Lesson 3: Learning Theories Related to Student Behavior

Casauay, Rica Noreen A

One of the most accepted definitions of learning is that it "occurs when experience causes a

relatively permanent change in an individual's knowledge or behavior" (Hill, 2002). Many theorists

have pointed out that the goal must be to change one's behavior for learning to occur.

From the viewpoint of behaviorism, learning refers to the building up of reflexes and forming habits

formed from conditioning. Thus, learning is quantified by a change in the behavior of the organism.

This change may refer to a person's acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and opinions, or it

might also refer to innovation, elimination, or modification of responses to different situations.

Conversely, learning may also be defined as a progressive adjustment to life's continuous

changes. Thus, the behaviorist focuses on the way a person adapts to these changes. Learning,

in this context, focuses on the modification of one's behavior through constant evaluation of

educational procedures.

Conditioning is the crucial concept in this discourse, where it is posited that a person's response

to an object or stimulus can be modified through learning. There are two types of conditioning:

classical and operant.

Classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response to a stimulus. The Russian

psychologist who discovered it, Pavlov, had an experiment using dogs. He conditioned these

dogs into salivating (a usually involuntary response) when hearing a bell (stimulus). Thus, a "link"

of sorts was formed between these two previously unrelated objects. However, the learner's role

in the process is diminished and passive.

Meanwhile, operant (or instrumental) conditioning is another form where a learner is rewarded

with rewards or punishments as a result of his/her performance. In this kind of conditioning, the

association is implicitly made. A behavior is rewarded if it is desired, and punishment is meted

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out if otherwise. This conditioning technique stemmed from B.F. Skinner's experiments on rats in

1938, where they were conditioned to press a button in order to get some food correctly.

While experiments leading to its discovery were done on animals, we see these conditioning

techniques in our daily lives, especially in learning and education settings. A teacher might use

operant conditioning by generally rewarding good behavior. The educator might also build the

process into his/her lesson plans, ensuring that children will be taught valuable skills and good

behaviors.

Teachers could offer tokens as rewards in exchange for good behavior in the classroom. She can

also use positive feedback symbols, aside from material rewards – smiley faces, stickers, and

stamps on the hand are useful markers of rewards. Even a simple word of praise and

encouragement after a student learns something new can ingrain them that their behavior is

received and well-praised.

If a student does not get it precisely correct, operant conditioning can also come in handy. For

instance, a common trick to boost attendance is to offer an incentive when a student attends all

of his/her classes. Several direct punishments are also used in class, from deduction of points to

confiscation or disciplinary action. Nonetheless, extreme caution should be used in these cases.

Students are in school to learn something new in a positive and welcoming way. We can change

their behavior without resorting to scary and malicious tactics.

In discussing operant conditioning, we often talked about reinforcements and punishments.

Simply put, reinforcement is an event that increases and/or strengthens the behavior it follows;

usually, these are positive behaviors, and the intent is to increase its usage. There are two types:

positive, where favorable events and outcomes are given after the behavior; and negative, where

unfavorable or unpleasant events and outcomes are removed after the behavior. Meanwhile,
 Lesson 3: Learning Theories Related to Student Behavior
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punishment is an adverse event, outcome, or negative reward presented to the learner to diminish

the behavior that it follows. It also has two types: a punishment by presentation, where an

unfavorable event or outcome is presented in order to weaken the response; and punishment by

removal, where a favorable or pleasant event or outcome is removed after a behavior happens.

Managing the classroom is of utmost importance to maintain optimal learning. Teachers should

give their students clear expectations to know the limits of their behavior and let them internalize

what is expected of them. Using reinforcements in the classroom has the added benefit of keeping

students engaged in learning and fostering a positive learning environment, aside from promoting

appropriate classroom behavior. Examples include praise, giving out privileges, taking away some

homework, or an extension of deadlines.

Punishments, meanwhile, should be implemented with care; examples include loss of recess

time, deduction of points, or detention. As we have said earlier, it should never be used to single

students out or be a source of discrimination. If unwanted behaviors are being exhibited due to

some sort of disability, experts should be consulted to tailor a behavior plan for the child.

