Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 Exam

The Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 exam is divided into two sections: one section includes four case studies, each with 3 corresponding short answer questions, and the multiple choice section consists of 24 questions divided into two 12 question sections.

The short answer section will give four teaching situations, with three questions each, pertaining to comprehension of forms of teaching, principles of learning and teaching associated with various methods of teaching, and the implementation of the techniques. The examinee should be prepared to spend approximately 25 minutes on each of the four teaching situations. A total of about 20 minutes will be required to answer the 24 multiple choice questions. Two hours is given to complete the exam.

Questioning for both sections is derived from the same topics for grades 7-12. The first area that the questions may address is Students as Learners, which consists of theories of learning and human development, learning styles, learning disabilities, managing and organizing a classroom, and promoting motivation in the classroom. The next area is Instruction and Assessment, which focuses on types of learning and methods of teaching, such as independent study and whole group discussion, techniques and materials involved with methods of learning and teaching, strategies for creating lesson plans, and ways of evaluating student progress. The third area of questioning involves Communication Techniques, which focuses on techniques of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, that promote learning, participation, and comprehension in the classroom. The last area that questions may be derived from is Profession and Community and involves knowledge of literature and associations for educators and the role of teachers beyond the classroom.

The short-answer questions can be given scores from 0-2, with the high score being 2. A score of 2 is given for answers that respond to each element in the question with a superb understanding of important areas in the given teaching situation and a strong demonstration of theories and methods that apply to the situation. A score of 1 is given for fair demonstration of this knowledge and for response to only part of the question. A score of 0 is given for misinterpreting the areas that needed to be addressed and misapplying theories and concepts. The Students as Learners and the Instruction and Assessments sections contribute approximately 33% each to the total score, the Teacher Professionalism questions contribute to about 22% of the score, and Communication Techniques contribute approximately 11%.