Behaviour Management and Purposeful Learning - Essay Example

?Behavioral Management and Purposeful Learning Introduction Behavioral management is an important aspect which promotes the individual behavior of pupil in the purposeful learning process. The aim of behavioral management is to enable students to take control over their behavioral pattern. In the behavioral management, new techniques and approaches are used to bring out the learning techniques of students. It is also helps in developing a respectful relationship between student and teacher. In behavior management, the emphasis is on modifying the behavioral pattern of the students. Behavior management is of considerable importance in the field of education. It is focused on developing the learning ability and increasing the productivity of a learner. Behavioral management is applied by teachers to increase workability of students and decreases disruption in the study environment. The techniques and principles employed in behavioral management are of consistent nature. It is very essential for teachers to establish a comfortable relationship with their students as behavioral management set a foundation for teachers to work on the students. According to McGrann,(2011)“If we focus on positive behaviors and build a trusting, respectful relationship with our students, we are ensuring a successful school year for our students and for ourselves”. In behavioral management as systematic approach is initialized to the aid the better learning of the students. Students can be only successful in their learning if they are trained under proper behavioral management techniques. Most of the teachers around the world make use of behavioral management techniques to empower the learning system of their students. Behavioral management also allows cultivating discipline, caring and consistency in the learning behavior of pupil. Different Psychological Perspective in Behavioral Management In behavioral management, different psychological theories are applied to control the behavioral pattern of the learners. The three main behavioral psychological theories which are considered here are as follows. I)Behaviorism Theory: According to behaviorism theory, it is believed that the learning potential of a learner is based on the conditioning he achieved. Conditioning is an aspect achieved thorough interaction with the external environment. In his article Cherry,(2011) writes that “According to behaviorism, behavior can be studied in a systematic and observable manner with no consideration of internal mental states”. The conditioning itself can be classified in to two category as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is a technique in which natural stimulus is related to a response and later a natural stimulus is paired with a previously neutral stimulus. In the end the neutral stimulus comes to create response without the assistance of natural stimulus. Whereas, operant conditioning is a process by which learning is achieved through rewards and punishments. In operant conditioning a connection is created between behavior and its consequence. Behaviorism relies upon observation and hence it is easier to quantify the learning outcome of the students and it also aids in collecting data when researches are conducted in class rooms. Behaviorism technique is extremely helpful when predicative changes are needed as to the harmful behavior of adults and children. However, critics claim that it is one – dimensional approach and it does not have the ability to influence the feelings and moods of the learner. It is also observed that behaviorism cannot be applied to learning process where punishments and reinforcement are not a part. Cognitive Theory Cognitive theory is a learning theory in which human behaviorism is explained with the help of understanding the processing of thoughts in human mind. According to this theory, it is believed that human being have logical nature and make choices according to his sensibility. Here human mind is compared to a computer as his information processing is similar to that of computer. According to McGilly(1998,pg 4)“Information processing theory is the central theory of cognitive science. According to this theory, humans are symbol or information processors much like a computer”. Cognitive theory contemplates the behaviorism theory as it simplifies the human behavior into just a cause and effect system. However, in the past there was a tendency to merge behavioral and cognitive theory to achieve better learning outcome. In cognitive theory the unique ability of brain to process and interpret information while learning is explained. Cognitive theory is divided in to social cognitive theory and cognitive behavioral theory. In social cognitive theory three variables are considered which are environment of the learning activity, behavior and personal factors .It is believed that these three variables interact with each other to make learning process occur. In cognitive behavioral theory, the importance of cognitive ability in enabling a person to learn is considered. Here the behavioral pattern of the learner according to his cognitive ability is studied. Cognitive theory describes that different learning process can be analyzed by the mental processing of the learner. Educators who use cognitive theory to teach students will recognize learning as an internal mental processing wherein intelligence and memory power of learner need to be sharpened. Humanistic theory In the humanistic theory the primary focus is on the subjective needs and feelings of a learner. Humanistic approach is effective with young students and also it gives a chance for educators to understand the needs and wants of learners. Humanistic approach helps the educator to become emotionally attached to students and also redefine their role as educators. In humanistic approach, learning can be provided to students through caring, group discussions, case discussions and role modeling. Here the reflection of students on learning is essential and also the teacher needs to create feedback upon the learning efficiency of the students. Humanistic theory is largely motivational theory as it is depended on the emotions and feelings of a learner. Maslow the theorist of humanistic theory has explained about the hierarchical needs of a learner which is essential in motivating a