Question 1 Children learn best by observing the behavior of adults and copying it. Do you agree or disagree?

Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Yes, in my opinion I agree that children do learn best by observing the behavior of adults and imitate them. In social learning theory, Albert Bandura (1977) states behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning. He believes that humans are active information processors and think about the relationship between their behavior and its consequences. Observational learning could not occur unless cognitive processes were at work.

Children observe the people around them behaving in various ways. This is illustrated during the famous Bobo Doll experiment (Bandura, 1961). Individuals that are observed are called models. Bandura (1961) conducted a study to investigate if social behaviors (i.e. aggression) can be acquired by imitation. He uses 72 children as its study object with 3 adults.

24 Children watched an adult model behave aggressively towards a blow up toy called a bobo doll. Another 24 children were exposed to a non-aggressive model and the final 24 child were used as a control group and not exposed to any model at all. At the end of the day the first 24 children that watched an aggressive adult model behaved just like the adult and the same goes to other group of children.

Another point we can always see through students who came from different background. If the parents were a good and tidy person, their son or daughter will most likely have the same personality traits. However, if that good son and daughter is put into bad surrounding, he or she will likely act similar to the environment.

This has also been taught by The Prophet Muhammad pbuh when he said that a man was born like a plain cloth, it is up to the parents to make him become the Jewish or the Christian. This hadith has told us that it is the adult obligation to shape the children characteristic. The adult should teach the children how to behave in line with shariah. They should become perfect example to the children. For instance, in solah, the father will be the imam and the children will be the makmum. These makmum will follow what imam does accordingly.

Not only that, we can also see this issue in sport. Normally if the father is good in badminton, he will ensure his son love the games too. He will introduce the games as early as at the age of two years old. Being four years in the badminton court, he will gain lot of skills in badminton. The father will make this training session as their precious time to spend together.

Thus, it is true that the children imitate the behavior of adults.