Steady Work

Question 1

What was the focus of the 1990s Finnish curriculum reforms?

Accepted Answer

Teaching students to think critically

Question 2

How do teachers rank in Korean public opinion polls?

Accepted Answer

Most trusted

Question 3

Which of these is a Korean proverb quoted in the chapter?

Accepted Answer

"Don't even step on the shadow of a teacher."

Question 4

What theme is apparent throughout Singaporean schools in all subject areas?

Accepted Answer

Innovation

Question 5

What percent of the Finnish adult population participates in adult-education programs?

Accepted Answer

>50%

Question 6

True or false: The Korean government supports the extensive private tutoring industry

Accepted Answer

False

Question 7

Whose educational philosophy strongly influenced Korean curriculum reforms of the 50s?

Accepted Answer

John Dewey

Question 8

Which of the following is not a career ladder that Singapore teachers can pursue?

Accepted Answer

Professional punching bag

Question 9

True or false: the Korean curriculum devotes the large majority of time to reading and math

Accepted Answer

False

Question 10

How do Singaporean math students come to "own" knowledge for themselves?

Accepted Answer

By creating their own word problems to test their classmates, By deriving formulas after deeply understanding a concept, By working in groups on real-world contextualized problems

Question 11

What did the "thinking schools, learning nation" initiative establish as Singapore's focus?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 12

How was schooling historically used in Singapore's colonial past?

Accepted Answer

As an instrument of division and inequality

Question 13

How are new teachers supported in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 14

Who receives free education all the way through university in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

The indigenous Malays

Question 15

As a core principle of education reform, Finland believes in:

Accepted Answer

Balancing decentralization and centralization

Question 16

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Accepted Answer

What do you mean? African or European swallow?, 11 meters per second

Question 17

Current Korean curriculum reforms are aimed at:

Accepted Answer

Reducing the number of instructional hours

Question 18

Which country was NOT discussed in Chapter 6?

Accepted Answer

China

Question 19

What is the focus of "action research" in Singaporean science classrooms?

Accepted Answer

Learning how to change situations, not just interpret them

Question 20

What percentage of high school graduates in Singapore go on to some form postsecondary ed?

Accepted Answer

Nearly everyone

Question 21

What is the main purpose of assessment in Finland?

Accepted Answer

Encouraging students' own reflection and self-assessment

Question 22

Variation in achievement among Finnish students is only 5%. What is the OECD average?

Accepted Answer

33%

Question 23

How is Singapore different from Finland and South Korea?

Accepted Answer

Its population is much more multiethnic & multilingual

Question 24

Over what period of time did the countries in this chapter implement most of their reforms?

Accepted Answer

25-35 years

Question 25

How did Korea fight against "exam hell"?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 26

What was "exam hell" in Korea?

Accepted Answer

Cramming resulting from middle/high school entrance exams

Question 27

What makes a teaching career so desirable in Korea?

Accepted Answer

All of the above (and more)

Question 28

What is the goal behind the encouragement in Singapore to "teach less, learn more"?

Accepted Answer

Enhancing teaching quality to allow more depth of study, Allowing more room for teacher and student initiative

Question 29

Which policies support equity in opportunity for Finnish students?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 30

"Hong Ik In Gan" describes what Korean ideal?

Accepted Answer

A person devoted to the welfare of people

Question 31

Who designs nearly all assessments for Finnish students?

Accepted Answer

Teachers

Question 32

Who chooses textbooks for Korean schools?

Accepted Answer

Parents and teachers at the school level

Question 33

What has the Singaporean government frequently referred to as its only natural resource?

Accepted Answer

The population

Question 34

How are top candidates recruited for teaching positions?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 35

What are Korean colleges encouraged to place the LEAST importance on when admitting students?

Accepted Answer

SAT scores

Question 36

How does the purchasing power of Korean teachers compare with that of US teachers?

Accepted Answer

250% higher

Question 37

What is the purpose of the limited external testing done in Korean schools?

Accepted Answer

Evaluating and refining the curriculum

Question 38

Which of these is not a stated goal of Korean education?

Accepted Answer

Ability to achieve high test scores

Question 39

What element has contributed to unusually strong educational outcomes in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

All of the above

Question 40

In 1998 Singaporean curriculum reforms, how was the amount of content covered changed?

Accepted Answer

It was cut by 10-30%

Question 41

What is one explanation for why Finnish students do so well on international exams?

Accepted Answer

Student-centered open-ended tasks embedded in the curriculum

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Questions 41

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Questions 41