This is Set 11 of 60 in the smartvidya question bank on Teaching Aptitude (UGC NET Paper 1, Unit I). Part II: Learner characteristics. This set covers Growth, development, heredity, environment and principles of development.
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Set 11: Learner Characteristics and Development
1. Growth differs from development in that growth refers mainly to
(a) quantitative changes such as height and weight
(b) changes in attitudes only
(c) qualitative changes in behaviour and functioning
(d) changes in moral judgement
Ans. (a) quantitative changes such as height and weight — Explanation: Growth is quantitative and measurable, while development includes qualitative changes in functions and abilities. [Ref: Growth and development]
2. Development proceeds from head to foot. This principle is called
(a) cephalocaudal development
(b) integration
(c) proximodistal development
(d) differentiation
Ans. (a) cephalocaudal development — Explanation: Control over the head and upper body develops before control over the legs and feet. [Ref: Principles of development]
3. Development proceeds from the centre of the body outward to the extremities. This is the
(a) proximodistal principle
(b) principle of readiness
(c) cephalocaudal principle
(d) principle of individual differences
Ans. (a) proximodistal principle — Explanation: Control of the trunk and shoulders develops before control of the fingers. [Ref: Principles of development]
4. A child first moves the whole arm and later learns to use the fingers for writing. This shows that development proceeds from
(a) general to specific
(b) specific to random
(c) complex to simple
(d) specific to general
Ans. (a) general to specific — Explanation: Early responses are general and mass actions; later they become specific and refined. [Ref: Principles of development]
5. Which statement about development is correct?
(a) Development is continuous and follows a predictable sequence, though the rate differs among individuals
(b) All children develop at exactly the same rate
(c) Development occurs only in childhood
(d) Development is random and unpredictable
Ans. (a) Development is continuous and follows a predictable sequence, though the rate differs among individuals — Explanation: The sequence is broadly similar for all, but individuals vary in the pace of development. [Ref: Principles of development]
6. Development is a product of
(a) environment alone
(b) chance alone
(c) heredity alone
(d) interaction between heredity and environment
Ans. (d) interaction between heredity and environment — Explanation: Both inherited potential and environmental influences jointly shape development. [Ref: Heredity and environment]
7. The "nature versus nurture" debate concerns the relative influence of
(a) intelligence and memory
(b) heredity and environment
(c) school and home only
(d) teacher and textbook
Ans. (b) heredity and environment — Explanation: Nature refers to heredity and nurture refers to environment and experience. [Ref: Heredity and environment]
8. Learner characteristics that a teacher should consider include
(a) only the learner's marks in the last test
(b) only the learner's family income
(c) only the learner's height
(d) abilities, interests, prior knowledge, learning styles and socio-cultural background
Ans. (d) abilities, interests, prior knowledge, learning styles and socio-cultural background — Explanation: A range of cognitive, affective, physical and social characteristics influences how learners learn. [Ref: Learner characteristics]
9. Maturation refers to
(a) changes caused only by practice
(b) knowledge gained from books
(c) changes due to the unfolding of inherited potential, largely independent of training
(d) changes due to punishment
Ans. (c) changes due to the unfolding of inherited potential, largely independent of training — Explanation: Maturation is biologically governed growth that makes certain learning possible. [Ref: Maturation and learning]
10. A child cannot be taught to walk before a certain age, however much training is given. This illustrates the importance of
(a) punishment
(b) maturation
(c) imitation
(d) reinforcement
Ans. (b) maturation — Explanation: Learning depends on readiness that comes through maturation. [Ref: Maturation and learning]
11. The period from birth to about two years is generally called
(a) later childhood
(b) early childhood
(c) adolescence
(d) infancy
Ans. (d) infancy — Explanation: Infancy covers roughly the first two years, marked by rapid physical and sensory-motor development. [Ref: Stages of development]
12. The stage of development that roughly corresponds to the primary school years (about 6 to 12 years) is
(a) later childhood
(b) adulthood
(c) infancy
(d) adolescence
Ans. (a) later childhood — Explanation: Later childhood is a period of steady growth, peer group activity and acquisition of basic school skills. [Ref: Stages of development]
13. The "gang age" is a term often used for
(a) infancy
(b) early adulthood
(c) later childhood
(d) old age
Ans. (c) later childhood — Explanation: During later childhood children form peer groups or gangs and value group belonging. [Ref: Stages of development]
