UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

In the Herbartian approach,association is the step where teachers connect newly presented content with learners’ existing ideas and experiences. This linking helps students integrate new knowledge into their cognitive structures,leading to meaningful learning. By forming associations,students see relationships and avoid rote memorisation. Hence,the step described in the stem is accurately called association.

Option A:
During the association step,teachers ask questions,draw analogies and encourage comparisons between known and new situations. This deliberate linking is central to the Herbartian model. Because the stem emphasises connecting new material with previous experience,association is the correct completion.

Option B:
Preparation is the initial step where the teacher arouses interest and recalls prior knowledge but does not yet fully relate it to new content. The linking becomes more explicit in the association step.

Option C:
Application comes later,when learners use the new knowledge in exercises or real-life situations. It presupposes that association and understanding have already occurred.

Option D:
Recapitulation involves summarising key points at the end of the lesson and checking understanding. It does not primarily focus on linking new content with prior experience.