Chapter 1: Applying Psychology to Teaching

Chapter 1: Applying Psychology to Teaching

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.The primary focus of educational psychology is to understand how

a. / students develop physically, cognitively, and emotionally over time.
b. / different factors influence learning in classroom settings.
c. / problem-solving tactics and self-esteem influence psychosocial well-being.
d. / achievement test scores relate to general aptitude.

ANS:BREF:1

NOT:The primary focus of educational psychology is to understand how students learn in classroom settings.

2.The following quote, “to study what people think and do as they teach and learn in a particular environment where education and training are intended to take place” best describes the primary focus of

a. / social scientists. / c. / school administrators.
b. / board of education members. / d. / educational psychologists.

ANS:DREF:1

NOT:The primary focus of educational psychology is to understand how students learn in various educational settings.

3.Teaching children or adolescents is challenging because it requires

a. / flexible decision making and a working knowledge of the topics being discussed.
b. / the development of instructional techniques that work with virtually all students.
c. / rapid use of the latest methods of instruction.
d. / strict adherence to carefully designed lesson plans.

ANS:AREF:2

NOT:Teaching is complex work because of its decision-making nature; it requires extensive knowledge and a variety of instructional skills.

4.Being a teacher is somewhat analogous to being

a. / a worker in a factory who is expected to produce a particular product efficiently.
b. / the president of a company who directs the activities of all of its divisions.
c. / a computer specialist who knows everything about one type of computer and nothing about any other type.
d. / a rock that stands firm under any condition.

ANS:BREF:2

NOT:Like a company president who must be knowledgeable about the personnel and operations of all of the company's divisions, teaching requires extensive knowledge about one's subject matter, instructional strategies, and students.

5.Many advancements in teaching and learning are due in large part to

a. / the accumulation of traditional practices.
b. / philanthropic contributions.
c. / the research of educational psychologists.
d. / suggestions from parents and school board members.

ANS:CREF:3

NOT:For almost every topic in this textbook, suggested instructional practices are supported by a significant body of educational research.

6.Educational psychology research offers strong support for which of the following instructional practices?

a. / giving students positive reinforcement when their performance meets or exceeds the teacher's objectives
b. / teaching students how to improve their own learning skills
c. / having students work cooperatively in small learning groups
d. / All of these answers.

ANS:DREF:3-4NOT:The text mentions these and several other findings.

7.The most important predictor of teaching effectiveness is

a. / undergraduate grade-point average.
b. / grade-point average in one's major, such as biology or communications.
c. / grades received in undergraduate education courses.
d. / one's score on the National Teacher Examination.

ANS:CREF:6

NOT:The most important predictor of teaching effectiveness is grades received in teacher-education courses.

8.Research shows that the most effective teachers generally have

a. / received little or no formal training but seem to have a genuine knack for instruction.
b. / been paid the most for teaching.
c. / earned excellent grades in all of their own course work.
d. / received professional training.

ANS:DREF:6

NOT:Research has shown that the most effective teachers are those who have graduated from an accredited teacher-education program.

9.One aspect of making observations and drawing inferences from those observations is that

a. / the more systematic our observations are, the less likely we are to draw reasonable conclusions.
b. / unsystematic observations may lead to faulty conclusions.
c. / either systematic or unsystematic observations generally lead to correct decisions, as long as our hypotheses are well formulated.
d. / generally speaking, the first explanation that comes to mind is likely to be the correct one.

ANS:BREF:6

NOT:Unsystematic observations often lead to faulty conclusions, since we may be observing behaviors that are the result of idiosyncratic factors that may never occur again. Furthermore, a lack of systematic observation may lead to noting only evidence that fits our expectations.

10.The grade retention policies of many schools are examples of

a. / the implementation of practices based on sound scientific research.
b. / practices based on studies that verify teachers' beliefs about intellectual development.
c. / practices that have little scientific merit because they are based on unsystematic observation.
d. / practices stemming from research that suggests that repeating a grade is beneficial to a student.

ANS:CREF:6

NOT:Grade retention practices are based on unsubstantiated beliefs that are founded on unsystematic observations.

11.On Elizabeth's birthday she was given a lottery ticket. When the drawing was held the numbers drawn matched those on her ticket and she was given two hundred cookies. She immediately concluded that the best way to obtain cookies was to buy a lottery ticket. Her conclusion is a product of

a. / an unsystematic observation. / c. / systematic logic.
b. / a carefully constructed plan of action. / d. / modeled progression.

ANS:AREF:6

NOT:This is an example of an unsystematic observation because it involves the formation of a generalization from a single episode.

12.One example of how unsystematic observation may lead to poor educational policies or decisions is

a. / free school lunches. / c. / Head Start programs.
b. / assessment instruments. / d. / grade retention policies.

ANS:DREF:6-7

NOT:Widely held beliefs about the value of grade retention are based on unsystematic observations and have little scientific merit.

