Question 1

If you were interested in increasing the self-esteem of grade school students, and you wanted to promote effective learning, you should recommend using all of the following techniques EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

When children are placed in a competitive environment, their self-esteem sometimes suffers. Also, critical thinking skills are best advanced when cooperative, group learning projects are assigned and when these projects require in-depth inquiry.

Question 2

In a study investigating the time public school teachers spend in various classroom activities, teachers were found to spend about ____ % of the time in a 30-minute lesson on academic work.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a study investigating the time public...

Question 3

Little Maria believes that if she just works hard enough, she can learn anything she sets her mind to. According to Carol Dweck, Maria has:

Accepted Answer

Children with a learning orientation view their lack of success as the result of too little effort. Thus, when they fail, they respond by trying harder. Children with a performance orientation view their lack of success as the result of too little ability. Because they view ability as a fixed characteristic, they oftentimes give up trying when they fail at a task.

Question 4

Generalizing from research cited in the text, if a high-achieving child suddenly began to focus on social popularity rather than academic achievement, the best guess is that this child was:

Accepted Answer

Fitting in socially becomes an especially important goal for girls during the preadolescent and adolescent years.

Question 5

According to Carol Dweck, which of the following statements represents the MOST effective way to praise a child:

Accepted Answer

Dweck argues that praise should be given for performance and persistence, not for having an innate ability that the child cannot change. She also argues that praise should be specific and directed to a particular achievement, not be general and global.

Question 6

Which of the following is the primary goal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA):

Accepted Answer

The primary goal of IDEIA (also known as IDEA) is to provide all children with disabilities with a free and appropriate education that meets their individual needs and prepares them for further education, employment, and independent living. It also aims to ensure that children with disabilities receive the necessary special education and related services to help them achieve these goals. While IDEIA does also include provisions for teacher training and public awareness, the central focus is on providing educational opportunities to children with disabilities.

Question 7

Joshua tries to learn to solve a mathematics problem, but he does not get the correct answer on his first attempt. He tells his teacher, "I just can't do math. Can I go play now?" According to Carol Dweck, Joshua has:

Accepted Answer

Children with a learning orientation view their lack of success as the result of too little effort. Thus, when they fail, they respond by trying harder. Children with a performance orientation view their lack of success as the result of too little ability. Because they view ability as a fixed characteristic, they oftentimes give up trying when they fail at a task.

Question 8

According to David McClelland, all children seek to be successful. He referred to this need for success and excellence as:

Accepted Answer

David McClelland referred to the need for success and excellence as achievement motivation. This refers to a person's desire to strive for success and accomplishment in their endeavors. McClelland believed that this motivation could be developed and trained, and that it was essential for success in both personal and professional settings.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best summarizes the findings about gender differences in school success:

Accepted Answer

Research consistently shows that girls outperform boys in verbal skills, while boys outperform girls in quantitative and spatial tasks. Therefore, option B correctly summarizes the findings about gender differences in school success.

Question 10

Based on average school performance of boys and girls, if you knew that a student was especially interested and talented in mathematics, you would conclude that this student is more likely to be a _______; if you knew that a student was especially interested and talented in literature and language, you would conclude that this student is more likely to be a ________.

Accepted Answer

Although it is not possible to generalize group findings to individual students, in general boys do better and are more interested in mathematics; girls do better and are more interested in literature and language. Because this question gives no information about the specific individuals described, the best answer is to generalize from group data, in which the gender differences noted are obtained.

Question 11

Generalizing from conclusions drawn in the text, if you were to advise a new elementary school teacher about how she would spend her time, you would suggest that she try to ________ her time spent on classroom management and __________ her time spent on teaching and learning activities.

Accepted Answer

The text states that children learn more in classes where the time spent on teaching and learning activities is maximized and the times spent on classroom management is minimized.

Question 12

According to research conducted by Carol Dweck, boys are more motivated by an orientation that emphasizes __________, whereas girls are more motivated by an orientation that emphasizes _________.

Accepted Answer

According to Carol Dweck's research, boys tend to be more motivated by a performance orientation, which emphasizes achieving specific outcomes and being rewarded for them, while girls tend to be more motivated by a learning orientation, which focuses on the process of learning and improving their skills. This does not mean that boys cannot be motivated by learning or that girls cannot be motivated by achievement, but rather that these orientations tend to be more common among the respective genders.

Question 13

If a child has a performance motivation and fails at a task, what is the most likely result, according to Carol Dweck:

Accepted Answer

A child with a performance orientation values success over learning. When the child is not successful, the most likely result is that the child will quit trying, and oftentimes the child's self-esteem suffers. Self-esteem is at risk because the child comes to believe that he or she can't perform successfully.

Question 14

Suppose that a friend tells you that he is concerned about "gender bias" in his daughter's classroom. Which of the following is the best description of what is typically meant by this term:

Accepted Answer

The term gender bias typically refers to the concern that children are treated differently, based on their gender. Thus, girls are treated differently than are boys, and oftentimes different types of expectations are placed on girls as compared to boys.

Question 15

Lynn tells the teacher, "I don't care if I learn anything; I just want to get an A." According to research conducted by Carol Dweck, you should conclude that Lynn has what type of motivation:

Accepted Answer

According to Dweck, a performance motivation involves the emphasis of success (performance) over learning. A learning motivation emphasizes learning over performance. Dweck does not discuss either a "social" motivation or an "anti-learning" motivation.

Question 16

Today, in developed economies about _______ of adolescents can read; in sub-Saharan Africa, this percentage is about _______:

Accepted Answer

In developed economies, literacy rates among adolescents are very high, often around or above 99%. In contrast, sub-Saharan Africa faces significant challenges in education, with literacy rates significantly lower, but the correct comparison to the high rate in developed economies is approximately 70%, indicating a substantial gap but also highlighting that a significant portion of adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa can read.

Question 17

The best way of understanding the relationship between genetic and environmental influences on the development of intelligence is to conclude that:

Accepted Answer

Genetic and environmental factors interact, which is to say they influence each other. There is no clear evidence that either is much more important than the other in determining intelligence, although in a particular individual's case, one might be especially important. The question asks about a general conclusion, not the case of a specific individual.

Question 18

According to Carol Dweck, which of the following statements represents the LEAST effective way to praise a child:

Accepted Answer

Dweck argues that praise should be given for performance and persistence, not for having an innate ability that the child cannot change. Thus, she would argue that praising a child for intelligence is less effective, making "a" the correct answer. Dweck also argues that praise should be specific and directed to a particular achievement, not be general and global.

Question 19

Tommy appears to not care at all about the quality of the school work he does. When asked, he says things like: "School is stupid. No one should try hard. Learning is useless." Using the terms identified by David McClelland, you would conclude that Tommy has:

Accepted Answer

According to McClelland, the basic concept involved in achievement motivation is the desire for success and excellence. Tommy's comments reflect the lack of achievement motivation.

Question 20

The text concludes that group learning has been found to positively affect students' self-esteem, especially when the students are:

Accepted Answer

According to the text, group learning has a particularly positive effect on girls' self-esteem. The text states, "Group learning can have a particularly positive effect on girls' self-esteem, enabling them to see themselves as capable and engaged learners and to find solidarity with each other."

Quiz 8: Middle Childhood: Physical and Cognitive Development