Theories of Education: Behaviorism Theories of Education: Behaviorism

Theories of Education:

Behaviorism

 

_{"an educational or learning theory that is predicated on the belief thathuman behavior can be explained in terms of responses to external" stimuli.}

 

 

_{(Foundations of American Eduation)}

 

 

 

   

Austen Woods; DeShawn Clement

A few basics of Behaviorism:

 

 

$ Most behaviors are learned

$ Most behaviors are stimulus specific

$ Most behaviors can be taught, changed or modified

$ Behavior change goals should be specific and clearly defined

$ Behavior change programs should be individualized

$ Behavior change programs should focus on the here and now.

$ Behavior change programs focus on the Childs environment

 

Behaviorism in action: Corey White

Example of Classical Conditioning :

• The bells that ring at the end of the school day. A beginning kindergartener does not know how to tell time the bell is a sign of dismissal and children get their things and leave.

How to apply:

• Many teachers use this method to get their students attention. Try clapping your hands and the students repeat. This is Classical conditioning because this “trains” to students to quiet down and pay attention when they hear the hand clap.

Example of Operant Conditioning:

• When students get extra time at recess for behaving. Or have to sit at recess for misbehaving.

How to apply:

• To motivate students many teacher use “sticks”. This system is where students have 3 sticks each week if one is taken a letter could be sent home, if two letter and sit at recess, all three principal. If the students have kept all their sticks at the end of the week they will get to go into the treasure box.
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Contibuted by: Corey White 

 

Amy Mendoza;

 

John B.Watson was an American psychologist who originated the concept of Behaviorism. Behaviorist methods are used in education. Behaviorism is used to shape an individual using punishments and rewards.Positive reinforcement can increase student test scores. In some schools, having an A average will exempt you from taking the end of the year exam. In elementary schools, candy or stickers can be used as a reward for behaving well or doing a good deed. Punishment can also decrease the bad behavior of students. In Elementary schools, some teachers make the child sit or stand in the corner if they misbehave. In High schools if a student does not do their homework they get detention or an automatic failing grade for the assignment.

 

 

 

Kyle Peters;

 

B.F. Skinner was also a major contributor to behaviorism. Behaviorism is used to encourage good behaviors and discourage bad behaviors. Consequences and punishment are all forms of behaviorism used in the classroom. For consequences, the teacher will immediately give positive or negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement, increases the likelihood of that good behavior reoccuring. Negative reinforcemtn decreases the likelihood of the negative behavior happening again. Punishment is another way to decrease the likelihood of bad behavior. One example of punishment is when students are talking and are sent to an advisor for disciplinary action. Extinction is when the expected response to a behavior is withheld. Skinner also did an experiment with a rat in a "Skinner box", where

 

 

 

 

Tyler Bibb/Kelly Howell/;

 

 

2 MAJOR types of Behaviorism:

 

$ Classical Conditioning: stimulus substitution behaviorism

 

$ Operant Conditioning: response reinforcement behaviorism

 

(Foundations of American Education)

 

Like my fellow group members I will be discussing Behaviorism and how John B. Watson thought of the idea of classical conditioning and B. F. Skinner where as he and E. L. Thorndike thought of operant conditioning. According to John B. Watson, Classical conditioning is when “a natural stimulus that produces a certain type of response can be replaced by a conditioned stimulus (78).” For example, Pavlov experiment with the food, dog and the bell. Pavlov put food in front of a dog which made him salivate, then he pair the food and a bell (natural stimulus paired with conditioned stimulus) and after a while the dog would salivate just to the bell even if there was no food causing the conditioned response (Fig. 1). Basically what Watson is trying to say is if a kid is acting up or getting in trouble a lot, look at his or her surroundings and if there sitting by a trouble making friend, remove him or her from the friend and put him or her in the front of the class close to the teacher. The two friends sitting together and talking is the natural stimulus because almost every kid is going to sit with their friends and talk with them. The kids getting into trouble is the response that is produced from the natural stimulus. Moving the child away from the friend can be considered the conditioned stimulus. By doing this there has to be a conditioned response, which in the end would be the kid’s behavior changing.

