sri Lanka's national flag features a lion holding a sword against a maroon background, with bo leaves in the four corners. The bo leaves symbolise:

  1. The four cardinal virtues of Buddhism Correct answer.
  2. The four seasons of the agricultural year
  3. The four main rivers of the island
  4. The four provinces of the ancient kingdom

Explanation

The four bo leaves represent metta, karuna, mudita and upekkha, the four sublime states or cardinal virtues in Buddhist teaching. They also stand for the four communities of the nation.

Question 9General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A graduate teacher is preparing a lesson on Sri Lanka's electoral system. Which statement correctly describes how a voter marks a parliamentary ballot?

  1. The voter may mark up to three preferences among the candidates of one party list Correct answer.
  2. The voter casts two separate ballots, one for the party and one for a district list
  3. The voter ranks every candidate on the ballot in order of preference
  4. The voter must select exactly one party and no individual candidate

Explanation

Under the proportional representation system with preferential voting, a voter chooses a party and may indicate up to three preferences among that party's district candidates. The preferences determine which candidates are returned from each list.

Question 10General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which institution prepares the Annual Report on the accounts of the Government of Sri Lanka for presentation to Parliament?

  1. The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts
  2. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka
  3. The Ministry of Finance
  4. The Auditor General's Department Correct answer.

Explanation

The Auditor General is constitutionally required to audit the accounts of all public institutions and report to Parliament. The Committee on Public Accounts then examines those reports, but does not prepare them.

Question 11General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Sri Lanka's Constitution provides for a Bill of Rights in which chapter?

  1. Chapter III on Fundamental Rights Correct answer.
  2. Chapter IX on the Public Service
  3. Chapter XVII on Finance
  4. Chapter VII on the Executive

Explanation

Chapter III of the Constitution sets out fundamental rights and the remedies available when they are infringed. Alleged violations may be challenged before the Supreme Court under Article 126.

Question 12General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A citizen wishes to challenge an alleged infringement of a fundamental right by an executive officer. The correct forum for a direct remedy is:

  1. The Court of Appeal
  2. The District Court
  3. The Supreme Court Correct answer.
  4. The Human Rights Commission alone

Explanation

Article 126 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to hear fundamental rights applications. The Human Rights Commission may inquire into complaints but cannot grant constitutional relief.

Question 13General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In Sri Lanka's provincial council system, the number of provinces established by the Thirteenth Amendment is:

  1. Eleven
  2. Five
  3. Nine Correct answer.
  4. Seven

Explanation

The Thirteenth Amendment created nine provincial councils, mirroring the nine provinces of the island. Each council exercises devolved powers over subjects such as education, health and local roads.

Question 14General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Sri Lankan rupee is issued in notes and coins by which authority?

  1. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka Correct answer.
  2. The Sri Lanka Banks' Association
  3. The Bank of Ceylon
  4. The Ministry of Finance

Explanation

Currency issuance is a statutory function of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, which manages the note and coin supply. Commercial banks such as Bank of Ceylon distribute currency but do not issue it.

Question 15General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The traditional Sri Lankan irrigation system includes tanks fed by canals known as:

  1. Yoda elas Correct answer.
  2. Purana villages
  3. Wewa bunds
  4. Chena plots

Explanation

Yoda elas are the canal systems that carry water from reservoirs to paddy fields in the dry zone. They form part of a cascade system linking tanks across a watershed.

Question 16General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which Sri Lankan scientist is widely credited with pioneering work on the assessment of nutrition and food composition in the country's public health service?

  1. A. T. W. Simeonov
  2. C. G. Uragoda Correct answer.
  3. K. M. de Silva
  4. G. P. S. H. de Silva

Explanation

C. G. Uragoda is a noted Sri Lankan medical author and occupational health specialist whose writings documented the history of medicine and public health in Sri Lanka. His work is often cited in studies of the island's health administration.

