Study Guide

Field 006: Secondary Education
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Objective 0001
Student Development and Diversity (Standard 1)

1. Which of the following statements by a ninth-grade student represents the most advanced level of moral development?

  1. "It's against the rules to leave school during lunch; we'll get in trouble for sure."
  2. "I think every person who wants to should have a chance to try out for the team."
  3. "You know the librarian doesn't like it when we reshelve the books we use."
  4. "I'll help you with history but only if you help me study for the science test."
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of major concepts, theories, and processes related to the moral development of students in grades 5-12. By middle to late adolescence, many students' moral development has advanced to a stage in which they acknowledge and appreciate the perspectives and individual rights of others and the importance of fairness. The student who states that everyone who wants to should be able to try out for the team is expressing the concepts of fairness and equal rights associated with advanced perspective-taking abilities.
Objective 0002
Learning Processes (Standard 2)

2. In which of the following situations is a teacher most clearly applying the concept of scaffolding to promote student learning?

  1. A middle school mathematics teacher allows students to discontinue independent practice of a new skill once they have correctly solved three problems in a row.
  2. A high school English teacher offers students a choice of three articles to read as part of an interdisciplinary unit on the Renaissance.
  3. A middle school science teacher directs students to write down each step of an experiment on identifying acids and bases as they perform it.
  4. A high school world history teacher reviews and posts a timeline of key world events to provide students with context for learning about factors leading up to the Korean conflict.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of processes by which students construct meaning and acquire skills. Scaffolding strategies are used to support students' learning of new content and skills. The timeline of events posted by the teacher provides students with a tool to help them comprehend and integrate new information and understand its place in a broader historical context.
Objective 0002
Learning Processes (Standard 2)

3. During extended assignments, a middle school language arts teacher meets with individual students weekly to discuss their progress. The teacher guides students in considering where they are in relation to the overall assignment, identifying what is going well, and developing a plan to address aspects of the project that are particularly challenging. This reflective process is likely to be particularly useful for promoting which of the following outcomes?

  1. reducing students' tendency to evaluate their academic performance in relation to that of their peers
  2. helping students develop the habit of applying standard criteria to their work
  3. supporting students in becoming independent learners who take responsibility for their own learning
  4. ensuring that students place a high priority on academic achievement
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting students' organizational and time-management skills and sense of responsibility for their own learning. When students are guided to routinely reflect on their learning and progress, they are able to recognize areas of strength, interest, and needs. This recognition will help students manage their own learning. In the weekly meetings, the teacher is leading students through a process that they can apply to their learning both in and outside of school.
Objective 0002
Learning Processes (Standard 2)

4. Students in a civics class complain to the teacher that the hallways are overcrowded during passing periods, making it difficult to get to class on time. The teacher challenges students to develop a plan for relieving the overcrowding during passing periods. Working in small groups for one week, students develop potential plans for addressing the problem. The teacher can extend this problem-solving challenge most effectively by engaging students in which of the following activities next?

  1. reviewing each of the plans and voting on the one most likely to succeed
  2. generating criteria for conducting a comparative evaluation of the plans
  3. meeting with a school administrator to explain the key points of each plan
  4. conducting a student and faculty survey to determine which plan the majority prefers
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of strategies for engaging students in generating and evaluating new ideas and novel approaches, seeking inventive solutions to problems, and developing original work. Problem-solving is a multi-step process. Students have already identified the problem and proposed solutions. The next step in the process is to evaluate the proposed solutions to make a decision. Generating a set of criteria requires the students to concentrate on key elements of the solutions such as cost and feasibility. Such criteria will enable students to make a fair comparison and more effectively evaluate the pros and cons of each solution.
Objective 0003
Learning Environment (Standard 5)

5. A middle school student has been getting low scores on daily mathematics assignments. The teacher recognizes that the student's haste to finish the assignments results in careless errors. When the student submits the next assignment, the teacher returns it with the problem areas circled. The teacher allows the student to correct the targeted areas before turning in the assignment for a final grade. The most important benefit of the teacher's action is that it:

  1. demonstrates the teacher's responsiveness to the developmental characteristics of adolescent students.
  2. enhances the student's overall comfort level in communicating directly with the teacher.
  3. reduces the teacher's need to plan additional mathematics activities to engage the student until the end of class.
  4. fosters in the student a sense of accountability for his or her own mathematics learning.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to apply skills and strategies for establishing a culture of learning that emphasizes high expectations for all students, promotes self-motivation, and encourages students' sense of responsibility for their own learning. By providing feedback that focuses the student's attention on critical areas of his or her work and allowing the student to make corrections, the teacher communicates to the student a belief in the student's ability to learn and achieve. When teachers accept student work that is less than students' best efforts, they subtly communicate that the student is not capable of performing at high levels.
Objective 0003
Learning Environment (Standard 5)

