NES Secondary Professional Knowledge
UPDATED Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Theory: What is Erikson's theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Psychosocial Theory of
Development -
Individuals experience internal conflicts at various stages of life (crises) which are resolved
through interaction with others
Theory: What does Erikson's theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Competence: Industry vs. inferiority (ages 5~12)
Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion (ages 13~19)
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Erikson's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Help students explore identity, beliefs, careers, and responsibilities. Model career
choices. Help students find resources to work out personal problems. Give many "second
chances"
Theory: What is Piaget's theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Theory of Cognitive Development
-
Infants are born with sensory and reflexive skills that they use to engage the environment and
ultimately construct mental representations of it
Theory: What does Piaget's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Concrete Operational (ages 7~11) time, space, and quantity are understood and
can be applied but not as independent concepts
-Formal Operations (age 11+) theoretical, hypothetical, and counterfactual thinking,
abstract logic and reasoning
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Piaget's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Concrete Operational Student: use props, visual aids, manipulatives, well-
organized presentation, use familiar examples
,Formal Operational Student: continue to use concrete operational teaching, hypothetical
questions, scientific reasoning, teach broad concepts not just facts, inwards reflection
Theory: What is Vygotsky's Theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Social Development Theory -
children's thought structures develop through interaction with individuals in their
environments, informed by the culture in which they live
Theory: What does Piaget's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Work within students' ZPD
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Vygotsky's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Scaffolding
-accessibility to tools that support thinking
-build on cultural funds of knowledge
-utilize dialogue and learning groups
Vocabulary: Scaffolding - CORRECT ANSWER- providing sufficient support to promote
learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students.
Might include:
-resources
-a compelling task
-templates and guides
-guidance on the development of cognitive and social skills
Vocabulary: ZPD - CORRECT ANSWER- The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the
difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help
Theory: What is Kohlberg's Theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Stages of Moral Development
-
Moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental stages,
each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor
, Theory: What does Kohlberg's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Secondary students will fall somewhere in these levels:
-Interpersonal accord and conformity
-Authority and social-order maintaining orientation
-Social contract orientation
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Kohlberg's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Help students:
examine their dilemmas, see others' perspectives, help students really listen to each other, and
ensure your class reflects concern for moral issues and values
Development: What 3 areas of development occur in secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- 1) Physical/biological
2) Cognitive
3) Socioemotional (including moral)
Development: How does development contribute to early adolescent's (10~14) behavior? -
CORRECT ANSWER- -adolescents seeking peers with similar values and
recognition/attention/status
-risky activities emerge
-if academic problems become more pronounced then frequent failure leads to less
engagement in school activities
Development: How can you help failing students and students falling behind? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Suggest and demonstrate effective study strategies
-extra academic support for those struggling
UPDATED Exam Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Theory: What is Erikson's theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Psychosocial Theory of
Development -
Individuals experience internal conflicts at various stages of life (crises) which are resolved
through interaction with others
Theory: What does Erikson's theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Competence: Industry vs. inferiority (ages 5~12)
Fidelity: Identity vs. Role Confusion (ages 13~19)
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Erikson's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Help students explore identity, beliefs, careers, and responsibilities. Model career
choices. Help students find resources to work out personal problems. Give many "second
chances"
Theory: What is Piaget's theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Theory of Cognitive Development
-
Infants are born with sensory and reflexive skills that they use to engage the environment and
ultimately construct mental representations of it
Theory: What does Piaget's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Concrete Operational (ages 7~11) time, space, and quantity are understood and
can be applied but not as independent concepts
-Formal Operations (age 11+) theoretical, hypothetical, and counterfactual thinking,
abstract logic and reasoning
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Piaget's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Concrete Operational Student: use props, visual aids, manipulatives, well-
organized presentation, use familiar examples
,Formal Operational Student: continue to use concrete operational teaching, hypothetical
questions, scientific reasoning, teach broad concepts not just facts, inwards reflection
Theory: What is Vygotsky's Theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Social Development Theory -
children's thought structures develop through interaction with individuals in their
environments, informed by the culture in which they live
Theory: What does Piaget's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Work within students' ZPD
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Vygotsky's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Scaffolding
-accessibility to tools that support thinking
-build on cultural funds of knowledge
-utilize dialogue and learning groups
Vocabulary: Scaffolding - CORRECT ANSWER- providing sufficient support to promote
learning when concepts and skills are being first introduced to students.
Might include:
-resources
-a compelling task
-templates and guides
-guidance on the development of cognitive and social skills
Vocabulary: ZPD - CORRECT ANSWER- The zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the
difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help
Theory: What is Kohlberg's Theory? - CORRECT ANSWER- Stages of Moral Development
-
Moral reasoning, the basis for ethical behavior, has six identifiable developmental stages,
each more adequate at responding to moral dilemmas than its predecessor
, Theory: What does Kohlberg's Theory suggest about secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Secondary students will fall somewhere in these levels:
-Interpersonal accord and conformity
-Authority and social-order maintaining orientation
-Social contract orientation
Theory: What can a teacher do to help students based on Kohlberg's theory? - CORRECT
ANSWER- Help students:
examine their dilemmas, see others' perspectives, help students really listen to each other, and
ensure your class reflects concern for moral issues and values
Development: What 3 areas of development occur in secondary students? - CORRECT
ANSWER- 1) Physical/biological
2) Cognitive
3) Socioemotional (including moral)
Development: How does development contribute to early adolescent's (10~14) behavior? -
CORRECT ANSWER- -adolescents seeking peers with similar values and
recognition/attention/status
-risky activities emerge
-if academic problems become more pronounced then frequent failure leads to less
engagement in school activities
Development: How can you help failing students and students falling behind? - CORRECT
ANSWER- -Suggest and demonstrate effective study strategies
-extra academic support for those struggling