But generally speaking, reinforcement should be the strategy of choice in utilizing operative

conditioning in the classroom. If punishment is necessary, it should be in accordance with all laws

and policies, aside from being a result of a process where all less restrictive types of behavior

modification are exhausted.

Through reinforcement, there are many positive effects for the learners. There are four ways to

encourage existing behaviors and teach new ones:

• Praise. By accentuating the positive, teachers are fostering a positive learning

environment in the classroom. Studies show that systematically praising students – i.e.,

incorporating praise into learning strategies – is the most powerful motivational tool
 Lesson 3: Learning Theories Related to Student Behavior
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available for educators. Another strategy relevant to praise is differential reinforcement,

where negative behaviors are willfully ignored while appropriate behaviors occurring

closest to the negative one are encouraged. For instance, when a student is prone to

making unnecessary talk, a teacher may ignore this but recognize a task-related

comment as soon as it occurs.

• Premack Principle. Aside from reinforcers coming from the teachers, schools offer a

whole lot more – an opportunity to talk with other students, for instance. In the Premack

principle, it is posited that a high-frequency behavior can be an effective reinforcer for a

low-frequency one. Using the example above, a teacher might let students enjoy their

free time after finishing the assigned task for a day. The problem with this is that

teachers do not apply this systematically. These privileges should be directly contingent

on learning and positive behavior, which will have a desirable effect if integrated into

daily strategies.

• Shaping. This approach is originally used in the armed services, developed by R. B.

Miller. To use this, a teacher must take the final complex behavior that students are

expected to master at the end of the learning period. Then, it should be broken down

into small, manageable steps. The procedure builds up a student towards a complex

goal by using subskills and subprocesses, ensuring that students are not overwhelmed

and pressured.

• Positive practice. This is more applicable in academic errors, where mistakes can easily

be pointed out, and the correct concept can be taught. When students make a mistake,

they must correct it as soon as possible and practice its consistent usage. Conversely,

the same principle can be used to remove unwanted behavior by letting students

practice the correct alternative action.

 Lesson 3: Learning Theories Related to Student Behavior
Casauay, Rica Noreen A

The discussion on behavioral learning theory has led me to reflect on how I can utilize it in the

classroom. It all starts in planning my strategy. It would help if I would identify what knowledge

and skills should be mastered by my students. Rewards and reinforcers will be added to ingrain

these desired concepts and behaviors.

Some universities and educational institutions suggest that the usage of weighted grades is a

practical application of behaviorism. I would apply it in my strategy by assigning more points to

some activities than others, hoping that students focus and prioritize the weightier tasks. For

example, students would be informed that I would prefer them to do well on a group project that

is 40% of their grade, rather than a quiz that is 10% of their grade. Another exciting way of

implementing these concepts is the "token economy," where students accumulate tokens through

positive behaviors such as listening, staying focused on a task, or constant recitation. These

tokens can be exchanged for a reward to the students' liking.

One of the common problems in the classroom is that students are bored, inattentive, or

unmotivated. This drags a greater weight against the premise of a positive learning environment.

Unfortunately, this is more of the teacher's fault that the class is not engaging enough. To solve

this, a student can highlight a relatable aspect of the lesson that will give them some motivation

and interest. This can only be achieved if the teacher is attuned to his or her students' needs and

preferences. Thus, before applying these behaviorism concepts, it is important to identify our

students' interests, conditions, and expectations. Even though it is the teacher's call on how to

proceed with it, no experience will be successful without considering our dear learners' welfare.
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McDevitt, T., & Ormrod, J. (2014). Child Development and Education: Pearson New International

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Mondal, P. (n.d.-a). Learning Process: Understanding the Meaning of Learning Process. Your

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meaning-of-learning-process/6005

The Difference Between the Classical and Operant Conditioning. (n.d.). Verywell Mind.

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Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational Psychology (13th ed., Vol. 3). Pearson Education Limited.

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