Question 17General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A teacher is asked to explain why Sri Lanka's dry zone supports extensive paddy cultivation despite low rainfall. The best explanation is:

  1. Groundwater alone supplies all irrigation needs without surface storage
  2. Paddy is a drought-resistant crop that needs no standing water
  3. The dry zone receives year-round rainfall from the south-west monsoon
  4. Ancient tank and canal networks store monsoon water for distribution during dry periods Correct answer.

Explanation

The dry zone depends on large storage tanks built to capture seasonal monsoon rain and release it through canal networks. This ancient hydraulic civilisation made intensive paddy cultivation possible in low-rainfall areas.

Question 18General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Sri Lankan Constitution's directive principles of state policy are intended to:

  1. Guide the state in policy-making without being directly enforceable in court Correct answer.
  2. Replace the fundamental rights chapter
  3. Apply only to local government authorities
  4. Create immediately enforceable individual rights

Explanation

Directive principles guide the legislature and executive in framing policy and law, but they are not directly enforceable by courts. They express social and economic goals rather than individual legal entitlements.

Question 19General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following best describes the role of the Sri Lanka Teachers' Service as a professional service?

  1. It is a private body that accredits international schools
  2. It is a trade union representing teachers in collective bargaining
  3. It is an advisory council of university vice-chancellors
  4. It is a public service cadre with defined schemes of recruitment, promotion and discipline for teachers Correct answer.

Explanation

The Teachers' Service is a structured public service cadre with rules governing recruitment, promotion, transfers and disciplinary procedures. It is administered through the Ministry of Education and provincial authorities.

Question 20General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Sri Lanka's population is administratively enumerated most recently through a census conducted by which body?

  1. The Ministry of Provincial Councils
  2. The Election Commission
  3. The Registrar General's Department
  4. The Department of Census and Statistics Correct answer.

Explanation

The Department of Census and Statistics conducts the national population and housing census and publishes demographic data. The most recent census was carried out in 2024 after delays following the 2012 count.

Question 21General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following statements about Sri Lanka's export economy is most accurate?

  1. Apparel and textiles have been leading export earners, alongside tea and rubber Correct answer.
  2. Rice is the country's principal export commodity
  3. Petroleum exports dominate the trade balance
  4. Tea alone accounts for more than half of all export earnings

Explanation

Sri Lanka's export basket is led by apparel, with tea, rubber products and coconut products also significant. The economy has diversified beyond the traditional plantation crops.

Question 22General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The concept of 'independent commissions' introduced by the Nineteenth Amendment was designed primarily to:

  1. Transfer judicial appointments to Parliament
  2. Abolish provincial councils
  3. Reduce political interference in appointments to key public institutions Correct answer.
  4. Increase the President's control over the public service

Explanation

The Nineteenth Amendment created a Constitutional Council and independent commissions to depoliticise appointments to bodies such as the Election Commission and the Public Service Commission. The aim was to strengthen institutional independence.

Question 23General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In the context of Sri Lankan administrative law, a writ of certiorari is sought to:

  1. Order the release of a detained person
  2. Quash a decision of an inferior tribunal or public authority for legal error Correct answer.
  3. Prohibit a person from holding public office
  4. Compel a public authority to perform a legal duty

Explanation

Certiorari allows the Court of Appeal to quash decisions made by inferior courts or public bodies acting beyond their powers or in breach of natural justice. Mandamus compels performance of a duty, while habeas corpus concerns unlawful detention.

Question 24General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A provincial council wishes to legislate on a subject listed in the Provincial Councils List. Which statement about the constitutional framework is correct?

  1. Provincial statutes must not be inconsistent with national law on subjects in the Reserved List Correct answer.
  2. Provincial councils may legislate on any subject including national defence
  3. Provincial councils may amend the Constitution for their province
  4. Provincial statutes override national law in all cases

Explanation

Under the Thirteenth Amendment, provincial councils may legislate on Provincial Council List subjects, but national law prevails on Reserved List matters. National defence and foreign affairs remain reserved to the centre.

Question 25General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which statement best captures the significance of the Kandyan Convention of 1815 in Sri Lanka's constitutional history?

