Behavioralism in Today's Classroom

Integrating the Behavioralist Theory in the Classroom

According to the author’s of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, “Mastering a skill or process requires a fair amount of focused practice.” Robert Marzano goes further to state that, “Typically students need about 24 practice sessions with a skill in order to achieve 80-percent competency.”  Based on these findings Pitter, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski recommend that teachers assign practice to focus on “specific elements of a complex skill or process,” and plan time for students to incorporate these skill sets in their larger schema. (Pitter, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007, p. 188) (Pitter et al., 2007, p.  188) While providing clear and specific instruction and practice is essential for mastery of new skills, all researchers referenced above, agree that in order to ensure that student practice is being utilized in an effective way, teachers need to provide feedback as quickly as possible. 

These ideas of assigning homework and/or additional practice with teacher feedback falls under the behavioralist theory of operant conditioning.  According to researcher Edward L. Thorndike,  students’ “responses (or behaviors) are strengthened or weakened by the consequences of behavior.”  (Smith, 1999)  Therefore if a student receives positive feedback on their classroom performance, they will be more likely to repeat the behavior.  According to the principles of the behavioralist theory, if a teacher can review practice and homework assignments and provide positive or negative feedback,  the chances of a student eventually demonstrating proficiency in the skill over time will increase. 

While providing immediate feedback to individual students is important to help guide the learning process, it is not always feasible in today’s classrooms.  Many teachers within my building work with over 100 students a day.  Because of the sheer number of students passing through our doors, it is important that educators plan activities and lessons where students can chart their own progress and/or use peer evaluations to check for proficiency.  Chapter 8 of the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, describes how two teachers use spreadsheets for students to track their weekly effort and grades on tests and quizzes.  Students in both classes found that when they worked harder in class and on homework assignments, their grades on tests and quizzes increased.  (Pitter, et. al., 2007) This activity helped students in each class see the positive correlation between effort in the classroom and overall grades in the class.  Both teachers employed James Hartley’s behavioralists theory approach in that they had their students actively involved in the learning process and created clearly defined rubrics upon which students could assess their efforts in the classroom.  (Smith, M.K., 1999)  Activities such as these help students receive instant feedback on their efforts in the classroom and while they may be extrinsically motivated to work hard (by getting good grades in the class), they are building the understanding that they have control over their learning which will aid in success and enhanced intrinsic motivation in the future. 

Another example of the behavioralist theory described in the book Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, is providing positive recognition for those who are working hard in school.  The authors use the example of an elementary school creating a bulletin board in front of the school to recognize students in a positive way.  The authors then provide an example of how this positive recognition could be taken one step further by creating a space on the school website to acknowledge student participation and effort in the classroom. (Pitter et al., 2007, p.  188)  I believe these bulletin boards would serve as a positive reinforcement for students who exhibit good behavior and would act as a motivator for those striving for the same recognition.   While intrinsic motivation is ideal for students, there are times when positive recognition and feedback can enhance student success and motivate them to continue making good choices. 

While the term “behavioralist theory” has seem to fall our of favor in the educational world, I believe the examples shared within this week’s resources show how this philosophy can be successfully integrated within our schools.  Behavioralism is not all about “drill and kill,” but about creating a system where students have opportunities to practice various skills/strategies and learn from the consequences of their actions.  While some may view the term “consequence” as a negative, I don’t believe that it has to be.  Consequences are the results of our actions; sometime they are positive and sometimes they are negative.  It is up to the individual to decide how they will learn from these consequences to either continue positive or negative reinforcements. 

References:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Smith, K. (1999). The behaviourist orientation to learning. In The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm