Abstract
A huge controversy exists in the world today in the way knowledge is impacted on students and how behavior is modified. There have been arguments from different stakeholders on what should be taught to children in the class and how it should be taught. Following this, there have been a number of learning theories developed by different philosophers trying to suggest the best ways on how students should be taught. Various aspects of these theories have been based on child development, physical growth, social adjustments, and emotional changes. One among these theories is the behaviorism theory. This paper takes a deeper look at the behaviorism theory and how it would increase student learning and development. It discusses how teachers can use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior, development and increase learning on students. It also discusses how teachers can use negative reinforcement, such as punishments to discourage bad behavior among students. The paper also critically analyzes concept learning and how it is least beneficial when supporting student education and academic performance.
Behaviorism Theory
Behaviorism is a learning theory that aims to condition student behavior with a multitude of behavior reinforcements and consequences when applied in the classroom. It contends that student learning is shaped in response to environmental stimuli. The theory assumes that an individual’s behavior is shaped through positive or negative reinforcement. The chances that the behavior will be repeated depends wholly on the type of reinforcement. Positive reinforcement will increase the probability of a specific behavior reoccurring, while negative reinforcement will discourage its repetition. Therefore, according to behaviorism, learning is defined as the change in behavior in the leaner. Behaviorism plays an essential role in the increase of learning and development.
From a behavioristic perspective, the learning process transpires when there is the transmission of information from the teacher to the student, a response which depends on the specific stimuli. Thus, the central role of education to a student in a learning environment is to present the student with the appropriate collection of stimuli and then the responses with positive reinforcement. For a reinforcement schedule to work effectively so that learning can occur, it has got to have consistency and repetition. Without employing repetitive positive reinforcement, retrieval of the learned material becomes difficult. This is because students modify their specific behaviors until they earn some positive reinforcement.
The teaching method used by behaviorists during the learning process tends to use skill and drill to provide repetition and consistency in the learning process. Other methods used include the stimulus and response framework – or operant conditioning. In such a setup, the stimulus includes the questions while response includes the answers. For a teacher to impart knowledge on a student, he or she needs to bombard the student with consistent questions about the specific topic. The behavioristic method of learning and development is also heavily dependent on positive reinforcement. In behaviorism, the degree of learning and development is assessed through factors, including observable behavior and examinations. Teaching methods have been demonstrated to have some effectiveness in areas in which there is a memory-provoking material.
Moreover, teachers have long used the behavioral method to manage their classrooms during the learning process. They effectively use this method in the classroom setting by encouraging good behavior that will promote students learning process and development and discourage what is not. Some of the methods teachers used in this concept include punishment, reinforcement, and consequences. Creating a one-on-one interaction between the teacher and the student can be instrumental in changing the behavior of a student. First, the teacher should identify the behavior he or she wants the student to change. The teacher should then get the student and agree to terms and conditions on how to work towards changing the behavior in question. For example: if a student has a behavior of failing to complete their homework on time, the teacher and the student can agree to be meeting for some extra time after school for help. This method of increasing student learning and development can be used both by teachers in school and parents at home to foster desirable behavior.
Concept learning requires a student to compare and contrast groups that contain features that are concept relevant to groups that do not features that are concept-relevant. It involves a learning process in which a student is trained to classify objects by being presented with a set of examples alongside their class labels. When it comes to supporting academic performance and student education, concept learning is the least beneficial due to several reasons: First, the concept learning applies instructional strategy to provide learning to students. Due to the method of the approach taken to impart knowledge to students, concept learning becomes time-consuming. It often takes longer for students to acquire their intended knowledge compared to other forms of learning. Due to the time it takes to impart knowledge, concept learning becomes least beneficial when it comes to student education and academic performance.
Furthermore, concept learning necessitates the student to have tremendous discipline in the learning process. The learning process is entirely dependent upon the student’s literacy level, study skills, and self-management. Unlike learning through behaviorism, concept learning requires the student to have dedication towards acquiring the intended knowledge. This method becomes very difficult for younger children to apply and learn. This is because it might become a bit challenging for them to form opinions, making predictions and also drawing conclusions from the available evidence. Due to such obstacles in the learning process, concept learning becomes the least effective method when supporting students’ education and academic performance.
In conclusion, behaviorism is one of the best learning theories to increase student learning and development. It wholly depends on the type of reinforcement presented to the student. If the teacher wants to encourage a specific behavior, all he or she has to do is incorporate positive reinforcement, such as rewards and verbal appraisal, into the curriculum. On the other hand, the teacher can discourage behavior by offering negative reinforcement, such as punishments. Also, concept learning is the least beneficial when supporting student and academic performance. This is because students have to train themselves to try and form opinions on various aspects.