Apply Behaviorism to Classroom Teaching and Discipline.

You can use behaviorism to increase

learning and decrease distracting student behavior. When writing lesson plans, identify what
knowledge and skills you want students to master. Determine how you'll objectively evaluate
performance.

You can find countless ways to apply behaviorism theory in the classroom
to elicit and maintain desired student behavior. Examples of behavior
modification techniques include praise, reward systems, continual
feedback, positive reinforcement and non-punitive discipline. Behaviorism
is no less relevant today than when introduced to schools in the 1950s by
B.F. Skinner. According to Skinner, behavior is a learned response
reinforced by the consequences resulting from that behavior. For instance,
if students are rewarded for doing extra work, they're more likely to repeat
that behavior. Incorporate Behaviorism into Course Design
The Office for Teaching and Learning and Wayne State University suggest that using
weighted grades for homework assignments, exams and class participation is an effective
application of behaviorism. If you assign more points for some activities than others, students
are reinforced for putting their efforts into the correct priorities. For example, students would
know that you consider it more important to do well on a group project worth 40 percent of
their grade than on quizzes worth 10 percent of their grade. Students who budget their time
accordingly would likely attain a higher grade. Additionally, you should give students
ongoing feedback to point out what they’re doing well and where they need improvement.

Implement a Classroom Reward System

You may want to implement a behaviorism strategy called a token economy. Students are told
how to earn a token, such as listening, staying on task and raising their hand. Depending on
the child's age, tokens can be stars, stickers or a a punch card. When tokens accumulate,
students may exchange tokens for a reward that the student chooses. For instance, a token
economy reportedly improved school climate at Stanfield Elementary in Oregon. When
students are observed doing good deeds, teachers give students a “GOTCHA” ticket that can
be exchanged for prizes. The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center notes that the token system can also
be effective with students with autism spectrum disorder.

Rewarding students for showing good behavior and being motivated is

valuable for reinforcing appropriate behaviors and encouraging academic
achievement. Rewards, whether tangible or intangible, can have positive
effects on student motivation and assist teachers with classroom
management. Reward systems and other motivational activities can be used
with kids across different grade levels. Rewards on Display
One way teachers reward students for good behavior is through a system that involves visual
reinforcement. Teachers create a bulletin board or poster designated as the reward board.
Involving a theme such as stars or the school mascot can increase student enthusiasm for the
reward system. When teachers notice students exhibiting positive behaviors, including
working cooperatively, helping others or being attentive, students add their name or initials to
the display board. This system can be taken a step further by promising a class reward such as
pencils or bookmarks for each student once the display board is full.

Make a Treasure Box

Students can be rewarded for good behavior individually or in groups using a treasure box
system. This system is especially effective when used with students in the primary grades.
Teachers make or purchase a box and fill it with small trinkets such as rulers, pencils,
bubbles, erasers and sticker sheets. Establish a point system that allows students to choose
something from the treasure box after achieving a goal. Students can be rewarded with
something from the treasure box on a weekly basis.

Create Classroom Currency

Reward systems involving classroom currency can be used to encourage academic motivation
or to celebrate appropriate behaviors. Teachers create a currency system involving paper
money, coins or tokens that students receive for accomplishing various tasks. Students are
given opportunities either daily or weekly to purchase items from a classroom store using the
currency they have accumulated. For example, teachers can use a system where students are
rewarded with classroom currency for turning in homework on time or completing reading
logs, or they can earn classroom currency for showing positive behaviors. Each Friday,
students who earn currency are given time to buy something from the class store.

Special Lunch Plans

Many students respond well to promises of having a special lunch in return for achieving a
goal regarding behavior individually or as a whole class. Teachers establish a reward system
that allows students to eat lunch at a special table in the lunchroom or in the classroom with
the teacher after reaching a certain number of points. Award points for behaviors like working
quietly or making good choices. Lunch rewards can also be used for the entire class, where
the class receives points when other teachers comment on good behaviors like walking quietly
in the hallway. Once the point goal has been reached, the class can be rewarded with a pizza
party or a picnic outside the school.

