Behaviorism in Practice

I think that behaviorism will always be practiced in the school system.  I have noticed a difference in how it is applied from past years.  As I recall, during the 1960s and early 1970s while I attended grade school, the negative consequences were stressed more than the positive reinforcements.  We weren’t rewarded for good grades and behavior, it was understood that you could not attend school functions or participate in activities unless you obeyed the rules and earned the minimum grade requirements.

Vestiges of the behaviorist theory thought that students could learn in the same manor, teaching and testing from the text.  For example, many math applications can be manipulated using algorithms to obtain the correct answers.  A teacher did not know if the student who gave the correct answer actually understood the concept.  It was found that a number of high school students still could not add and subtract fractions and this demonstrated that the behaviorist strategy was flawed (Gagnon Jr. & Collay, 2001, p. 24).

I find when using a diverse number of teaching strategies along with behaviorism learning theories work well in my classes.  I agree with Dr. Orey, that behaviorism is practiced in today’s classroom using operant conditioning.  The two main components of operant conditioning are, reinforcement of desirable behaviors, and punishment of undesirable behaviors (Laureate Education, Inc. 2011).

 

I have two basic punishments in my classroom and they work well.  The first relates to school work and grades.  If a student’s work is incomplete or grades are bad, I first discuss with the student and set up a solution between us, and if that fails I e-mail or call home.  If there is a behavior problem I give the students three options, they can behave and remain in the class, sit in a time out desk and cool off, usually without a consequence unless it continues, or immediately leave the room and receive a consequence. The student is allowed to make the choice, thus if there is a consequence they have nobody to blame but themselves. 

I try to use, whenever possible, positive reinforcement of desirable behaviors with all instructional strategies. I find using the behaviorism theory in a positive fashion works great in the grade levels I teach, 6-8.  Students enjoy positive reinforcements such as stamping their papers or placing stickers on them.  Many students keep modifying their work until they get that sticker or stamp on their paper and I love it.  When students complete their work correctly and time permits, they are allowed to play educational games, which I have previously approved, on the laptops.  Positive reinforcement creates an atmosphere where we all want to work harder, even me.  Who doesn’t want to be rewarded for their hard effort?  

I feel that the old concept of the behavior theory, the teaching strategy used years ago, does not give the teacher the opportunity to find out if a student understands the concept at hand.  I believe when using behaviorist learning theories as a stimulus, along with teaching strategies that address the student’s learning styles and multiple intelligences, works well. 

References

Gagnon Jr., G. W., & Collay, M. (2001). Designing for Learning. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program four: Behaviorist learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1