Glossary

Searchable glossary containing hundreds of definitions and descriptions of education terms, acronyms and abbreviations used by the LTS online service and in Scottish education.

If there are any others you would like us to include, please send them to us using our feedback form.


TAC team	Now known as the Teacher Capacity Team.
Talking mats™	An interactive resource that uses three sets of picture symbols – topics, options and a visual scale – that is used to help individuals with communication difficulties to express themselves. The picture symbols cover ‘what you want to talk about?’ and contain pictures symbolising 'What do you want to do during the day?' 'Where do you want to live?' 'Who do you want to spend time with?' The options that relate specifically to each topic include whether you want to go to college, attend a day centre, or stay at home, and so on. The third set comprises a visual scale in order to allow participants to indicate their general feelings about each topic and option, for example, whether they are happy, unsure, or unhappy.
Targeted comments	Help keep feedback manageable by focusing only on strengths but with sufficient advice to allow progression. ‘Two stars and a wish’ is one approach. It allows learners to build on prior learning and breaks the process of improvement into manageable steps.
Targets/targeting	The term used in the national curriculum guidelines for the statements that define the attainment expectations for pupils working at each level. Some teachers have translated these into language that pupils can understand and used them to share criteria for success. 'Targeting' can also mean focusing on an individual pupil or a group, either to provide additional support or to set more challenging work and learning aims beyond pupils' current level of achievement. A third meaning relates to the process by which a school or department sets itself a target to improve attainment, such as ensuring an increased percentage of pupils attain a particular level or a number of Standard Grade Credit or Higher Grade C awards.
TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools)	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Education and Skills. The TDA works to improve the training and development of the whole school workforce in England.
Teacher Capacity Team	The Teacher Capacity Team is a joint initiative between the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish local authorities. It ensures a strategic focus remains on the overall aims of the agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century.
Teacher demonstration	A modelling exercise in which the teacher works through the different stages of an activity, emphasising the stages of the process and the criteria for success.
Teachers for Excellence	A web-based debate in 2006, supported by articles from leading educationalists and contributions from a wide range of interested parties, which confirmed the need to place high quality professional development for all educators at the centre of our planning for curricular reform.
Teaching in Scotland	The Teaching in Scotland website is designed to answer questions about training to be a teacher. It has useful information, details of the courses and links to relevant organisations.
Teaching Qualification (Primary Education)	The Teaching Qualification (Primary Education) is awarded when a person has passed the four-year course leading to the Bachelor of Education degree (BEd) or the one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course, following a degree.
Teaching Qualification (Secondary Education)	The Teaching Qualification (Secondary Education) is awarded in a particular secondary school curriculum subject or subjects after the person has successfully completed a four-year course leading to a Bachelor of Education degree (BEd) in Music, Physical Education or Technological Education, or a combined degree (sometimes known as a concurrent degree), including studying a subject, studying education, and school experience, or a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course following a degree.
team leader	A team leader is someone who provides guidance, instruction, direction, leadership to a group of other individuals (the team) for the purpose of achieving a stated result.
TEI	Teacher Education Institution; a university with a faculty or school that trains new teachers.
TEI (Teacher Education Institutions)	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Education and Skills. The TDA works to improve the training and development of the whole school workforce in England.
Temporal lobe	The specialised region of the brain thought to be associated with hearing, speech, smell and aspects of memory.
Tertiary	Also known as Higher education. It is a non-compulsory degree or diploma educational level following the completion of secondary school education.
TESS (Technology Education and Enterprise in Scotland 5-14)	The SSDN Unit supports SEED in the development of broadband connectivity and national intranet services for Scottish schools. More information is available on the website.
The big picture	An overview of the subject or topic that includes the purpose and learning outcomes.
Theism	Belief in the existence of a God or gods. There are many different types of theism, including monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, and more.
Think time/thinking time	A strategy also referred to as wait time. Time given to learners to reflect critically or creatively on a question or problem, or to pose another question.
Think, pair and share	An activity to encourage higher-order thinking that involves pupils thinking individually, then pairing with a partner, then sharing ideas with the wider group. The sequence generally begins with the teacher posing an open-ended question, to which there may be a range of responses. Think time or wait time is followed by discussion with a partner. The pair then share pooled ideas with the whole class. The structure was first developed by Professor Frank Lyman at the University of Maryland in 1981, and subsequently adopted as a co-operative learning strategy.
Thinking books	A place to explore and play with ideas about subjects of personal interest.
Thinking hats	Six Thinking Hats is a technique created by Edward de Bono that encourages individuals to consider problems or decisions from a number of different perspectives.
Thinking styles	Thinking styles can be divided into four groups: Concrete sequential thinkers like to base their thinking firmly on what they can see, hear, and touch, Abstract random thinkers organise ideas and information through a process of reflection, Abstract random thinkers organise ideas and information through a process of reflection, Abstract sequential thinkers are logical, rational and intellectual.
Thought leaders	This is a programme to give Scottish educators access to world-class thinking in areas of CPD, leadership and online learning.
Throughcare	The local authorities' duty to prepare young people for ceasing to be looked after.
TIMSS (Trends in International Maths and Science Survey)	Scotland participates in this international survey in Mathematics and Science. In 2003 this included important content for students to have learned in mathematics and science, as well as describing important home and school contexts influencing achievement in these subjects. Staff can use this summative information at any local level to judge their performance relative to the national sample and to plan their next steps.
Tolerance	Tolerance is the acceptance of other people, ideas or things, which are different to one self, or ideas, which are different to one's own.
Tone question	In English language activities, a question that asks pupils to identify or comment on the writer's tone from the context of the piece being studied and the language used.
TP21	A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century: the agreement reached in 2001 between teachers, employers and the Scottish Government following recommendations made in the McCrone Report.
Traffic lighting	A means of self-evaluation that displays to how well a pupil or student has understood a topic or activity based on the colours of a traffic light. Green means 'I can do this'; amber means 'I'm reasonably confident'; and red means 'I need assistance'. It is particularly effective when pupils are involved in establishing, or at least addressing the criteria for success.
Traveller	As travellers are not a homogenous group, the term refers to a range of different groups including Scottish Gypsies/Travellers, Occupational Travellers, New (age) Travellers and Travellers from other parts of Britain or from Europe. Mobility is the main factor which contributes to difficulties in achieving at school. The Scottish Traveller Education Programme (STEP) aims to develop and support inclusive educational approaches for Gypsies and Travellers.
Traveller Liaison Support Teacher	Traveller Teachers encourage Traveller children to attend their local schools, where many of them require additional help to cope with the expectations and demands of a busy classroom. Alternative educational opportunities and experiences can be offered to Traveller children, whose lifestyle makes regular school attendance difficult.
twilight session	An after-school CPD event.
Twitter	Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets),utilising instant messaging, SMS or a web interface.
Two stars and a wish	A type of feedback given to pupils that identifies two strengths in their work and one area for future development. This enables learners to build on prior learning and breaks the process of improvement into manageable steps.
Twos to fours	Pupils work initially in pairs before joining with another pair to compare notes. This provides a valuable opportunity for pupils to explain their own points of view and respond to the views of others.