View of Motivation
Behaviorists explain motivation in terms of schedules of positive and negative reinforcement.
Just as receiving food pellets each time it pecks at a button teaches a pigeon to peck the
button, pleasant experiences cause human learners to make the desired connections between
specific stimuli and the appropriate responses. For example, a student who receives verbal
praise and good grades for correct answers (positive reinforcement) is likely to learn those
answers effectively; one who receives little or no positive feedback for the same answers
(negative reinforcement) is less likely to learn them as effectively. Likewise, human learners
tend to avoid responses that are associated with punishment or unpleasant consequences such
as poor grades or adverse feedback.
Implications for Teaching
Behaviorist teaching methods tend to rely on so-called “skill and drill” exercises to provide
the consistent repetition necessary for effective reinforcement of response patterns. Other
methods include question (stimulus) and answer (response) frameworks in which questions
are of gradually increasing difficulty; guided practice; and regular reviews of material.
Behaviorist methods also typically rely heavily on the use of positive reinforcements such as
verbal praise, good grades, and prizes. Behaviorists assess the degree of learning using
methods that measure observable behavior such as exam performance. Behaviorist teaching
methods have proven most successful in areas where there is a “correct” response or easily
memorized material. For example, while behaviorist methods have proven to be successful in
teaching structured material such as facts and formulae, scientific concepts, and foreign
language vocabulary, their efficacy in teaching comprehension, composition, and analytical
abilities is questionable.

According to behavioral learning theory, results are what matter: good grades, good behavior
and good test scores. Anything that produces positive results is a good approach. In this
lesson, we explore the behaviorist learning environment.

Behavioral Learning Theory

Mrs. Pierce practices behavioral learning theory in her classroom. She doesn't put a lot of
emphasis on how students feel about her teaching, but she she cares a lot about the results of
her teaching. Are the students getting the right answers? Are they behaving in class? Are they
getting good grades? To this teacher, behavioral results mean everything.

Behavioral learning theory is concerned with observable results. It does not take into
account student thoughts or feelings. Instead, it relies on stimuli, things that provoke
reactions, and responses, the reaction to stimuli. Behavioral learning theory assumes that if
students are given the right stimulus, then the students will give you the response you want.
The approach is simple.

1. Present the desired behavior or response.

Examples of this might include a method for solving a problem or the proper way to sit in a
chair.

2. Reinforce the behavior or response.

Reinforcement is the consequence of a behavior that either encourages or discourages that

particular behavior. Every time the student performs the desired behavior, the teacher should
positively reinforce the behavior by rewarding the student. Conversely, a teacher may
reinforce undesirable behaviors by punishing the student.

3. Provide new goals.

A teacher should create incremental growth by constantly setting new behavioral goals and
then continuing to reward the appropriate behaviors.
4. Be consistent.

Teachers should provide positive reinforcement every time the students exhibit desired
behavior.
 Behaviorism in
the Classroom

1. 1. Behaviorism as aLearning Theory S.A.J.

2. 2. Key Individuals associated with this theory:• Ivan Pavlov- created the classical
conditioning theory• B.F. Skinner- created the operant conditioning theory• Albert
Bandura- created the social cognitive theory• John B. Watson- worked with the
classical conditioning theory
3. 3. Definition of Behaviorism• The prediction and control of human behavior in which
introspection and/or independent thinking play no essential part of it’s teaching
methods
4. 4. Key Points• Classical conditioning: is the natural reflex of a human or animal that
happens in response to a stimulus• Operant conditioning: is controlled learning and
conditioning through the use of and reinforcement of stimulus response patterns• It is
believed that people change their behavior based on the rewards and positive
reinforcement they receive
5. 5. Key Points• Social Cognitive Theory: motivational factors and personal beliefs that
contribute to a persons behaviors instead of environmental factors• Observational
Modeling: watching and repeating a behavior• Self-efficacy: personal observation of a
single persons ability to feel, think and motivate others to learn
6. 6. Classroom implications: as a teacher• focus’ on reinforcement schedules• focus’ on
desired behaviors• utilizes computer assisted instruction• provides constant feedback
to students• incorporates new classroom technology: spread sheets, word processing
software, and interactive web-based programs
7. 7. Classroom implications: as a student• repetitive behaviors• repetitive
routines/lessons• receiving a reward through the classroom system• utilizing various
technologies in the classroom• teacher/student communication
8. 8. My thoughts...• I think this theory has it’s benefits but is controversial. It is not as
easy to apply in the classroom as the cognitivist theories or constructivism. I do
however like the repetitive behaviors in order to achieve desired behavior. Personally I
would only utilize a few of these applications in my own classroom.
 Behaviorism is primarily
concerned with observable behavior, as opposed to internal events like thinking and emotion:
There is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and that in other
animals:

There's no fundamental (qualitative) distinction between human and animal behavior.

Therefore, research can be carried out on animals as well as humans (i.e., comparative
psychology).

Behavior is the result of stimulus-response:

All behavior, no matter how complex, can be reduced to a simple stimulus-response

association). Watson described the purpose of psychology as:

'To predict, given the stimulus, what reaction will take place; or, given the reaction, state what
the situation or stimulus is that has caused the reaction.' (1930, p. 11).