Curriculum and Instruction Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Curriculum and Instruction.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
The systematic process of gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence of student learning to inform educational decisions.
Evaluation that requires students to demonstrate knowledge through real-world tasks rather than traditional tests.
A curriculum planning approach that begins with desired outcomes before determining assessments and instructional activities.
A hierarchical classification of cognitive learning objectives ranging from basic recall to higher-order creative thinking.
A learning theory holding that learners actively construct knowledge through experience rather than passively absorbing information.
Pedagogy that incorporates students' cultural backgrounds and experiences as assets for effective instruction.
The degree of consistency among the written, taught, and assessed curriculum within an educational system.
A systematic process of recording and reviewing the curriculum as it is actually delivered across grade levels and subjects.
Tailoring teaching to meet the diverse needs of learners by modifying content, process, product, or environment.
A structured, teacher-centered instructional method emphasizing explicit teaching, modeling, and guided practice.
Ongoing assessment during instruction used to monitor learning and provide feedback for instructional adjustment.
An instructional framework that shifts cognitive load from teacher to student through modeled, guided, collaborative, and independent stages.
An instructional approach driven by student questions and investigation rather than direct transmission of information.
The systematic process of creating instructional materials and learning experiences based on learning theory and research.
A specific, measurable statement describing what students should know or be able to do after instruction.
Content deliberately or inadvertently excluded from the curriculum, whose absence conveys implicit messages about valued knowledge.
The specialized teacher knowledge that integrates subject-matter expertise with knowledge of how to teach that content effectively.
A scoring guide that defines criteria and performance levels for evaluating student work.
Temporary instructional support provided to learners within their Zone of Proximal Development, gradually removed as competence grows.
A document outlining the breadth of content and the order in which it is taught across a curriculum.
Bruner's approach where key concepts are revisited at increasing levels of complexity throughout a student's education.
Evaluation conducted at the end of an instructional period to measure student achievement against defined standards.
A framework providing multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression to make learning accessible to all students.
Vygotsky's concept of the range between what a learner can do alone and what they can do with support from a more capable guide.