learner to learn effectively. According to Maslow, human’s basic need like food, shelter and security should be met before he can initialize learning process. As per Bastable (2008,pg,74)“Besides personal needs, humanists contend that self concept and self – esteem are necessary consideration in any learning situations. Rather than acting as an authority, say humanists, the role of any educator is to be a facilitator”. This theory suggests that the learners have to be taught in psychologically safe class room environments. There is also criticism about humanistic theory approach because it is believed to make the learners self centered and less open to criticism. In this theory the learners need to have high positive regard of one another and should be open towards one’s desires and feelings. Comparison between Behaviorism theory , Cognitive theory and Humanistic theory Behaviorism theory only concentrates on observing the behavior of people during their learning process. Here learning is seen as a process which is connected to certain events with appropriate consequence as and a learner will act desirably to certain consequences. It also believes that events which happened together have a same response or consequences. However in case of cognitive theory the human beings are considered as someone who learns with the help of his information processing system of their brian.This theory assumes that human have the ability to process and interpret things with the ability of computer like unique mind system. it gives least importance to behavior which is visible in the learners during learning process but gives utmost important to the process of thoughts in human brain. Cognitive psychology focuses on aspects like decision making and memory processing. The only common factor in both the theory is that they give emphasis on the human behavior pattern. They both also are old theories which has been taken over by new theories like cognitive – behavioral theory which is a merging of both theories and social psychology theory which explains the relation between our interaction with others and behavior.In his journal article Deubel(2003,pg 63-90)writes that“From the behaviorist perspective, instruction is made explicit with tasks and subtasks broken up into lessons and modules. From the cognitive perspective, structuring means supplying a framework around a task in which learners develop and test their own understanding”. The behaviorism theory ignores the psychological state of the learner which is important in learning process. In behaviorism theory the behavior of the learners are focused up on where as in humanistic theory the emotions and feeling of the learner is looked in to. In behaviorism the learner is analyzed on the basis of stimulus and response whereas the humanistic approach allows freedom to learner to act upon his choice .Humanistic approach believe that human have the capability to make decisions and can make choices according to his sensibility. In behaviorism, the sensory impressions of the students are taken in to consideration while in humanistic theory approach the refection of the learner is focused on. Behavioral theory believes that environment has a great influence on what a student learns in a learning process. It also believes that reinforcement and continuity whether negative or positive is important in learning process. Humanistic theory concentrates on rationalism and emotionalism of a learner. Here the educator take the role of facilitator .But in case of behaviorism theory the teacher acts as a trainer and helps the students to acquire knowledge in a better way. According to Hiemstra(2009)“There are some very important differences between humanist and more behavioral approaches. For instance, an instructor in the humanist process serves more as a facilitator, while an instructor operating within a behavioral framework act more as a trainer”. In behaviorism there is no importance given to human nature and instincts .It only concentrates on the response of the learners and in modifying the behavior of the learner in order to improve his learning capacity. Three theories and their impact on behavior of learners Here the influence of three theories on the changing behavior of the learners is discussed. a) Behavioral theory’s influence on learner In behavioral theory, the influence of the environment on the learning pattern of the learner is given importance. This is a very importance aspect to be considered while teaching pupil. As per Cherry(2011) “Behavioral theories of learning focus on how environmental interaction influences behavior and are based upon the theories of theorists such as John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov and B. F. Skinner”. Here only observable behavior is focused on and this is essential to understand the mental status of a student. It is very essential for educators to understand the reflection and understanding of the students in order to analyze their progress and improvement. According to this approach, the students are rewarded or punished for their learning outcome. It is a good aspect as when students give better performance they are motivated to learn more proficiently. This approach tends to punish students for their poor performance which sometimes can de -motivate and insult them. This approach does not give importance to internal feeling of pupils and this is a negative aspect to learners. In this theory, skills are given to learners so that they can be used by them in the future. This changes the attitude and personality of the students and changes their learning capability. Since this approach simplifies the complex tasks, it makes the learning process of the students easier and comfortable. Behaviorism theory influences the learners to cultivate new behaviors which are essential for their personality development. b) Cognitive theory’s influence on learner Cognitive learning theory explains how the brain interprets and process information and stores it in memory. This theory give importance to the mental capacity of the learner and on their intelligence which when focused on then their ability improve their learning capacity. The learner can understand the facts and information what an educator is trying to teach in an effective manner. Here the learner is motivated to move from simpler to complex tasks by which their learning