13.Strengths of the scientific method include all of the following except

a. / the simultaneous manipulation of many variables in order to reveal the complexities of behavior.
b. / the formulation of plausible hypotheses, which are then tested systematically.
c. / the use of a representative sample of participants.
d. / a dissemination of results so that similar scientific inquiry may be further stimulated in other settings.

ANS:AREF:7

NOT:The scientific method does not include the simultaneous manipulation of many variables in order to reveal the complexities of behavior. When someone is using the scientific method, all factors but one are held constant in order to ascertain the impact of a given variable on behavior.

14.Mr. Fradigio would like to investigate the effectiveness of forehead bandages on the retention of information among high school seniors in his school district. He believes that the tighter students tie their bandages the better they will recall lecture material. To see if his theory is correct, one-third of his morning history class wear extremely tight bandages, one-third wear moderately tight bandages, and one-third wear loose fitting bandages. To control for morning daydreamers, he asks his afternoon class to do the same. Each class does as he requests for each lecture. He then administers the regularly scheduled exam to each of the classes. He scores the exams without knowing which class or bandage group they came from. He repeats the same experiment the following term with a new group of students. He then writes about his experiment and reports the results in the weekly school newsletter. Mr. Fradigio's inquiry is an example of

a. / using constructivist teaching methods. / c. / selection and interpretation of data.
b. / the scientific method. / d. / unsystematic observation.

ANS:BREF:7

NOT:This example contains the major elements of the scientific method: sampling, control, objectivity, publication, and replication.

15.Research in educational psychology usually focuses on

a. / as many educational problems as possible within each study.
b. / every conceivable aspect of the question at hand.
c. / anywhere from one to a few aspects of a given problem.
d. / broad sweeping issues.

ANS:CREF:8

NOT:Research psychologists tend to focus on one or a few aspects of a problem in order to systematically study a given variable.

16.A characteristic of scientific research in educational psychology is that it

a. / has a fairly broad scope because most studies simultaneously manipulate many variables.
b. / has a fairly narrow scope because most studies manipulate one or a few variables at a time.
c. / is largely conducted in laboratory rather than classroom settings.
d. / has little relevance to the typical classroom teacher.

ANS:BREF:8

NOT:Most research in educational psychology focuses on one or a few variables at a time.

17.Given the observations of David Berliner, how should you respond to someone who maintains that educational research is relatively easy to do?

a. / state that educational issues are among the most difficult to research because of the complexity of educational processes and outcomes.
b. / agree with the statement.
c. / state that educational research is difficult to conduct because it is not valued by educators or policy makers.
d. / state that educational research is difficult to conduct because researchers are frequently denied access to classrooms.

ANS:AREF:8-9

NOT:As David Berliner points out on pp. 8-9, research on education is difficult to do because schools and classrooms differ in a number of ways and the cognitive and affective outcomes in which most people are interested are the product of many variables that interact with each other in complex ways. Not valued is incorrect because the federal government, through the No Child Left Behind law, requires that schools base programs on scientifically-based research. Although denial of classroom access is not mentioned in the text, the large number of research studies cited in this book suggests this cannot be true.

18.Professor Wise, a faculty member in an educational psychology department at a major university, is telling a colleague from the physics department why research on education is difficult to do. Which of the following arguments is he most likely to make?

a. / Many factors affect educational processes and outcomes.
b. / Conducting educational research is prohibitively expensive.
c. / Education is an art that cannot be studied scientifically.
d. / There is no consensus on the meaning of education.

ANS:AREF:8-9

NOT:As David Berliner has argued, research on education is difficult to do because schools and classrooms differ in a number of ways and the cognitive and effective outcomes in which most people are interested are the product of many variables that interact with each other in complex ways. Consequently, many factors is correct. Cost of research is not mentioned in the text, but common sense suggests that not all research requires large amounts of money. Education as art is incorrect because the text points out that education is partly an art and partly based on scientific evidence. Although differences of opinion exist about what education should be, no consensus is incorrect because these differences have no effect on researchers' ability to scientifically investigate educational processes and outcomes.

19.After Mateo, a student in your class, reads a series of scientific articles discussing the value of multiple vitamin supplements in preventing heart disease, he approaches you and remarks, “I'm confused. If all of these scientists are studying the same issue and they are all using the scientific method, why aren't they all coming to the same conclusions?” Your response should emphasize that

a. / not all scientists adhere to the scientific method.
b. / one of the articles is obviously biased.
c. / scientists differ in the ways in which they select and interpret data.
d. / many scientists intentionally alter their data because of their own preconceived ideas.

ANS:CREF:9

NOT:Much of the disagreement among scientists results from the fact that they may read different evidence and make different interpretations.

20.Educational psychologists who are familiar with research findings

a. / almost always agree on what the data indicate.
b. / tend to criticize and therefore ignore the quality of the data.
c. / rarely form conclusions on the basis of research findings.
d. / sometimes construct different interpretations of what the data mean.

ANS:DREF:9

NOT:See the discussion on page 9 about differences of opinion in the scientific community. The explanation offered is that much of the disagreement among scientists results from the fact that they may read different evidence and make different interpretations.