  1. It granted universal adult suffrage to Ceylonese citizens
  2. It established the first elected legislature in Ceylon
  3. It ceded the Kandyan kingdom to the British while purporting to preserve certain traditional and religious rights Correct answer.
  4. It created the post of Governor-General independent of the Crown

Explanation

The Kandyan Convention transferred sovereignty over the Kandyan kingdom to the British Crown while promising to maintain the Buddhist religion and traditional customs. Its clauses later became a reference point in debates over constitutional safeguards.

Question 26General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In Sri Lanka's general education system, which body is responsible for conducting the Grade 5 Scholarship Examination and the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level examination?

  1. The Provincial Department of Education
  2. The University Grants Commission
  3. The Department of Examinations Correct answer.
  4. The National Institute of Education

Explanation

The Department of Examinations, functioning under the Ministry of Education, is the statutory body that conducts national examinations including the Grade 5 Scholarship, G.C.E. Ordinary Level, and G.C.E. Advanced Level examinations. The National Institute of Education develops curricula and textbooks but does not administer these examinations. Provincial departments implement education at the provincial level but do not conduct national examinations.

Question 27General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A teacher in a government school is asked to explain the composition of Sri Lanka's Parliament. Which statement accurately describes the current structure?

  1. Parliament consists of 225 members elected for a five-year term, with 196 elected from electoral districts and 29 from the national list. Correct answer.
  2. Parliament consists of 225 members elected for a four-year term, with 196 elected from electoral districts and 29 from the national list.
  3. Parliament consists of 225 members elected for a six-year term, with all members elected from electoral districts.
  4. Parliament consists of 225 members elected for a five-year term, with 150 elected from electoral districts and 75 from the national list.

Explanation

Under Sri Lanka's Constitution, Parliament has 225 members: 196 are elected from electoral districts under the proportional representation system, and 29 are appointed from the national list. The term of Parliament is five years, though it can be dissolved earlier. The other options misstate either the term length or the distribution between district and national list seats.

Question 28General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A teacher is preparing a lesson on Sri Lanka's climate and asks why the south-west monsoon brings heavy rain to the western slopes of the central highlands while the south-eastern coast remains relatively dry. Which explanation is most accurate?

  1. The south-west monsoon affects only the northern peninsula because the central highlands block the winds from reaching the west and south-east.
  2. The south-west monsoon is caused by the migration of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, which brings rain to all parts of the island equally during the monsoon period.
  3. The south-west monsoon winds pick up moisture over the Indian Ocean and are forced to rise over the central highlands, causing orographic rainfall on the windward western slopes, while the leeward south-east remains in a rain shadow. Correct answer.
  4. The south-west monsoon winds are dry because they originate over the Himalayas and only gain moisture after crossing the central highlands, so the south-east receives more rain.

Explanation

During the south-west monsoon (typically May to September), moist air from the Indian Ocean is driven against the central highlands. As the air is forced to rise, it cools and condenses, producing heavy orographic rainfall on the western slopes. The south-east, being on the leeward side, lies in a rain shadow and receives much less rain during this period.

Question 29General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In the context of Sri Lanka's public financial management, which institution is mandated to audit the accounts of all government departments and report its findings to Parliament?

  1. The Auditor General Correct answer.
  2. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka
  3. The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts
  4. The Ministry of Finance

Explanation

The Auditor General is constitutionally empowered to audit the accounts of all government departments, public corporations, and local authorities, and to report to Parliament. The Central Bank manages monetary policy and currency, the Ministry of Finance prepares the budget, and the Committee on Public Accounts examines audit reports but does not conduct the audits.

Question 30General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A graduate teacher is analysing the constitutional framework governing language in Sri Lanka. Which statement best reflects the legal position established by the Thirteenth Amendment and subsequent legislation?

  1. Sinhala is the sole official language, while Tamil is recognised only as a regional language in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
  2. Sinhala and Tamil are both official languages, and English is a link language, with provisions for the use of Tamil in provincial administration and education. Correct answer.
  3. Sinhala, Tamil, and English are all official languages, with equal status in all spheres of administration.
  4. English is the sole official language, while Sinhala and Tamil are recognised as national languages without official status.

