The Behaviorist Classroom

The Behaviorist Classroom

After reading chapter 4 of McGraw-Hill Education, the realization that I have a strong behaviorist approach to teaching was apparent.  It starts when my students walk into my classroom; I always have some sort of pleasant air freshener going so students can associate the space with comfort.  I also keep the lights dim and have soft lamp light at all times. I use different shades of blue and grey in my décor choices.  My goal is for my students to be relaxed and focused as they associate my classroom with a safe place to learn.  My classroom fits with the behaviorist theory of social learning and operant conditioning.   

Behaviorism as a theory describes how, “positive and negative reinforcements determine behavior” (PSYCHOLOGICAL BEHAVIORISM (STAATS)). 

Along with my classroom environment, technology integration serves as a tool for positive reinforcement in the form of classical conditioning.  According to chapter 4 of McGraw Hill, “Classical conditioning refers to learning that occurs when we already have an established connection (contiguity) between a primary or original stimulus and a response, and then we pair a new, secondary stimulus with the original stimulus long enough that it begins to evoke the original response even when the original stimulus is absent” (p. 96-97).  I use a behavior management system called Class Dojo that rewards student with a bell-like sound when I give them praise.  On the other hand, the behavior system makes a negative sound when I take points away.  Students associate these sounds with positive and negative feelings and make their choices accordingly.

I also have students participate in group activities with the website Quizizz.  Students are given instant feedback to answering questions as a group.  This keeps the students engaged and helps with the retaining content.  With this activity I have associated learning with a fun and competitive quiz game that rewards students with funny “memes” for participating (whether they get a correct or incorrect answer, they are still shown a funny picture).  

I have also seen that the use of Drill and Practice programs regarding math are very successful behavioristic approaches to teaching when it comes to technology.   According to Ebert, “We can clearly see the similarities between the Teaching Machine and much of today’s instructional computer software, designed for reinforcing student behavior.”  Shield (2000), as cited by Ebert, discusses how drill and practice software rewards students “through an encouraging comment before moving on to the next learning objective” and such games are “highly addictive” as their “learning behavior is being progressively rewarded as each level of the game is mastered” (1).

As it is with math facts, drill and practice is a very effective strategy.  In his article Shield (2000), as cited by Ebert, “summarizes much of what current Behaviorists focus on, stating that it is sometimes necessary to memorize bits of information before higher- level, problem-based learning can take place” and “He also brings up the interesting point that much of today’s curriculum focuses on these memorized bits of information, and we can clearly conclude that this is a strong reason why so many Behaviorist practices are still relevant in today’s educational tactics.”  The fact is, students cannot work out complete math operations without the foundation of knowing their math facts. While lower order in thinking, it is this constant drilling that makes students better math students.

https://sites.google.com/a/boisestate.edu/edtechtheories/behaviorism-vs-constructivism-in-the-technological-secondary-education-classroom-1

https://www.learning-theories.com/psychological-behaviorism-staats.html