21.As scientific data that runs counter to currently accepted ways of thinking accumulates, it is best if scientists

a. / question the statistical analysis of the experimental interpretations.
b. / ignore these new data because only one correct approach is possible.
c. / assume that the collection of data was somehow flawed.
d. / use this information to revise or refine existing ideas.

ANS:DREF:10

22.The ongoing relationship between educational psychology research and practice is most like

a. / building a sand castle at the water's edge.
b. / building a skyscraper.
c. / driving a car.
d. / writing a novel.

ANS:DREF:10

NOT:On page 10 is a discussion of the accumulation of scientific knowledge, how it leads to a revision of ideas over time, and how, because of the complexity of human behavior, answers to questions tend to be tentative and incomplete. Of the four options, writing a novel best captures the notion of ideas taking shape over time through repeated revisions.

23.To say that teaching is an art means that teaching

a. / is a relatively easy profession to master.
b. / requires flexibility in decision making.
c. / should be based entirely on scientific findings.
d. / is an undisciplined activity.

ANS:BREF:10-12

NOT:The ability to be flexible is most related to teaching as an art. The other options either depict teaching as a science or are unrelated to the art/science distinction.

24.Which of the following characteristics accurately describes the art of teaching?

a. / the need for objective analysis
b. / making use of assessments to modify educational goals
c. / an intuition for doing the right thing at the right time
d. / the ability to assign grades fairly

ANS:CREF:10-12

NOT:An intuition for doing the right thing at the right time, which is an aspect of flexibility, is most related to teaching as an art. The other options depict teaching as a science.

25.Effective teachers recognize that teaching

a. / doesn't need a scientific basis because it is such a straightforward enterprise.
b. / is propelled primarily by commonly understood anecdotes of what works in the classroom.
c. / is an art that should nonetheless have a good scientific basis.
d. / should be viewed solely as the ability to be objective in evaluation and to have a good grasp of the subject matter.

ANS:CREF:12

NOT:It portrays both the artistic and the scientific components of teaching. Viewed solely neglects the necessary artistic component of teaching, where flexibility and the ability to improvise are emphasized. Options A and B neglect the scientific basis of teaching described in the text.

26.Research is to artistic teaching as

a. / a foundation is to a house. / c. / students are to a classroom.
b. / chicks are to a mother bird. / d. / song is to dance.

ANS:AREF:12

NOT:A foundation to a house is the only one that reflects the belief that established research findings make artistic teaching possible.

27.A teacher who views the discipline of teaching as both an art and a science is likely to

a. / be mechanical and indecisive.
b. / continue to use methods that have scientific support but appear not to be working well in the classroom.
c. / experiment with new teaching methods as soon as they appear in the literature.
d. / be inspiring and exciting while at the same time aware of current scientific research in the field of teaching.

ANS:DREF:15

NOT:Good teachers need to be flexible and engaging but also aware of current scientific research so that they don't waste their time on fads that have little scientific merit.

28.Mr. Delmar, a health teacher, just read a research article that reported the importance of attention to a student's ability to learn something new. The next day he arrived in class wearing a skintight body suit illustrated with each of the organs in order to deliver a lecture on how systems in the body work. Mr. Delmar has attempted to combine

a. / health with fashion. / c. / teaching with bad performance art.
b. / art with science. / d. / unrelated principles.

ANS:BREF:15

NOT:The teacher depicted in this item appears to be sufficiently flexible that he is willing to try an unorthodox teaching method to implement an established research finding. His behavior reflects a combining of both the art and science of teaching.

29.You have been hired by a large, inner-city school to coordinate an after-school mentoring program for at-risk children. On the first day of your new job you sit in your office as the rules and regulations you put into place are broken. You later hear from one of your coworkers that the children you are working with have, in the past, responded positively to the disciplinary efforts of another administrator in their regular school. It will most likely be in your best interest to

a. / continue with your current plan until the desired result is obtained.
b. / reprimand your coworker for questioning your judgment.
c. / reflect on your course of action and work on a new plan.
d. / dismiss the trouble since it is just the first day.

ANS:CREF:15-16

NOT:One requirement for good teaching is a tendency to continually re-evaluate goals and strategies to be sure they are working for all students and to try different approaches for students who are not responding to these efforts.

30.One mark of good teachers is that they

a. / are constantly evaluating the worth of their goals and their methods for trying to attain them.
b. / are always sure that their educational goals are worthwhile.
c. / generally find a single teaching approach that works with virtually all of their students.
d. / are able to use any new approach or technique, even if scientific evidence suggests that those techniques are questionable.

ANS:AREF:15-16

31.Heidi is frustrated with her science teacher. During his lecture, he writes important facts on the board but will not answer any questions about them. Heidi has politely tried on several occasions to tell the teacher of her frustration. Each time he apologizes and promises to change his methods of instruction. Each time he returns to his original form. Heidi's science teacher