Explanation

The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution (1987) made Tamil an official language alongside Sinhala, and subsequent legislation, including the Official Languages Act, provided for the use of both languages in administration. English was designated a link language. The amendment also included provisions for Tamil-medium administration and education in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, reflecting the constitutional recognition of both Sinhala and Tamil as official languages.

Question 31Educational Psychology and Child Development

A Grade 3 teacher notices that a pupil who recently moved from a rural school refuses to answer questions aloud in class but performs well in written work. Which of Piaget's concepts best explains the pupil's difficulty in adapting to the new classroom expectations?

  1. Conservation of learning ability across settings
  2. Disequilibrium arising from unfamiliar social demands Correct answer.
  3. Egocentrism of the preoperational stage
  4. Assimilation of new classroom rules into existing schemas

Explanation

Disequilibrium occurs when new experiences cannot be handled by existing schemas, prompting the learner to adjust. The pupil's written competence shows intact ability, but the unfamiliar oral participation demand creates cognitive conflict. This drives accommodation of new classroom behaviours rather than simple assimilation.

Question 32Educational Psychology and Child Development

According to Vygotsky, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is best described as:

  1. The gap between what a learner can do alone and what the learner can do with guidance Correct answer.
  2. The range of tasks a learner can complete independently without support
  3. The period during which a child cannot yet conserve mass or volume
  4. The stage in which a child masters abstract hypothetical reasoning

Explanation

Vygotsky defined the ZPD as the distance between the actual developmental level shown in independent problem solving and the potential level reached with adult guidance or peer collaboration. Instruction is most effective when targeted within this zone. Scaffolding is the support provided to work inside it.

Question 33Educational Psychology and Child Development

A pupil repeatedly tells the teacher, "I am bad at mathematics because I always fail," even after scoring well on a recent test. Which concept from Bandura's theory most directly explains this persistent self-judgement?

  1. Moral development at the conventional level
  2. Vicarious reinforcement from classmates
  3. Observational learning from a peer model
  4. Self-efficacy beliefs based on past mastery experiences Correct answer.

Explanation

Bandura held that self-efficacy is built mainly from mastery experiences, and a history of past failure can keep efficacy beliefs low even when a single success occurs. The pupil interprets the new success as an exception rather than evidence of ability. Teachers can address this by structuring small, repeated successes and attribution feedback.

Question 34Educational Psychology and Child Development

In Erikson's psychosocial theory, the central conflict of the primary school years (roughly ages 6 to 12) is:

  1. Identity versus role confusion
  2. Autonomy versus shame and doubt
  3. Industry versus inferiority Correct answer.
  4. Trust versus mistrust

Explanation

Erikson placed industry versus inferiority in the school-age period, when children seek to master skills and gain recognition from teachers and peers. Success builds a sense of competence, while repeated failure or ridicule can produce feelings of inferiority. This makes feedback and task success especially important in primary classrooms.

Question 35Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher wants to reduce a pupil's habit of calling out answers without raising a hand. After each 10-minute period in which the pupil raises a hand and waits, the pupil earns a token. Which principle is being applied?

  1. Negative reinforcement of the target behaviour
  2. Positive reinforcement on a fixed-interval schedule Correct answer.
  3. Extinction of an undesired response
  4. Punishment by removal of a privilege

Explanation

Earning a token for appropriate hand-raising is positive reinforcement because a desirable consequence follows the behaviour. Delivering it after each fixed period makes it a fixed-interval schedule. Over time the interval or token exchange can be thinned to maintain the behaviour.

Question 36Educational Psychology and Child Development

Which statement best reflects the behaviourist view of learning associated with Skinner?

  1. Learning occurs mainly through insight and sudden restructuring.
  2. Learning is the construction of meaning through active mental processing.
  3. Learning is a change in observable behaviour shaped by consequences. Correct answer.
  4. Learning unfolds through predetermined biological stages.

Explanation

Skinner's radical behaviourism focused on observable behaviour and the contingencies of reinforcement that shape it. Internal mental states were not the primary explanatory unit. This contrasts with cognitive and stage theories that emphasise mental representation or maturation.