6. A student in a high school health class continually whispers to nearby classmates. In response, the teacher has the student move to a desk that is somewhat isolated in the classroom. The teacher's action is an appropriate strategy to use in this situation primarily because it:

  1. provides a consequence that is logically related to the student's behavior.
  2. establishes a nonjudgmental tone with regard to students' behavior.
  3. serves as a reminder to other students in the class about expected behavior.
  4. encourages the student to reflect on his or her behavior choices.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of various classroom management approaches, including relationships between specific management practices and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors. Consequences for misbehavior are most effective when linked to the misbehavior in a logical way. Most logical consequences require the student to make some form of amends or separate the student from the circumstances that led to the misbehavior. When a student who whispers to peers at inappropriate times is moved away from them, the opportunity to continue the whispering is removed. This consequence focuses on the specific behavior (whispering) and encourages the student to regulate his or her behavior in order to remain near peers.
Objective 0004
Instructional Planning and Delivery (Standard 3)

7. Which of the following scenarios best represents an interdisciplinary approach to teaching?

  1. Art teachers from several high schools in a district plan a combined showing of student work.
  2. High school mathematics teachers assign a project in which teams of students across grade levels research recent changes in local real estate prices.
  3. A team of high school teachers and students collaborates to develop a handbook for new students.
  4. A high school history teacher and a music teacher plan and implement a lesson that explores music in the context of a specific period in history.
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to apply skills and strategies for integrating curricula, creating interdisciplinary units of study, and providing students with opportunities to explore content from integrated and varied perspectives. An interdisciplinary approach to instruction deepens students' understanding of curriculum concepts by providing them with opportunities to make meaningful connections across two or more fields of study. Having students study music that is associated with a period in history will help students understand that music reflects cultural ideas and societal attitudes prevalent during a specific historical period as well as recognize how events and attitudes during a specific period can contribute to the emergence of new forms of music.
Objective 0004
Instructional Planning and Delivery (Standard 3)

8. In the context of a unit on natural resources, middle school science teachers design a project-based learning experience for students focusing on the following questions: "How much water does your household use in a day?" "How does that compare with the amount of water used by households in other parts of the world?" "What actions will ensure that people around the world have enough water?" These questions represent an effective application of the principles of project-based learning because they prompt students to engage in which of the following processes?

  1. analyzing the complexities of an important issue
  2. practicing perspective-taking skills
  3. recognizing the role they play in a global problem
  4. monitoring their learning progress
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to develop and implement project-based learning experiences that guide students to analyze the complexities of an issue and use creative thinking and innovative approaches to solve problems. Project-based learning is a student inquiry process that focuses on essential questions or problems. The questions prompt students to gather information about the topic of water usage beginning on a personal level (in their homes) and moving to a global level (other parts of the world) and finally to possible solutions or actions. The scope of the questions prompts students to consider different perspectives on the topic and recognize the issues and priorities associated with each perspective.
Objective 0004
Instructional Planning and Delivery (Standard 3)

9. In which of the following situations is a middle school student most likely to demonstrate a lack of engagement in and avoidance of learning?

  1. The student has experienced repeated failure and attributes that to lack of ability.
  2. The student's teachers utilize instructional strategies that focus on mastery learning.
  3. The student has had persistent difficulties with self-regulation and time management.
  4. The student's teachers consistently provide open-ended tasks and learning experiences.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of factors and situations that tend to promote or diminish student engagement in learning. When students experience repeated failure in school, they become discouraged and less engaged. If students attribute these failures to a lack of ability on their part, they begin to believe that there is nothing they can do to reverse the pattern of failure and that they are just not smart enough to learn. At this point, students will often avoid learning to protect themselves from continuously feeling like a failure.
Objective 0005
Assessment (Standard 4)

10. A middle school mathematics teacher develops a classroom test that consists of information-rich paragraphs students will use to set up and solve various equations. A number of students in the class perform well on homework and in-class assignments but read two or more years below grade level. Other students have strong calculation skills but weak reasoning skills. Which of the following statements is the best assessment of the fairness of this test?