14. Which of the following is a cognitive characteristic of learners?
(a) Height
(b) Reasoning ability
(c) Blood group
(d) Eye colour
Ans. (b) Reasoning ability — Explanation: Cognitive characteristics relate to thinking, memory, reasoning and problem-solving. [Ref: Learner characteristics]
15. "Readiness to learn" depends on
(a) the teacher's salary
(b) the cost of textbooks
(c) the size of the school
(d) maturation, previous learning and motivation
Ans. (d) maturation, previous learning and motivation — Explanation: A learner is ready when he or she is mature enough, has the prerequisite knowledge and is motivated. [Ref: Readiness]
16. Socio-economic background of learners influences learning mainly through
(a) their blood group
(b) their roll number
(c) access to resources, home environment and opportunities
(d) the colour of their uniform
Ans. (c) access to resources, home environment and opportunities — Explanation: Family resources, parental education and exposure shape learners' preparation and opportunities. [Ref: Learner characteristics]
17. Individual differences among learners mean that learners differ in
(a) nothing that matters for teaching
(b) abilities, interests, attitudes and learning pace
(c) only their names
(d) only their age
Ans. (b) abilities, interests, attitudes and learning pace — Explanation: Learners vary widely in many respects, which teachers must recognise. [Ref: Individual differences]
18. Which principle states that each stage of development lays the foundation for the next?
(a) Principle of random growth
(b) Principle of reversibility
(c) Principle of continuity and interrelation of stages
(d) Principle of uniform rate
Ans. (c) Principle of continuity and interrelation of stages — Explanation: Development is continuous, with each stage built on earlier ones. [Ref: Principles of development]
19. Different aspects of development, such as physical, cognitive and social, are
(a) completely independent
(b) always at the same level in every child
(c) unrelated to learning
(d) interrelated and influence each other
Ans. (d) interrelated and influence each other — Explanation: For example, physical health affects attention, and social skills affect group learning. [Ref: Principles of development]
20. The term "critical period" in development refers to
(a) the examination period
(b) a time when the organism is especially sensitive to certain experiences
(c) a period of illness
(d) the end of schooling
Ans. (b) a time when the organism is especially sensitive to certain experiences — Explanation: Certain abilities, such as language, develop most easily during particular sensitive periods. [Ref: Critical periods]
21. Which of the following is an affective characteristic of a learner?
(a) Reaction time
(b) Hand strength
(c) Attitude towards a subject
(d) Visual acuity
Ans. (c) Attitude towards a subject — Explanation: Affective characteristics concern feelings, interests, attitudes and values. [Ref: Learner characteristics]
22. Learners from multilingual backgrounds benefit most when teachers
(a) forbid home languages in school
(b) treat them as weak learners
(c) ignore their language background
(d) value home languages and use them as a resource for learning
Ans. (d) value home languages and use them as a resource for learning — Explanation: NEP 2020 and research on multilingualism recommend using learners' home languages to support understanding. [Ref: NEP 2020, multilingualism]
23. Physical development of learners affects teaching mainly because
(a) physical development has no link with learning
(b) health, energy and motor skills influence attention and participation
(c) only tall students learn well
(d) physical development ends at age five
Ans. (b) health, energy and motor skills influence attention and participation — Explanation: Fatigue, illness or poor motor skills can hinder learning activities. [Ref: Physical development and learning]
24. First-generation learners are those who
(a) are the oldest in the class
(b) study only in the first year
(c) are the first in their families to receive formal education
(d) are admitted first in the class
Ans. (c) are the first in their families to receive formal education — Explanation: First-generation learners may lack academic support at home and need extra encouragement. [Ref: Learner diversity]
25. A teacher who considers learners' previous experiences while planning lessons is applying the idea that
(a) only the teacher's experience matters
(b) experience has no role in learning
(c) learners construct new knowledge on the basis of existing knowledge
(d) learners are blank slates
Ans. (c) learners construct new knowledge on the basis of existing knowledge — Explanation: Prior knowledge is the foundation on which new learning is built. [Ref: Constructivism]
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