My View on behaviorism
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
October 13, 2008
Long Island University, C. W. Post
October 13, 2008
In class today, we learned about behaviorism and the theories of Skinner in relation to operant and classical conditioning. Through my research, I am currently studying behavior in relation to learning and I was interested in finding out how these different approaches reinforce or eliminate desirable, as well as undesirable behavior. However, by the end of the class, I was disappointed and unsure if I would use many of these theories within the classroom setting.
I believe that learning is affected by behavior and that it can be altered by positive and negative consequences. I feel that positive reinforcement, extinction, time out, spontaneous recovery, punishment, negative reinforcement, and response cost might work temporarily to eliminate behavior, but not permanently.
After learning about all these methods, I also believe that consequences must matter to the individual. We all have our own consequences that make us act, behave, pursue goals, teach, and learn in specific ways. I think that there has to be another approach in diminishing undesirable behavior that the teacher can adopt within the classroom that does not have a negative impact on learning. I discovered that we have to teach on an individual basis and not based upon one specific approach. Teachers might have to incorporate numerous methods within the classroom and adjust our teaching based upon students’ learning styles, personalities, and behavior. I think we have to look beyond operant conditioning, but figure out how we can adjust our teaching styles, lesson plans, and curriculum, as well as change student motivation in relation to learning. The only way we are going to be able to change behavior is to figure out what motivates students, their goals, achievements, and then modify our approach in order to help them reach their educational pursuits. We have to begin to assess students and change our teaching styles in order to meet their needs. I learned and started to realize that we need to manipulate or change our lessons in order to help students learn more effectively.
The class tonight helped me reflect on my own teaching and the importance of understanding the need to adjust our teaching approaches, as well as begin to comprehend student behavior, as well as learning. The only way teachers are going to be successful in increasing learning productivity, as well as maintaining good behavior within the classroom is by encouragement and by understanding what self-motivates each individual. I think students also have to be able to record their own behavior, as well as find ways to achieve learning success on their own. For example, when we talked about a token economy, it gives students the chance to learn and eliminate a behavior by rewards.
However, this eliminates the need for self-regulation, motivation, management, and personal achievement. We have to try to teach students an earlier age the importance of monitoring their own behavior and motivate them to learn on an individual basis. It is extremely important for teachers to motivate students to learn and assess behavior as well, but students should also have a role in their education. I think a self-management project gives students a personalized way to monitor behavior and evaluate achievement, goals, progress, and accomplishments. I feel that the behavioral approach overemphasizes personal rewards and could have a substantial impact by not eliminating behavior permanently, which can also lead to students losing interest in learning. In order to increase academic learning, as well as diminish undesirable behavior, I think we have to increase independent learning in order to help students achieve academic success as they get older.
I started to realize in today’s class that teachers are not solely responsible for eliminating student behavior, learning, and motivation. It is the responsibility of the student to be innately self-motivated, disciplined, and interested in learning, but the teacher’s job to help mold, as well as develop these characteristics in order to assist them in being successful. I believe that teachers and students need to recognize that learning is a process of jointly-constructing meaning. Baxter-Magolda believes students need the experience within the classroom to build self-efficacy, self-respect, and self-knowledge. I do not believe we can eliminate behavior or increase motivation, as well as the interest to learn if we do not teach students values and goals.
However, they can only maintain this level of thinking if they are educated on the importance of goals, morals, and values within the school setting. According to Magolda, “effective instruction only exists when students learn about personal empowerment and teachers realize the importance of motivation. Students need to claim responsibility for their own successes and failures. Such teachers help students to become motivated to make changes and to accomplish more.”
I believe that learning is affected by behavior and that it can be altered by positive and negative consequences. I feel that positive reinforcement, extinction, time out, spontaneous recovery, punishment, negative reinforcement, and response cost might work temporarily to eliminate behavior, but not permanently.
After learning about all these methods, I also believe that consequences must matter to the individual. We all have our own consequences that make us act, behave, pursue goals, teach, and learn in specific ways. I think that there has to be another approach in diminishing undesirable behavior that the teacher can adopt within the classroom that does not have a negative impact on learning. I discovered that we have to teach on an individual basis and not based upon one specific approach. Teachers might have to incorporate numerous methods within the classroom and adjust our teaching based upon students’ learning styles, personalities, and behavior. I think we have to look beyond operant conditioning, but figure out how we can adjust our teaching styles, lesson plans, and curriculum, as well as change student motivation in relation to learning. The only way we are going to be able to change behavior is to figure out what motivates students, their goals, achievements, and then modify our approach in order to help them reach their educational pursuits. We have to begin to assess students and change our teaching styles in order to meet their needs. I learned and started to realize that we need to manipulate or change our lessons in order to help students learn more effectively.
The class tonight helped me reflect on my own teaching and the importance of understanding the need to adjust our teaching approaches, as well as begin to comprehend student behavior, as well as learning. The only way teachers are going to be successful in increasing learning productivity, as well as maintaining good behavior within the classroom is by encouragement and by understanding what self-motivates each individual. I think students also have to be able to record their own behavior, as well as find ways to achieve learning success on their own. For example, when we talked about a token economy, it gives students the chance to learn and eliminate a behavior by rewards.
However, this eliminates the need for self-regulation, motivation, management, and personal achievement. We have to try to teach students an earlier age the importance of monitoring their own behavior and motivate them to learn on an individual basis. It is extremely important for teachers to motivate students to learn and assess behavior as well, but students should also have a role in their education. I think a self-management project gives students a personalized way to monitor behavior and evaluate achievement, goals, progress, and accomplishments. I feel that the behavioral approach overemphasizes personal rewards and could have a substantial impact by not eliminating behavior permanently, which can also lead to students losing interest in learning. In order to increase academic learning, as well as diminish undesirable behavior, I think we have to increase independent learning in order to help students achieve academic success as they get older.
I started to realize in today’s class that teachers are not solely responsible for eliminating student behavior, learning, and motivation. It is the responsibility of the student to be innately self-motivated, disciplined, and interested in learning, but the teacher’s job to help mold, as well as develop these characteristics in order to assist them in being successful. I believe that teachers and students need to recognize that learning is a process of jointly-constructing meaning. Baxter-Magolda believes students need the experience within the classroom to build self-efficacy, self-respect, and self-knowledge. I do not believe we can eliminate behavior or increase motivation, as well as the interest to learn if we do not teach students values and goals.
However, they can only maintain this level of thinking if they are educated on the importance of goals, morals, and values within the school setting. According to Magolda, “effective instruction only exists when students learn about personal empowerment and teachers realize the importance of motivation. Students need to claim responsibility for their own successes and failures. Such teachers help students to become motivated to make changes and to accomplish more.”
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