 

(Fig. 1)

 

Operant Conditioning

 

According to two psychologists, E. L. Thorndike and B. F. Skinner, Operant conditioning is, “any response to any stimulus can be conditioned by immediate reinforcement or rewarded each time it occurs (78).” For example, take the rat pushing a lever for food experiment, Sigmund Freud tested that by rewarding a rat step by step, little by little, you can get him to feed himself when he desires to eat (Fig. 2). Skinner later said that the reinforcement or the reward should not be given to every response but move as a random reward; he concluded that this study worked better than the old conclusion he and Thorndike made. Basically what these two psychologists are trying to say is if a kid is misbehaving in class, and a teacher presents them with a reward every time they behave appropriate. Like the classical conditioning the natural stimulus could be a trouble-making friend and in this case the response can be anything that is considered good behavior. By providing the child with a reward this gets them into a mindset of something good can come out of acting appropriate.

(Fig. 2)

 

Montrae Randolph;DeShawn Clement

 

$ Increase or reinforce appropriate behavior

 

Social Reinforcers

Activity Reinforcers

Tangible Reinforcers

Token Reinforcement

 

$ Modify or Change inappropriate behavior

 

Listen to a child.

Not acknowledging silly actions that try to get attention.

Figure out what is making them act that way.

 

$ Increase/reinforce new behavior

 

Encouraging
Being Positive all the way
Positive Sanctions (Candy, Party, etc.)

 

Ashley Caris and Averee Padgett

 

 

 

Jasmine Turner;DeShawn Clement

Nature of the Learner:

 

“Most behaviors are learned, are stimulus-specific, and can be taught and modified. They also believe that students have the capacity and disposition to change.”

 

(Zirpoli, 2005, P.34)

 

1. Capable of and disposed to modifying or changing behavior
2. Capable of learning new behavior

1. Skilled in variety of technical &obeservational skills
2. Trained in educational psychology
3. Skilled in scientific method
4. Plans & uses behavioral objectives
5. Designs and uses various types of instruction, schedules of reinforcements, & intervention strategie

 

Kallie Thompson;DeShawn Clement

 

 

How Behaviorism Impacts Learning

This theory is relatively simple to understand because it relies only on observable behavior and describes several universal laws of behavior. Its positive and negative reinforcement techniques can be very effective– such as in treatments for human disorders including autism, anxiety disorders and antisocial behavior. Behaviorism is often used by teachers who reward or punish student behaviors.

 

 

1. Classic conditioning occurs when a natural reflex responds to a stimulus. We are biologically “wired” so that a certain stimulus will produce a specific response. One of the more common examples of classical conditioning in the educational environment is in situations where students exhibit irrational fears and anxieties like fear of failure, fear of public speaking and general school phobia.
2. Behavioral or operant conditioning occurs when a response to a stimulus is reinforced. Basically, operant conditioning is a simple feedback system: If a reward or reinforcement follows the response to a stimulus, then the response becomes more probable in the future. For example, leading behaviorist B.F. Skinner used reinforcement techniques to teach pigeons to dance and bowl a ball in a mini-alley.

 

Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select -- doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief and, yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.
--John Watson, Behaviorism, 1930

-Anthoula & Amber-

 

Ever wondered what is Cognitive Thinking? How is it reached? What are the triggers? This short video can discribe it for you! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cQjtaiI-b0

 

John B. Watson http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch01_psychology_and_science/01watson.jpg

 

B. F. Skinnerhttp://commons.activemath.org/ActiveMath2/content/piaget/pics/burrhus_frederic_skinner.jp

 

The two types Behaviorism Link: http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/behaviour.htm

 

Websites for more information about Behaviorism:

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/94979/behavioral_cognitive_and_humanistic.html

 

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?id=9712&cn=353

 

http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism.htm

 

http://www.funderstanding.com/content/behaviorism