Question 37Educational Psychology and Child Development

A child who has just entered the preoperational stage is shown two identical glasses of water. Water from one glass is poured into a tall, narrow glass. The child says the tall glass has more water. This response illustrates:

  1. Understanding of class inclusion
  2. Reversibility of thought
  3. Failure of conservation Correct answer.
  4. Mastery of seriation

Explanation

Conservation is the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance, and preoperational children typically fail this task. They focus on the salient perceptual feature, the height of the water, and ignore the change in width. This centration is a hallmark of preoperational reasoning.

Question 38Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher uses a story about a child who breaks three cups accidentally and another who breaks one cup while sneaking sweets. A pupil says the second child is naughtier because the intention was bad. This pupil's reasoning reflects:

  1. Preconventional morality based on punishment avoidance
  2. Conventional morality based on social approval
  3. Autonomous morality based on intentions Correct answer.
  4. Heteronomous morality judging by consequences

Explanation

In Piaget's account, autonomous morality recognises that intentions matter more than the size of the material outcome. Judging the sneaking child as naughtier despite fewer broken cups shows this intention-based reasoning. It typically emerges as peer interaction reduces adult authority-based judgement.

Question 39Educational Psychology and Child Development

According to Kohlberg's theory, a pupil who says rules should be followed because they maintain social order and are agreed by the community is reasoning at which level?

  1. Premoral
  2. Conventional Correct answer.
  3. Postconventional
  4. Preconventional

Explanation

Kohlberg's conventional level centres on meeting social expectations, maintaining approval, and upholding the social order. Reasoning that rules should be respected because they preserve the community fits this level. Preconventional reasoning focuses on self-interest, while postconventional reasoning appeals to abstract principles.

Question 40Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher gives a struggling reader a graphic organiser, models the strategy aloud, and gradually withdraws help as the pupil becomes independent. This practice is best described as:

  1. Discovery learning without guidance
  2. Scaffolding within the zone of proximal development Correct answer.
  3. Classical conditioning of reading fluency
  4. Negative reinforcement of reading errors

Explanation

Scaffolding is temporary, adjustable support that lets a learner complete a task beyond independent reach. Modelling and gradual withdrawal of help are core features. It is grounded in Vygotsky's ZPD because support is calibrated to the learner's emerging competence.

Question 41Educational Psychology and Child Development

A child can sort blocks by colour, then by shape, but cannot yet understand that a set of ten wooden blocks includes more wooden blocks than red blocks. This difficulty indicates a limitation in:

  1. Conservation of number
  2. Class inclusion Correct answer.
  3. Transitive inference
  4. Object permanence

Explanation

Class inclusion is the understanding that a subclass is smaller than the whole class that contains it. The child focuses on the two subclasses rather than comparing a subclass with the superordinate class. This is characteristic of preoperational thinking.

Question 42Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher notices that a pupil who is praised publicly for good work becomes anxious and avoids future public recognition. Which interpretation is most consistent with motivation theory?

  1. Public praise may undermine intrinsic motivation by shifting attention to external evaluation Correct answer.
  2. Praise has no effect on motivation in school-age children
  3. Extrinsic rewards always increase intrinsic motivation
  4. The pupil lacks the cognitive capacity to understand praise

Explanation

The overjustification effect suggests that salient external rewards or evaluations can reduce intrinsic interest by making the activity feel externally controlled. Public praise may also raise evaluation anxiety in some pupils. Teachers should consider private, effort-focused feedback for such learners.

Question 43Educational Psychology and Child Development

Which of the following best illustrates the use of a formative assessment strategy to support learning?

  1. Ranking pupils by total marks at the end of the year
  2. Using a quick exit ticket to check understanding and adjust the next lesson Correct answer.
  3. Selecting pupils for a scholarship based on a standardised test
  4. Awarding a term grade based on a final examination

Explanation

Formative assessment gathers evidence during learning to inform teaching and feedback. An exit ticket is a short, low-stakes check that allows immediate adjustment of instruction. The other options are summative or selection uses that occur after learning.