  1. The test is unfair because it utilizes a single-question format to measure students' learning.
  2. The test is fair because it is not being used to assess students' reading abilities.
  3. The test is unfair because it requires prerequisite reading skills that some students do not possess.
  4. The test is fair because questions require students to provide a single correct response.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of fundamental assessment concepts (e.g., reliability, validity, bias). A fair test design ensures that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the concepts being tested. The teacher's use of information-rich paragraphs on the test puts students who are reading below grade level at a disadvantage. If the students cannot comprehend the paragraphs, they will be less able to fully demonstrate their mathematics learning.
Objective 0005
Assessment (Standard 4)

11. Which of the following statements describes a potential drawback in using teacher observation as a method for assessing students' learning?

  1. The procedures for conducting observations tend to be intrusive to students' learning process.
  2. Observation notes are difficult to use for progress-monitoring purposes.
  3. A teacher's general impression of a student can influence the observation positively or negatively.
  4. Observations require a significant time investment on the part of the teacher.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of formative and summative assessments. For observation to be an effective method of assessing a student's learning in a particular area, the observation must be objective and focused only on what is observed. A teacher's previous interactions with a student, whether positive or negative, can affect the teacher's objectivity. For example, if a particular student has performed exceptionally well during class activities, the teacher may be predisposed to view the student's performance of an assessment task more positively than the performance of another student who has had difficulty with the concepts being assessed.
Objective 0005
Assessment (Standard 4)

12. A ninth-grade English teacher provides students with a checklist of features to strive for in their writing assignments. Students use the checklists to evaluate their writing at each stage of the process. The teacher makes a point of meeting with individual students to review their checklists and discuss ways to improve their writing. This self-assessment practice is likely to benefit students primarily by:

  1. helping students recognize that minimum quality standards exist for all types of work.
  2. promoting students' active involvement in the assessment process.
  3. communicating to students that they are the best judge of the quality of their work.
  4. expanding students' view of assessment beyond the concept of tests.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to apply skills and strategies for engaging students in reflection, self-assessment, and goal setting. Students' use of a checklist to evaluate their writing throughout the process prompts their active engagement because they have to analyze the various aspects of their writing and make a judgment. Follow-up discussions with the teacher help ensure that students are identifying important issues to address in their writing and involve them in developing strategies for improvement.
Objective 0006
Reading Instruction (Standard 7)

13. Students in a sixth-grade class are listening to the teacher read a short story about a climbing team's ascent of Mount McKinley. The teacher pauses periodically and asks students to make predictions about what will happen next. Which of the following additional actions by the teacher during this activity would best promote students' critical-thinking skills?

  1. asking students to identify clues from the reading that led to their predictions
  2. calling on individual students to summarize orally the action in each part of the story the teacher reads
  3. reading to students a second time any passages that contain new vocabulary
  4. having students record their predictions in writing journals before reading the next part of the story
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of skills and practices of effective content-area reading instruction. Requiring students to cite evidence from the reading for their predictions prompts students to reflect on what they have heard. They must also analyze the action, dialogue, and tone of the passage to provide this evidence. Analysis and reflection are two types of critical thinking skills.
Objective 0006
Reading Instruction (Standard 7)

14. Which of the following instructional emphases would be most effective in helping create a literacy-rich learning environment for high school students?

  1. including targeted elements of grammar and mechanics as a significant part of students' grades on content-area assignments
  2. assigning an independent study topic in each content area for students to investigate during the semester
  3. providing content-area experiences that prompt students to interact with informational and literary texts in a purposeful way
  4. incorporating as a regular student activity small-group read-alouds from content-area texts
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to use evidence-based practices effectively to create a literacy-rich classroom environment that fosters and supports the literacy development of all students. A literacy-rich learning environment includes a wide range of resources in different formats. The teacher incorporates these resources into instructional activities that engage students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking about content-area topics for authentic purposes. This approach integrates the components of literacy into the learning environment.
Objective 0007
The Professional Environment (Standard 6)

15. In which of the following situations would a dedicated e-mail group be the most appropriate and effective tool for communication?

  1. High school social studies teachers want to invite individuals from different cultural groups to give presentations during a unit on the history of immigration in Indiana.
  2. Middle school science teachers want to keep community partners up to date on the progress of a class vegetable garden project for which the community partners provided donations.
  3. High school mathematics teachers want to gather information from educational vendors about the costs of specific types of calculators and manipulative materials.
  4. Middle school language arts teachers want to get feedback from a cross section of the school community regarding a plan to have students read a potentially controversial novel.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the ability to use digital tools and resources to communicate and collaborate with parents/guardians, peers, and others in the educational community. A dedicated e-mail group allows the sender to automatically include multiple recipients of an e-mail. These groups are most useful for filtering information needed by different stakeholder groups. For example, teachers may need information about the student work schedule for the garden, families may need information about volunteer opportunities, and, in this case, community partners may need only general information about the progress of the project (e.g., expenditures, number of students involved).