Behaviourism is a Tool for Effective Classroom Management
26th March 2020Why do you think the teachers need to apply Behaviourism Theory in classroom? The answer lies in the fact that, behaviourism works wonders if applied in the right manner. It provides a set of clear guidelines and easy to understand cause-and-effect relationships and improves student performance and classroom behaviour that interfere with a learner’s academic goals. It is beneficial in enumerating responses to subjective issues and encourages objective and measurable metrics that provide a win-win in the difficult area of student assessment. Students value an even-handed approach which favours no one and everyone at the same time, while teachers appreciate an unbiased framework that is defensible when discussing issues with parents, grade-level team members, and/or administrators. When strictly applied in an objective manner, learners get more out of classroom lessons, and secure better grades. The application of behaviourism relies on observable behaviour. It rewards the positive and corrects the negative while shaping student actions.
So, as a teacher, using behaviourism as a tool for effective classroom management will require you to repeat directions as many times as possible or break down the tasks into smaller ones for learners to understand and act accordingly. Immediate and direct feedback also shows a higher grade is a positive reinforcement.
BF Skinner believed that positive reinforcement is more effective in changing behaviour than punishment. An organism behaves in order to elicit a reward (reinforcement) or stops particular behaviour to avoid a punishment. He also adds that there are four different possible consequences to behaviour in operant conditioning. It can be rewarded or punished. Something can be given to the individual (positive) or we can take something away (negative).
Applying behaviourism to classrooms as a teacher, could be one of the easiest changes made to gain a better classroom management with a higher success rate.