Question 44Educational Psychology and Child Development

A pupil who previously enjoyed science begins to say science is boring after receiving consistently low marks. According to expectancy-value theory, the pupil's declining motivation is most likely due to:

  1. Higher self-efficacy from mastery experiences
  2. Increased intrinsic interest in the subject
  3. Stronger mastery goal orientation
  4. Reduced perceived competence combined with lowered task value Correct answer.

Explanation

Expectancy-value theory holds that motivation depends on both the expectation of success and the value placed on the task. Repeated low marks can lower perceived competence while the task loses subjective value. Both declines reduce achievement behaviour.

Question 45Educational Psychology and Child Development

A pupil with a specific learning difficulty in reading is best supported by which approach?

  1. Repeating the same reading task until it is memorised
  2. Systematic, explicit phonics instruction with structured practice Correct answer.
  3. Removing reading tasks from the curriculum
  4. Relying only on whole-class oral reading

Explanation

Structured, explicit and systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships is a well-supported approach for reading difficulties. It provides cumulative practice and clear feedback. Removing tasks or relying on incidental exposure does not address the underlying difficulty.

Question 46Educational Psychology and Child Development

According to information-processing theory, which classroom practice best supports the transfer of new learning from working memory to long-term memory?

  1. Presenting many new facts rapidly in one session
  2. Encouraging spaced practice with retrieval opportunities Correct answer.
  3. Avoiding feedback to prevent interference
  4. Keeping lessons free of any prior knowledge review

Explanation

Working memory has limited capacity, so information is more likely to be encoded into long-term memory when it is rehearsed over spaced intervals and retrieved repeatedly. Retrieval practice strengthens memory traces. Rapid, massed presentation risks overload and shallow encoding.

Question 47Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher observes that a pupil can solve a puzzle alone one day but fails the same puzzle the next day when tired. This variation is best explained by:

  1. A change in the pupil's stage of cognitive development
  2. A change in the pupil's functional level of performance Correct answer.
  3. A shift from concrete to formal operations
  4. Permanent loss of a cognitive skill

Explanation

Vygotsky distinguished the actual developmental level from the functional level of performance, which can vary with fatigue, motivation and context. Stage changes are gradual and not reversible overnight. The same task success one day and failure the next reflects performance conditions, not structural development.

Question 48Educational Psychology and Child Development

A teacher wants to help pupils develop a growth mindset. Which feedback statement is most consistent with this aim?

  1. You will never be good at this
  2. You are naturally clever at this subject
  3. Your ability is fixed, so do not worry about mistakes
  4. You got that right because you practised the steps carefully Correct answer.

Explanation

Growth mindset feedback attributes success to effort and strategy rather than fixed ability. Praising the process encourages persistence when tasks become difficult. Ability-focused praise can make pupils avoid challenge to protect a label.

Question 49Educational Psychology and Child Development

During a group activity, a pupil consistently takes charge, assigns roles and ignores suggestions from peers. In terms of social development, this behaviour most likely indicates:

  1. Limited opportunities to practise shared decision-making and turn-taking Correct answer.
  2. A secure attachment pattern with the teacher
  3. Advanced perspective-taking and collaborative skill
  4. Mastery of prosocial conflict resolution

Explanation

Dominating a group and ignoring peers suggests the pupil has not yet developed the skills of shared decision-making, negotiation and turn-taking. These are learned through guided group work and modelling. It does not indicate advanced collaboration, which requires listening and integrating others' ideas.

Question 50Educational Psychology and Child Development

Which of the following is the clearest example of a pupil using metacognitive knowledge?

  1. Answering a factual question quickly
  2. Knowing that checking work for errors helps and planning to do so Correct answer.
  3. Reciting a poem from memory without error
  4. Copying notes from the board neatly

Explanation

Metacognition involves knowledge about one's own thinking and the regulation of that thinking, such as planning, monitoring and evaluating. Knowing that a checking strategy improves accuracy and intending to use it reflects both metacognitive knowledge and regulation. The other options are performance acts without self-monitoring.