GOVERNMENT OF TAMILNADU

DIRECT RECRUITMENT FOR THE

POST OF POST GRADUATE ASSISTANTS /
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIRECTORS – GRADE-I

SYLLABUS
2025-2026

State Council of Educational Research and Training

Chennai - 600 006.
The wise
possess all
 SUBJECT : EDUCATION
SYLLABUS

Unit I PERSPECTIVES OF EDUCATION

Pre-primary Education – Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE) –
Primary Education – Equalization of Education opportunities – Secondary and
Higher Education – SSA, RMSA, Samagra Shiksha, RUSA – Uniform Pattern of
Education – RTE Act, 2009 – Formal, Non-formal and In-formal – Enrolement,
Stagnation, Dropouts - Functional Literacy Programme – Open Schooling
– Delinking degrees from employment –– Brain drain Vocationalisation of
Education – Skill Development.

Education of the Socially Disadvantaged Groups: Tribal, Scheduled and

Marginalized groups – Special and Diverse needs of learners – Inclusive
education – Universal Design of Learning - Barriers in Education – Challenges
in affordability and accessibility of Education – Commissions and Committees in
Education (Pre-Independence, Post-Independence) - Constitutional Provisions -
Socialism, Secularism, Democracy, Sovereign and Egalitarian State - Central
and State Government Policies related to Education.

Unit II PHILOSOPHICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS

OF EDUCATION
Philosophical bases of Education – Metaphysics, Ontology, Epistemology,
Axiology – Schools of thought: Idealism, Naturalism, Realism, Pragmatism
– Propounding Indian Philosophers (Gandhiji, Tagore, Vivekananda,
J.Krishnamurti, Aurobindo) and Western Philosophers (Plato, Russell, Pestalozzi,
Rousseau, Froebel, Montessori, Dewey) in Education – Innovations emerged
from experiments in education.

Sociological bases of Education – Socialization, Social Stratification,

Mobility, Social Justice & Social Change – Sociologists (Auguste Comte,
Max Weber, Marx, Durkheim, Spencer, Paulo Freire) – Education
for International and National understanding – Peace, Value and
Environmental Education – Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization in
Education - UN-Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Physical and Health
Education – Gender perspectives in Education.
Unit III HISTORY AND CULTURE OF TAMIL NADU
Historical development, Role of Social and Political movements in Education –
Initiatives for development: Establishment of State Universities and Educational
Infrastructure – Developmental aspects: Professional Education (Medical,
Engineering, Law, Teaching, Physical and Sports), Liberal Arts, Social Sciences
and Humanities –– Tamil Literature, Tradition & Culture: Art & Architecture –
Historical sites – Ethnic groups of Tamil Nadu – Freedom fighters & Women
leaders of social transformation of Tamil Nadu.

Unit IV CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE

Psychology of Childhood & Adolescence – Stages of development (Early &
Later childhood & Adolescence) – Adolescent characteristics - Dimensions
of development (Cognitive, Physical, Psycho-Social, Emotional, Language,
Moral) – Theories: Piaget, Bruner, Erik Erickson, Daniel Goleman, Kohlberg)
– Developmental tasks and mental abilities – Individual differences –
Understanding Learners (Slow and Late-bloomers, Children with Special Needs
(CWSN) – Programmes for Diverse learners (Differentiated, Mediated, Remedial
& Enrichment)

Unit V LEARNING AND TEACHING

Learner, Learning Process and Learning characteristics – Factors contributing
to learning: Biological, Psychological, Socio-economic & Cultural - Memory,
Remembering and Forgetting – Learning Curve – Paradigms: Behaviourism,
Cognitivism, Constructivism, Humanism, Connectivism - Theories of Learning:
Trial & Error (Thorndike), Classical Conditioning (Pavlov), Operant Conditioning
(Skinner), Insight (Wolfgang Kohler), Gestalt theory – Transfer of learning.

Significance of Language in understanding curriculum and subjects –

Psycholinguistic - Types of Learning – Micro-Teaching: Skills & Components –
Lesson Planning – Learning Styles: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Reading -
Teaching styles: Autocratic and Permissive – Teaching approaches: Teacher and
Student centered, Hybrid approaches – Outcome Based Education – Methods
of Teaching (Inductive, Deductive, Analytic, Heuristic, Project) – Models of
Teaching: Concept Attainment, Advanced-Organizers, Inquiry-Training) –
Teacher Attributes – Teacher autonomy and accountability.
Unit VI INTELLIGENCE & PERSONALITY
Psychological attributes: Cognitive abilities, Attention, Interest, Motivation,
Aptitude & Attitude, Value systems, Maslow’s hierarchical theory of Human
Needs – Achievement Motivation - Intelligence Basics & Theories (Single, Two-
factor, Triarchic, Group-Factor, Multi-Factor, Guilford’s Structure of Intellect,
Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence) – Creativity and
Intelligence – IQ & EQ – Assessment of Intelligence – Understanding Learning
difficulties and Learning disabilities (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia,
Dyspraxia)

Personality – Trait theories: Allport , R.B.Cattell, Eysenck, Type: Hippocrates,

Krestchmer, Sheldon, Carl Jung, Spranger – Assessment of Personality – Mental
Health & Mental Hygiene : Conflict & Frustration, Unrest – Adjustment: Defense
mechanisms – Guidance and Counselling .

Unit VII EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION

Test, Measurement, Assessment & Evaluation – Principles of Evaluation -
Characteristics of Test: Objectivity, Reliability, and Validity – Types: Formative,
Summative, Norm and Criterion Referenced Test –– Scholastic & Non-
Scholastic - Achievement Test – Diagnostic and Prognostic Tests – Continuous
and Comprehensive Evaluation - Standardization of an achievement test -
Table of weightages, Blue Print, Preparation of Question Paper, Scoring key,
Item analysis (Index of Difficulty & Discrimination), Reliability – Tools for
assessment: Observation, Interview, Portfolio, Rubrics, Peer-Reviews, Check-
lists, Rating Scales.

Unit VIII MANAGEMENT & ADMINISTRATION

Principles of Management – Structure of Educational management (Central, State
& Local levels) – Personnel, Material and Financial management: Functions
(POSDCORB) - SWOC Analyses in Educational Administration – Total Quality
Management (TQM) – Assessment and Accreditation of Educational Institutions
– Leadership theories and styles – Role of Administrators, School Heads,
Teachers and Stakeholders in Planning and Administration.

Unit IX CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Principles of Curriculum, Curriculum patterns (Teacher, Learner, Problem,
Subject, Activity/Experience, Broad-field) – Types (Core, Competency-Based,
Null, Hidden, Rhetoric) – Approaches to Curriculum Organisation (Topical,
 Spiral, Logical, Psychological, Unitary & Integrated) – Curriculum Development
process - Models of Curriculum (Ralph Tyler, Wheeler, Hilda Taba, Stufflebeam)
– Curriculum Evaluation.

Unit X INSTRUCTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Bloom’s and Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives - Levels of Teaching
(Memory, Understanding & Reflective) – Instructional designing – Programmed
learning (Principles, Types: Linear, Branched) – Systems approach – ADDIE
Model - Cybernetics – TPACK - FOSS- OER – MOOCs - Learning Management
Systems (LMS) - Smart Classroom, Blended Learning, Flipped Learning –
Augmented Reality - Virtual Modes (O-labs, Classrooms, Library) – Virtual
Reality – AI in Education.