HDFS 3450: Midterm with
complete verified solutions
2025-2026
Maria Montessori - answer 1. *Sensitive Periods* (birth-6, 6-12, 12-18)
2. Prepared Environment
3. *Guided* Learning (learning self-directed, teacher guide)
4. Practical Life Skills
5. Teach for* self-discipline*
John Dewey - answer 1. DEMOCRATIC classrooms (child-centered, based on
student interests)
2. *PROGRESSIVE* education (*real-life* matters; intrinsic motivation;
integrated academics)
*e.g. project approach
Piaget - answer 1. STAGES Theory (development as continuous;
physical/mental imp. to cognitive growth)
2. COGNITION focused (children imp. to own learning)
Vygotsky - answer *Sociocultural Theory* describes children's mental,
language and social development
1. Learning through *PLAY* (esp. dramatic)
2. SCAFFOLDING/ZPD (from Bruner)
Maslow - answer Hierarchy of Needs: children must have *needs for safety
met first*, THEN *focus on growth needs*
,Erikson - answer PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: must resolve conflict in
order to move to next stage of development
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Infant)
2. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (Toddler)
3. Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool)
4. Industry vs. Inferiority (middle childhood)
Lillian Katz - answer 1. *Self esteem* evolves from genuine effort, support.
2. Intellectual *challenges, curiosity*, and appropriate *support* results in
authentic learning.
3. Encouragement NOT praise!
David Elkind - answer "The Hurried Child"
Children need the gift of *time* to learn. Concerns about pressures in
childhood
Howard Gardner - answer Theory of Multiple Intelligences
(environment important, children construct own meanings)
Moral Autonomy - answer Doing the right thing...
1. Because it's right
2. Internally motivated
3. Internally rewarding and satisfying
Teaching Moral Autonomy (3 Points) - answer 1. Mutual Respect
2. Focus on the "why" (cause of behavior)
3. developmentally appropriate
Constructivist Theory - answer 1. learning always builds upon knowledge
that a student already knows (*SCHEMAS*)
, 2. children learn when they *encounter new ideas*/gain new info
("constructing knowledge")
Constructivist Theorists - answer 1. Piaget: learning is cumulative;
processes and challenges (organization, adaptation, disequilibrium,
equilibrium, social interaction, and scaffolding)
2. Vygotsky: social interactions (during play or not)
3. Bruner: scaffolding
Constructivist Learning should be... - answer 1. *individualized* (e.g.
auditory/visual, use diff. skills)
2. *hands-on*
3. Learning *how to be a successful person*
(don't give attn. to negative behavior)
Behaviorist Approaches - answer 1. Operant Conditioning approach;
stimulus-response theory (Skinner/Watson)
2. *factory-assembly model* of education (w/ rise of industrial revolution)
3. Knowledge reduced to *skills, bits of information*
4. Learning: broken down into steps, external process, *"shaped" by
teacher*
5. Learner: passive, an *"empty vessel,"* "trained" through reward and
punishment
Principles of Progressive Education - answer Education must...
1. prepare students for active participation in a *democratic society*
2. social, emotional, academic, cognitive, physical development
3. nurture and support children's *natural curiosity*
4. foster *internal motivation* in students
5. responsive to the *developmental needs* of students
6. *respectful relationships* b/t teachers and students
7. encourage the *active participation* of students in their learning which
arises from previous experience
complete verified solutions
2025-2026
Maria Montessori - answer 1. *Sensitive Periods* (birth-6, 6-12, 12-18)
2. Prepared Environment
3. *Guided* Learning (learning self-directed, teacher guide)
4. Practical Life Skills
5. Teach for* self-discipline*
John Dewey - answer 1. DEMOCRATIC classrooms (child-centered, based on
student interests)
2. *PROGRESSIVE* education (*real-life* matters; intrinsic motivation;
integrated academics)
*e.g. project approach
Piaget - answer 1. STAGES Theory (development as continuous;
physical/mental imp. to cognitive growth)
2. COGNITION focused (children imp. to own learning)
Vygotsky - answer *Sociocultural Theory* describes children's mental,
language and social development
1. Learning through *PLAY* (esp. dramatic)
2. SCAFFOLDING/ZPD (from Bruner)
Maslow - answer Hierarchy of Needs: children must have *needs for safety
met first*, THEN *focus on growth needs*
,Erikson - answer PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT: must resolve conflict in
order to move to next stage of development
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (Infant)
2. Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt (Toddler)
3. Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool)
4. Industry vs. Inferiority (middle childhood)
Lillian Katz - answer 1. *Self esteem* evolves from genuine effort, support.
2. Intellectual *challenges, curiosity*, and appropriate *support* results in
authentic learning.
3. Encouragement NOT praise!
David Elkind - answer "The Hurried Child"
Children need the gift of *time* to learn. Concerns about pressures in
childhood
Howard Gardner - answer Theory of Multiple Intelligences
(environment important, children construct own meanings)
Moral Autonomy - answer Doing the right thing...
1. Because it's right
2. Internally motivated
3. Internally rewarding and satisfying
Teaching Moral Autonomy (3 Points) - answer 1. Mutual Respect
2. Focus on the "why" (cause of behavior)
3. developmentally appropriate
Constructivist Theory - answer 1. learning always builds upon knowledge
that a student already knows (*SCHEMAS*)
, 2. children learn when they *encounter new ideas*/gain new info
("constructing knowledge")
Constructivist Theorists - answer 1. Piaget: learning is cumulative;
processes and challenges (organization, adaptation, disequilibrium,
equilibrium, social interaction, and scaffolding)
2. Vygotsky: social interactions (during play or not)
3. Bruner: scaffolding
Constructivist Learning should be... - answer 1. *individualized* (e.g.
auditory/visual, use diff. skills)
2. *hands-on*
3. Learning *how to be a successful person*
(don't give attn. to negative behavior)
Behaviorist Approaches - answer 1. Operant Conditioning approach;
stimulus-response theory (Skinner/Watson)
2. *factory-assembly model* of education (w/ rise of industrial revolution)
3. Knowledge reduced to *skills, bits of information*
4. Learning: broken down into steps, external process, *"shaped" by
teacher*
5. Learner: passive, an *"empty vessel,"* "trained" through reward and
punishment
Principles of Progressive Education - answer Education must...
1. prepare students for active participation in a *democratic society*
2. social, emotional, academic, cognitive, physical development
3. nurture and support children's *natural curiosity*
4. foster *internal motivation* in students
5. responsive to the *developmental needs* of students
6. *respectful relationships* b/t teachers and students
7. encourage the *active participation* of students in their learning which
arises from previous experience
