Module 1 Activity 4: Reflection on Behaviorism
Any act that produces a satisfying effect will tend to be repeated
in a similar situation. In activity 4 we would have looked at behaviorism. The readings
suggest that the behaviour of children is operant in that they are strengthened
or weakened by the immediacy of the consequence or the event that follows the
behaviour. This is in keeping with Skinner who argues that learners’ actions
are controlled by the consequence of that behaviour rather than the event preceding
it. The implication for teaching is that we can strengthen or weaken our
students’ behaviour by using positive or negative reinforcement. The teacher
must know what type of reinforcement to use. The timing of the reinforcement is
of utmost importance. The desired effect would be lost if an attempt is made to
reinforce a behaviour long after the act itself.
As part of my classroom management there is a system of
reward and punishment where desirable behaviour is rewarded and encouraged while
the undesirable ones are discouraged. To be effective though, I have to be
consistent.
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