Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) / DET Theories and Principles for Planning and Enabling Learning Syllabus

Describe the four stages of Kolb's experiential learning cycle.

Concrete experience (doing), reflective observation (reviewing), abstract conceptualisation (concluding/theorising), and active experimentation (planning/applying). Learning is a continuous cycle.

Name Kolb's (and Honey and Mumford's) four learning styles.

Kolb: Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, Accommodating. Honey and Mumford's equivalents: Reflector, Theorist, Pragmatist, Activist.

What are the stages of Gibbs' reflective cycle?

Description, Feelings, Evaluation, Analysis, Conclusion, and Action plan — six stages forming a cycle that supports structured reflection on experience.

Distinguish Schon's 'reflection-in-action' from 'reflection-on-action'.

Reflection-in-action is thinking and adjusting while the activity is happening (in the moment). Reflection-on-action is reflecting afterwards, reviewing what happened to inform future practice.

What is the difference between single-loop and double-loop learning (Argyris and Schon)?

Single-loop learning corrects actions within existing assumptions/goals (fixing errors). Double-loop learning questions and changes the underlying assumptions, values or goals themselves.

Contrast a product (objectives) curriculum model with a process curriculum model.

The product model (e.g. Tyler) focuses on predetermined objectives and measurable outcomes — learning as a product. The process model (Stenhouse) focuses on the learning experience, exploration and the development of understanding rather than fixed end products.

What four fundamental questions form Tyler's curriculum model (the 'Tyler rationale')?

What educational purposes/objectives should be attained? What learning experiences will attain them? How should these be organised? How can we evaluate whether the purposes are being achieved?

Distinguish the 'spiral curriculum' and the concept of a 'hidden curriculum'.

Spiral curriculum (Bruner): topics are revisited repeatedly at increasing levels of difficulty to deepen understanding. Hidden curriculum: the unintended values, attitudes and norms learners absorb informally, not stated in the formal curriculum.

Define Maslow's distinction relevant to motivation: intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within — interest, enjoyment, personal satisfaction. Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards or pressures such as grades, money, praise or avoiding punishment.

What are the three innate psychological needs in Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory?

Autonomy (sense of control/choice), competence (sense of mastery/effectiveness), and relatedness (sense of belonging/connection). Meeting them fosters intrinsic motivation and wellbeing.

Summarise Herzberg's two-factor (motivation-hygiene) theory.

Hygiene factors (e.g. conditions, fairness, environment) cause dissatisfaction if absent but do not motivate. Motivators (e.g. achievement, recognition, responsibility, growth) genuinely drive satisfaction and motivation.

State the formula and three components of Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation.

$Motivation = Expectancy \times Instrumentality \times Valence$. Expectancy = belief effort leads to performance; Instrumentality = belief performance leads to a reward; Valence = the value placed on that reward.

Outline the basic communication model (sender-receiver) and the role of feedback and 'noise'.

A sender encodes a message and transmits it via a channel to a receiver, who decodes it. Feedback confirms understanding and closes the loop; 'noise' (physical, semantic or psychological barriers) distorts the message.

What is Mehrabian's rule about communication impact?

In communicating feelings/attitudes, impact is roughly 7% verbal (words), 38% vocal (tone), and 55% body language. It highlights the importance of non-verbal communication, though it applies only to emotional messages.

What does it mean to 'translate theory into planning and delivery'?

Selecting and combining learning theories to justify pedagogical choices — objectives, activities, differentiation, assessment and resources — so that session and scheme-of-work design is evidence-informed rather than arbitrary.

What are SMART objectives and why are they used in lesson planning?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. They turn aims into clear, assessable learning outcomes that guide planning, delivery and assessment of learning.

Describe a typical lesson structure derived from learning theory (e.g. starter, development, plenary).

A starter to engage and recall prior learning; development/main activities that introduce, model and apply new content with practice and feedback; and a plenary to review, check understanding against objectives and consolidate.

What is differentiation and name three common ways to differentiate.

Adapting teaching so all learners can access and progress. Methods include differentiation by task, by outcome, by support/resources, by pace, by grouping, and by questioning.

What is meant by inclusive learning?

Recognising and meeting the individual needs and entitlements of every learner so that all can participate and achieve fully, removing barriers to learning rather than expecting learners to fit a fixed system.

Distinguish equality, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Equality = treating people fairly and giving the same rights/opportunities. Equity = giving people what they individually need to achieve fair outcomes. Diversity = valuing differences between people. Inclusion = ensuring everyone feels welcome, respected and able to participate.

Which nine characteristics are protected under the UK Equality Act 2010?

Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

What is the 'social model' of disability and how does it contrast with the medical model?

The social model holds that people are disabled by barriers in society (physical, attitudinal, organisational), not by their impairment. The medical model locates the 'problem' within the individual to be fixed. The social model places responsibility on removing barriers.

How can a teacher promote identity, belonging and representation in the classroom?

Use inclusive and varied resources reflecting diverse identities, set ground rules of mutual respect, avoid stereotyping, value learners' experiences and cultures, and ensure all feel a sense of belonging that supports engagement and esteem needs.

What are the three domains of learning in Bloom's taxonomy?

Cognitive (knowledge/thinking), Affective (attitudes/feelings/values), and Psychomotor (physical/manual skills).

List the levels of Bloom's original cognitive domain from lowest to highest.

Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation.

List the levels of the revised (Anderson and Krathwohl) cognitive taxonomy.

Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, Create — note the top two were reordered and 'Create' became the highest level.

List the five levels of Bloom's (Krathwohl's) affective domain.

Receiving, Responding, Valuing, Organising, and Characterising (internalising values).

How is Bloom's taxonomy used in lesson planning?

To write objectives at appropriate levels using action verbs (e.g. 'list', 'explain', 'analyse', 'evaluate'), to differentiate and stretch learners, and to design questioning and assessment that target higher-order thinking.

What is the difference between assessment of learning (summative) and assessment for learning (formative)?

Summative assessment measures achievement at the end of a period to make a judgement (e.g. exams, grades). Formative assessment is ongoing during learning to give feedback and guide improvement for both learner and teacher.

Explain 'constructive alignment' (Biggs).

A design principle where intended learning outcomes, teaching/learning activities, and assessment tasks are all deliberately aligned, so activities and assessment directly support and measure the stated outcomes.

Compare behaviourism, cognitivism and constructivism on what learning is.

Behaviourism: learning is a change in observable behaviour shaped by external stimuli/reinforcement. Cognitivism: learning is internal mental processing and reorganisation of knowledge. Constructivism: learning is the active, often social, construction of personal meaning built on prior experience.