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BEHAVIORISM IN EDUCATION 1

Jason Michel
EPSY 302 Educational Psychology
11/12/15
Behaviorism in Education

The Behavioral Learning Theory is at the cornerstone of every interaction between

teacher and student in the classroom. This relationship is defined by how a students behavior

changes as a result of their environment. Instructors can use this to their advantage if they know

what factors affect the motivation and behavior of the learner . This is most prevalent through the

use of classical and operant conditioning techniques (McLeod, 2015).

Classical conditioning was made known by the work of Ivan Pavlov, a Russian

physiologist. He studied the digestive habits of dogs, and showed how a stimulus can elicit

natural or conditioned responses. Classical conditioning deals with our natural responses to the

stimuli in our environment. An experience with a person, place, or object can allow a natural

response to become conditioned. How a student views a classroom environment has a large

impact on their ability to learn. A child that associates bad experiences with school will most

likely have a negative opinion towards school in general. Educators need to understand what

situations will influence their students, both positively and negatively. If you create a good

setting for the learners, they can be more confident in their abilities, and be engaged more

effectively in the process. For example, if a student has a dislike for the English teacher, the

students learning capabilities will be diminished in that subject. The learner will associate

English with the negative presence of that teacher. This could be for a number of reasons, such

as poor grades, amount of homework, difficulty in the class, or even just the instructors
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personality. It is important for educators to realize that just as no two instructors are alike, neither

are any two students. Each child experiences school in a different manner, and in turn will have

varying levels of motivation regarding certain subjects or instructors.

Operant conditioning is on the opposite end of the spectrum . The most widely known

name in this area of research is B.F. Skinner. He proposed that learning is voluntary, and

changes in behavior are a product of that learning (Ormrod, 2012). In this situation, a person can

control whether or not reinforcement occurs based on their behavior . A teacher, especially in

elementary education, seeks to shape a childs actions in the classroom . This is accomplished

through reinforcement, both positively and negatively. With young students, a positive

reinforcement might include extra recess time or being first in the lunch line for doing well on an

assignment. Positive reinforcement for high school students could differ greatly. They might

respond better to social reinforcers, like group activities or being allowed to share opinions in the

classroom.

The main driving force behind operant conditioning is motivation. A child must be

encouraged through reinforcement to modify poor behavior or repeat good behavior . These

motivators can occur extrinsically or intrinsically (Ormrod, 2012). High school students tend to

have more intrinsic motivation; an internal desire to fit in and do well in school. This could end

up turning negative, however, if those desired outcomes arent being reached . The child could

develop low self-esteem or a negative viewpoint of school, as is the case with classical

conditioning. Extrinsic motivation is in the form of rewards or approval for achieving a desired
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outcome. Elementary students will work more diligently on their math problems if they are given

prizes or praise for doing them correctly.

A reinforcement schedule is a tool in operant conditioning that allows the trainer to

control the timing and frequency of reinforcement in order to elicit a target behavior (Schedules

of Reinforcement, 2015). A continuous reinforcement schedule rewards the learner every time

the desired performance is achieved. Intermittent reinforcement, however, is only given

occasionally and may be unpredictable. When a teacher decides one day that the students who

answer questions in social studies class get to skip a few homework problems, that instructor is

demonstrating intermittent reinforcement. The students will be more eager to answer questions

in the future because of the possibility of having less homework. Intermittent reinforcement is

typically more effective in the classroom setting than continuous reinforcement. If students are

always rewarded for a behavior, the reward may come to be expected without achieving the

desired outcome first.

Punishment can also be a very effective tool in the classroom environment. Presentation

punishment is the idea of adding an unpleasant stimulus to a students environment to detract

them from their current behavior. In a high school classroom, a teacher may give a pop quiz if

students are being loud and disruptive. For elementary learners, this may in the form of verbal

reprimand. On the flip side, removal punishment seeks to take away a favorable stimulus to

discourage the behavior from repeating. This could be something like losing 5 minutes of recess

or not being allowed to work together on math homework problems.


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There are drawbacks when it comes to punishment, however. The effects are usually not

lasting, so the behaviors must constantly be reinforced . This is usually the case with students

who are talkative in class, and have to consistently be reminded to be quiet during instruction

time. When using punishment, you might not always get the desired response . If a child feels

threatened or embarrassed by a penalty handed down, they may lash out against the teacher . This

could include violence or verbal abuse, both of which can be dangerous behaviors (Punishment

Techniques, 2015). It depends mostly upon the child and the particular situation.

To use punishment effectively in school, there are several areas that must be addressed .

The punishment has to be severe enough to prevent the behavior from occurring again . This also

means that teachers cant just threaten to reprimand the next time it happens. Students will

always try to push their boundaries if they believe they can . The instructor must make it known

why the learner was punished and explain why that behavior isnt appropriate in the classroom .

It may also be more effective after punishing a student to try to demonstrate the desired

behavior. Students under the age of 10 may not realize their behavior is inappropriate if they are

doing something that is allowed at home or outside of school. Its the teachers responsibility to

help the student distinguish between the two.

Behaviorist methods in general are most effective in areas like math, where there is a

precise correct response. If students are learning formulas and functions, the best way to

remember is to memorize. This is where conditioning and reinforcement comes into play. If

correctly memorizing a formula is reinforced, the student will most likely retain that information .
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These are sometimes called skill and drill exercises (Behaviorism, 2015). It is designed to be

a question (stimulus) and answer (response) framework. The questions gradually increase in

difficulty, and the material is ideally referred back to regularly. The continual review helps to

prevent extinction of the conditioning, or loss of the association between stimulus and response

over time. This happens because learners will continue modifying their behavior until some form

of positive reinforcement is achieved.

Behaviorism has a very important role in education. How students interact with their

environment and adapt their behavior impacts their ability to learn . Students think and behave

the way they do as a result of their previous actions and reinforcement. A teachers role is to

discover what motivates a student to want to learn, and use that to help the learner achieve their

goals. Essentially, that is what education is all about.


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References

Boundless. (2015). Schedules of Reinforcement | Boundless Psychology. Retrieved 11 Nov.


2015, from https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-
textbook/learning-7/operant-conditioning-47/schedules-of-reinforcement-200-12735/

Gsi.berkeley.edu. (2015). Behaviorism | GSI Teaching & Resource Center. Retrieved 4


November 2015, from http://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/learning-theory-
research/behaviorism/

Interventioncentral.org. (2015). What Every Teacher Should Know AboutPunishment


Techniques and Student Behavior Plans | Intervention Central. Retrieved 4 November
2015, from http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/challenging-
students/what-every-teacher-should-know-about%E2%80%A6punishment-techni

McLeod, S. (2015). Behaviorism | Simply Psychology. Simplypsychology.org. Retrieved 11


November 2015, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/behaviorism.html

Ormrod, J. (2012). Essentials of Educational Psychology: Big Ideas to Guide Effective


Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

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