Behaviorism

Behaviorism looks at the observable actions of students and assesses whether they are learning as effectively as possible. It believes that students learn through reinforcement. The primary goal of behaviorism is to form a relationship between a stimulus and a response. There are 2 proponents of Behaviorism—Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner. Ivan Pavlov introduced the concept of Classical Conditioning, wherein a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus through association an unconditioned stimulus. B.F. Skinner, on the other hand, initiated Operant Conditioning, a learning process in which the probability of a response occurring is increased or decreased due to reinforcement or punishment. There are principles of behaviorism that are accepted and being practiced today, such as the use of rewards and punishments to shape performance behavior. However, use of pure behaviorist strategies have their downside:1) may rely on extrinsic motivation, 2) downplay the role of the student in the learning process, 3) does not really ensure that the students are learning even if they are focused and working, 4)do not teach students to think critically, solve problems, apply knowledge to new situations, innovate or evaluate their experiences, and 5) ignore the social aspects of learning and key skills, such as collaboration and communication. Teachers need to consider the type of reinforcement or punishment that may work best for their situation and evaluate which type of reinforcement schedule might lead to the best results. Furthermore, teachers need to have a varied approach in implementing instruction that promotes holistic learning of the students.

URL: Behaviorism