expertise is increased. In his book Richey(2011,pg 23)writes that“Most study of mental processes by congniists has been via the concept of information processing with a particular focus on short term and long term memory”. Here the self – efficacy of the learner is enhanced, wherein he or she can understand their capability to learn and this can help them to manage situations which are unpredictable. Self efficacy is an important necessity in developing the learning ability of a person as it allows them to be more active and persist longer in the learning process. It also enhances the confidence level of the learner and increases their ability to perform a specific task. The cognitive approach can bring in self regulation, self reaction and self judgment to the learner. The self efficacy factor allows the learners to observe the success of peers who have same abilities and improve the learning ability to match it. Cognitive theory changes the perception skills of the learners and allows them to structure it more efficiently. Cognitive theory is challenge to the educator as they need to keep updating the cognitive level of learners. c) Humanistic theory influence on learners Humanistic theory is more focused on the emotions and feelings of a person. Here the educator develops a rapport with the learner which gives a significant amount of comfort ability to them. The Humanistic approach gives a feeling of self actualization while learning which is necessary to increase his consciousness towards learning skill. In humanism, learning is a personalized and self – centered process which gives a feeling of control to the learners. By using the approach the learner gets the opportunity can use his full potentiality to improve his knowledge and skills. It also enables the educator to understand the cognitive needs of the learner’s .Moreover the learners get self actualized and get autonomous in learning process which lead to the development of their personality. The whole personality of the learner is improved as he realizes his potentiality and skills. The learning process is more directed towards self and learner can make choices as to what he wants to learn in which way. According to Mcleod(2007)“Humanistic, humanism and humanist are terms in psychology relating to an approach which studies the whole person, and the uniqueness of each individual’. Here the learners are allowed to observe the behavior of others and analyze the outcome of this behavior. Here the teacher acts as a role model and guide the students. The teacher projects an idealistic behavior and influences the students to learn it and replicate it. Here the students can evaluate their performance and analyze their behavior to progress themselves. This approach allows students to take responsibility for their learning process and be realistic in their goals. Conclusion Learning is a process which differs within each learner and the educators have to be really careful while planning lesson and modules for learning purpose. Learner’s capacity to grasp information and process might vary and it is the responsibility of the teacher to be careful while imparting knowledge. Mostly, the learning activities reflect to an extent what type of approach is suitable to teach the students. The educators have a wide range of choices to choose from and they need to select the best one which suites the needs of the learners. As per Megel(1998) “We must allow circumstances surrounding the learning situation to help us decide which approach to learning is most appropriate. It is necessary to realize that some learning problems require highly prescriptive solutions, whereas others are more suited to learner control of the environment”. The learning theory application can vary according to the nature of the learners and their situation. When it comes to the three psychological approaches to learning like behavioral, cognitive and humanistic, they all have their own merit sand demerits. The Behavioral approach relies on stimulus and responding pattern of a learner whereas the cognitive theory is entirely based on the information processing capability of the learner. Cognitive theory implies on a stronger intelligence based learning process where learner need to be competitive in reasoning and analytical skills. On the contrary humanistic approach provides a comfortable environment to the learner and allows self actualization while learning. So while considering all these approaches the educator needs to give emphasize on the nature of the learner and the learning capacity of them. Bibliography Bastable, S.B., 2008. Nurse as educator: principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice. 1st ed. Massuchettes: Jones and Barlett Publishers. Cherry,K.. 2011. What Is Behaviorism?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://psychology.about.com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism.htm. [Accessed 24 July 11]. Cherry,K. 2011. Child Development Theories. [ONLINE] Available at: http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/childdevtheory.htm. [Accessed 24 July 11]. Deubel, P., 2003. An investigation of behaviorist and cognitive approaches to instructional multimedia design. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 12/1, 63-90. Hiemstra,R.. 2009. From behaviorism to humanism: Incorporating self-direction in learning concepts into the instructional design process. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www-distance. syr.edu/sdlhuman.html. [Accessed 23 July 11]. McGrann,M.C.. 2011. Behavior Management Strategies. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www .inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/articles/classroom_management_and_discipline/behavior_management_strategies.html. [Accessed 24 July 11]. Mc Gilly, K., 1998. Classroom Lessons: Integrating Cognitive Theory and Classroom Practice. 4th ed. Massachussets: MIT Press Mcleod,S.. 2007. Humanism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.simplypsychology .org/human istic.html. [Accessed 23 July 11]. Mergel,B. 1998. Instructional Design & Learning Theory. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www .usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm. [Accessed 24 July 11]. Richey, R.C., 2011. The Instructional Design Knowledge Base: Theory, Research, and Practice. 1st ed. New York: Routledge Read More