Table of Contents

Strengths & Weaknesses in Operant Condition

Comparison with Social Learning

Sources

This essay will examine the potential use of operant conditioning strategies in classrooms to encourage students’ participation and proactiveness in completing homework and assignments. We will discuss the typical behaviours of students in this age range and how we can use operant conditioning techniques in the classroom. The strengths and limitations of the operant-conditioning strategies will be investigated and compared with other developmental theories. Finally, the suitability for operant conditioning as an approach to improving classroom behavior will be assessed.

These behaviors included talking out of turn and disturbing or distracting students. Non-attendance was also a common disruptive behavior. Sullivan, A. M. Johnson, B. Owens, L. and Conway, R. (2014) reported that students engage in low-level disruptive behaviours and are often disengaged. Teachers find these behaviours difficult to manage. Disruptive talking amongst students, daydreaming, clowning about, disrupting teaching activities and harassing or distracting fellow classmates were all examples of student misbehaviors. Research indicates that disruptive behavior such as speaking out of control, inattentiveness or daydreaming is the most common. This could be because students at this age are exploring their social and peer relationships and may be struggling with their identity. In the end, they might act out as they try to figure out their adult self. Dozier, C. L., Iwata. Dozier, C. L., and Iwata, B. Numerous studies have shown that praise can reinforce good behavior, whether it is used alone or with other behavior.

Furthurmore, Petrova. E (2017) said that different theories of motivation explain the behavior of individuals using the idea of “stimulus-response”. E (2017) stated that the different theories of motivation explain the behaviour of individuals with the idea of’stimulus – response’. This is the ability of an organism respond to various motivations. These theories are most well-known. Skinner’s analysis revealed that our environment has a significant impact on our behavior. According to Skinner, all human behavior is influenced by external stimuli. People’s experiences determine their actions and the environment regulates them. Incentives and punishments are used to improve or minimize the learner’s behavior. Punishment; i.e. The introduction of a negative reinforcement after an unacceptable response is not always effective in stopping the behavior. Positive reinforcement is rarely effective in improving students’ performance. The reason teachers do not know the difference between punishments and rewards, as well as how to use them effectively is the root cause of these situations. Teachers do not know the best ways to reward and punish students for their desired behavior, attitude, or performance improvement. Many educators choose to use inappropriate punishments and incentives for students with a lack of knowledge in behavioral psychology. In order to change behavior and education, students must be taught how to modify their behavior.

Merriam S., Caffarella R. und Baumgartner L. (2007) have identified three fundamental premises that all behavioralists including Watson, Skinner, Thorndike, Mager, and Skinner about learning. The first is that learning occurs through observable behavior. This is in contrast to inner thought processes. Environment also has an impact on behavior.

What one learns about learning is determined by the elements and not by the learner. To understand the learning process, it is essential that we have a clear understanding of the concepts contiguity and reinforcement. The first statement indicates that behavioral-related learning activities do not respect cognitive processing. This approach does not consider how to learn ‘what.’ It uses methods like classification, rotelearning, and association. This approach does not focus on the learning process. Another assumption made by behavioralists is the fact that learning is primarily affected by environment factors. Robert Gagne was an early adopter of behavioralists Skinner & Thorndike’s perspective. His early research demonstrated this. Gagne’s first research was focused on how positive and adverse training can be transferred. Gagne’s early research focused on instructing subjects on motor activities. He used multiple tests to monitor them and recorded their progress over time.

Behaviorism is the last theory of learning. It emphasizes reinforcement and repetition (operant conditioning). This helps you achieve desired behaviors. B.F. Skinner is a significant contributor to operant condition. His emphasis on ‘positive, negative reinforcement cycles and scheduling of rewards as well as avoidant behavior was key.

Strengths & Weaknesses Of Operant conditioning A Baylor University research on the effect of self-monitoring and reinforcement to enhance classroom behavior. This research provided an opportunity to compare self-monitoring with reinforcement. The study concluded that the topic improved self-monitoring combined with token economy reinforcement was most effective in minimizing problem behaviors limitations. Additional resources were required, especially time and money, to implement token economies during self-monitoring+ reinforcement. This element could involve active participation from school professionals, such as a teacher. This element also includes the purchase of tangible rewards (e.g. Gift vouchers purchased from a coffeeshop are one example; however, it could also involve the purchase of tangible rewards such as school computers or free time.

However, education professionals should consider this and evaluate whether investing in capital is a viable strategy. Gneezy U. Meier, S. & Rey Biel, P. (2011) report that rewards can reduce the motivation or willingness to complete a task for short periods of time when they are in effect. This study revealed that rewards were information that was transmitted from the principal to an operant. Unintended behavioral effects can result. Frey and Oberholzer Gee (1997) found that giving community members significant financial compensation for the existence of nuclear waste sites suggests that there are serious risks and that they might not be willing to accept the plant. Operators may draw their conclusions based on both the scale and amount of rewards. If the incentives are negative, operants may be influenced by the incentive. This could result in operants being less willing to complete the task if they don’t receive additional incentives. In the long term, the average incentive will be removed (we define long-term as when all incentives are gone), and the effort will be lower than before they were offered. Because incentives are usually temporary and restricted to certain activities or assessments, they can have adverse long-term consequences for academic environments.

Bandura’s social-learning system is compared to the Social Learning Deaton (2015). Bandura believes that self-efficiency is a key component. Understanding of the environmental effect is dependent on how a person believes in it. When students believe that they can achieve the social outcome, they will be more willing to spend resources. This leads to increased student engagement and achievement.

Learning is an intrinsic social effort. If sociological conditions are favorable, then it is more likely that learning will occur. Social learning is possible only if students are able to share information in an open environment. Mourlam (2013) stated that students in the traditional classroom are still isolated from experts, parents, community members, and other students who can help them improve their education. Because social learning is communication, this restriction can hinder self-efficacy. Students may have difficulty weighing the benefits and disadvantages of participating in classroom interactions if they don’t have a structure for interaction. Classroom participation is an important variable in academic achievement. Students may find it difficult to imitate learning in a classroom where there is little or no interaction between key role groups.

Students can engage in new ways of learning and social interaction through social media. Schools have used social media tools to encourage critical thinking and evaluation, student interaction and increased student participation. Social media platforms can be widely used, but they might not have a universal applicability for learning. Teachers need to be informed about which platforms are most effective in student success and how they can maximize their value. Social media platforms have drastically changed the nature of social interaction in society. Social media platforms improve learning in a social setting by strengthening attention, memory, motivation, and other mental processes.

Operant conditioning, in combination with social-learning strategies, can be used to effectively manage classrooms and behavior change. The long-term effects of reinforcement on student commitment are not evident if it is not combined with social learning strategies. While reinforcement may initially be useful in encouraging participation in the classroom environment, it does not encourage students to interact in productive ways outside the classroom. This could lead to operant conditioning lacking in its ability to motivate students to work on their assignments and complete their homework.