NES Profile: Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Secondary (052)

Content Domain I: Student Development and Learning

Competencies:

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0001 Understand processes of human development, variations in student development, and how to apply this knowledge to provide instructional environments and experiences that promote all students' development and learning.

Descriptive Statements:

Demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, principles, theories, and processes of human development as related to young adolescents and adolescents.
Recognize developmental milestones and developmental variation in the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, affective, and moral domains and their significance for instructional decision making for young adolescents and adolescents.
Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics and behaviors related to physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, affective, and moral development in young adolescents and adolescents and ways in which a student's development in one domain may affect development and performance in other domains.
Apply knowledge of cognitive development in young adolescents and adolescents and how to plan instruction that supports students' cognitive development.
Demonstrate knowledge of factors that influence the development of young adolescents and adolescents, such as home and community environments, values, and cultural differences.
Apply knowledge of the range of developmental differences in young adolescents and adolescents and the implications of this variation for instructional decision making.
Apply knowledge of typical developmental challenges for young adolescents and adolescents, such as those related to peer interactions, identity formation, self-esteem, sexuality, self-direction, risk taking, goal setting, and educational decision making, and effective ways to help students address these challenges.
Evaluate various instructional strategies, approaches, and learning goals in relation to the developmental characteristics and needs of young adolescents and adolescents.

Sample Item:

A middle school teacher has been planning to have the students in a class carry out individual research projects in which each student would investigate and report on a self-selected topic. The teacher decides instead to have the students conduct and report on their research in groups. The group approach is likely to be particularly effective for middle school students because it:

increases the students' overall learning efficiency and sense of contribution during the project.
enables students who usually achieve at varied levels to perform at a level similar to that of high-achieving peers in the class.
uses the students' interest in social interactions to enhance motivation and increase engagement in the learning process.
prompts the students to use a greater variety of methods and approaches to pursue broader, more complex research topics.

Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)

C. This question requires the examinee to evaluate various instructional strategies, approaches, and learning goals in relation to the developmental characteristics and needs of young adolescents. To plan effective instruction, teachers need to take into consideration the developmental characteristics of the students they teach. Social development in young adolescents is characterized by an increased focus on peers and peer relationships. Cooperative learning engages students in the social construction of knowledge, integrating learning with peer interaction. This approach also enhances student motivation by responding directly to young adolescents' need for relatedness to others.

0002 Understand learning processes, factors that can affect student learning and performance, and how to apply this knowledge to provide instructional environments and experiences that promote all students' learning and achievement.

Descriptive Statements:

Demonstrate knowledge of major theories and concepts related to the learning process and their application in educational contexts.
Apply knowledge of processes by which young adolescent and adolescent students construct meaning and develop skills, including the use of different types of learning strategies, and techniques for making knowledge accessible and meaningful for all students, including English language learners and students with exceptionalities.
Identify strategies and technologies for facilitating learning for students with various characteristics and needs in given instructional contexts.
Apply knowledge of strategies for promoting students' development of independent thinking and learning, reflection and higher-order thinking skills, organizational and time-management skills, and sense of ownership and responsibility with regard to their own learning.
Apply knowledge of various teacher and student roles in the learning process and how different roles may affect student learning and outcomes.
Demonstrate awareness of factors in the home, school, and community that can affect student learning and the implications of these factors for teaching and learning.
Demonstrate knowledge of various classroom practices, such as grouping practices and teacher-student interactions, and their significance for student learning.

Sample Item:

Which of the following is the best example of a teacher applying a constructivist approach to student learning?

A math teacher has students use hands-on materials and real-world problems to acquire new concepts and practice skills.
A language arts teacher provides students with a concrete reward each time they turn in a written assignment that is free of errors.
A social studies teacher uses visual aids and a logical progression of ideas when presenting lectures about new or unfamiliar topics.
A science teacher models the correct procedures for performing complex experiments before having students perform the experiments.

Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)

A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of major theories and concepts related to the learning process and their application in educational contexts. Constructivism is based on the concept that individuals build their own knowledge by exploring and interacting directly with their physical and social environments. Constructivism emphasizes the active role of the learner in building understanding, making sense of information, and applying knowledge. The use of hands-on materials promotes each student's active engagement in the learning process and the use of real-world problems provides students with authentic and relevant contexts in which to apply new knowledge.

0003 Understand student diversity and how to provide learning opportunities and environments that are responsive to student differences, promote all students' learning, and foster students' appreciation of and respect for diversity.

Descriptive Statements:

Demonstrate knowledge of different types of student diversity, such as diversity in cultural background, socioeconomic background, gender, linguistic background, religion, and family structure, and the implications of given types of diversity for teaching and learning.
Demonstrate knowledge of different types of student exceptionalities, their characteristics, and their implications for teaching and learning.
Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for enhancing one's own understanding of students' diverse backgrounds and needs, resources in the school and community for meeting individual student needs, and strategies for connecting students and their families to these resources.
Identify strategies for working and interacting effectively in various classroom contexts with students with diverse characteristics and needs, including English language learners and students with exceptionalities.
Apply knowledge of strategies for planning and adapting instruction that is responsive to the characteristics, skills, strengths, and needs of all students and for ensuring that all students participate fully in classroom life and activities.
Apply knowledge of strategies for creating a positive, supportive classroom environment for all students and for promoting students' understanding and appreciation of and respect for diversity within the classroom and the community.

Sample Item:

When planning a lesson, a teacher can best help ensure that instruction will be effective and appropriate for students from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds by asking himself or herself which of the following questions?

Will the lesson include opportunities for interaction among students from different backgrounds?
Will students have opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification at various points in the lesson?
Will the lesson be structured in a way that allows students to spend time working with self-selected peers to help process new learning?
Will the examples used to illustrate and explore lesson content be familiar and relevant to students with varied life experiences?

Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)

D. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of strategies for planning and adapting instruction that is responsive to the characteristics, skills, strengths, and needs of all students. Effective instruction helps students make connections between their current understandings and new concepts and ideas. Students from different socioeconomic backgrounds vary in their experiences and their access to enrichment activities (e.g., arts classes, science camps) and educational resources (e.g., museums, libraries, technology). To make learning meaningful for all students, teachers must take into consideration this variation in students' experiential backgrounds and circumstances when choosing examples that will serve as the foundation for new learning.

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