Home Behaviorism Implementing learning theories in a classroom

Implementing learning theories in a classroom

October 21, 2023

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This article has been written by Manju Sharma pursuing Personal Branding Program for Corporate Leaders and edited by Shashwat Kaushik.

This article has been published by Sneha Mahawar.

Introduction

No two students are the same; their learning skills can be different. Every person’s brain is unique. Learning theory can be better explained by how the student receives the information, processes it and understands it. So there are five different learning theories that can be implemented by a teacher in their classroom.

Five learning theories:

Behaviorism
Cognitivism
Constructivism
Humanism
Connectivism

So let’s learn about each theory and its impact on our teaching.

Behavioural learning theory

This theory was founded by B. Watson in 1913. Behaviourism learning theory mainly focuses on how the student interacts with their environment and how they react to it. In this theory, we basically learn how their environment influences their behaviour. It also postulates that learning can be completed if any changes in their behaviour reflect that. Basically, every person is influenced by their environment and they behave according to that. People’s behaviour depends on the stimuli they get from their surroundings, and they respond according to that. According to the theory, a learner is born without influences. His behaviour can be influenced by positive or negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is when a trainer wants a particular behaviour from the trainee and then provides a positive stimulus to prompt the particular behaviour. Negative reinforcement is when the trainer wants to stop a particular behaviour and then provides a negative stimulus to stop the behaviour.

Types of behaviourism

Classical conditioning

The concept of classical conditioning was first introduced by a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov in his experiment on dogs’ digestive systems. He saw that in his experiment, the dog salivated whenever he saw the white coat of the lab assistant before being fed.

So according to classical conditioning, principal learning happens through the collaboration of natural stimulus and neutral stimulus occurrence. For example, in his experiment, Pavlov joined the natural stimulus food with the neutral stimuli sound of a bell. The dog started to salivate whenever he saw the food, but after some collaborations, the dog would start to salivate in response to the sound of the bell alone.

Operant conditioning

Operant conditioning, also called instrumental conditioning, is a behavior modified method used to shape the learner’s behaviour by giving positive or negative reinforcement. It was first introduced by Edward Thorndike in 1898 but later developed by the behavioural psychologist B.F. Skinner.

When a behaviour leads to a desirable outcome, it is believed that they will repeat the same behaviour in the future as well. If the action leads to negative consequences, it is most likely that the behaviour will not repeat itself in the future. We can implement operant conditioning in the classroom when we want a positive or negative outcome from the learner through repetition and want to stop negative behaviour. For example: when a student does his homework properly, neat and cleanly, the teacher can give him a very good grade and give him a star.

Observational conditioning

Albert wrote a book in 1977 “Social Learning Theory”. They believed that learning could not be possible without collaboration and direct reinforcement.

In place of this, they said learning is basically done by observation. Learners observe the acts of the people around them, like their parents, their siblings, or their friends and follow their behaviour. For example: when a 10 or 11 month baby sees his or her sibling saying bye to his parents while going somewhere, the baby watches and observes all the activities and copies them. When their parents ask the baby to say bye, he imitates. Observation happens in classrooms as well, like when a student observes how the teacher talks to him, the dressing sense of each teacher, and the behaviour of every teacher.

Strengths

Weakness

Students are positively reinforced to get that work done again and negatively reinforced to stop the task the teacher doesn’t want them to do and this is the key to behaviourism. For example, I give positive reinforcement, like giving some points for doing homework properly, and I deduct some points for not doing homework properly. So next time, students should get prepared to do their homework properly.Teachers also get satisfaction because they know how to manage the student’s behaviour by giving rewards or punishments. For example, if a teacher now knows what punishment to give to naughty students or super active students, he can say, “Okay, make five rounds of playground,” and then students will start behaving properly in class.Students get motivation when they get rewarded for their good work. For example, when a student does their assignment properly with all the rubrics following, the teacher says “Good Job” or writes “excellent work” on his assignment. Students get motivated by doing these small things

It is Teacher – centered as the teacher stimulates the student and gives a response according to that. For eg. If teacher says you have to do this work properly, otherwise you will not be allowed to attend sports activities, will follow teacher’s commands, whether it is positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement.Students’ thought processes and emotions are ignored as they practise what the teacher says. For example, if the teacher says to do this work ten times, otherwise you will not be allowed to sit with friend for next ten days, then he will do that work. In any case, no student’s emotions are taken care of.Students can get bored by repetitive reinforcement activities. For example, if a teacher rewards a student by saying “good job” every time the student gets habitual and starts getting bored, teachers need to change rewards.

Cognitivism learning theory

Cognitivism theory is basically focused on how information is received, organised, stored and processed by the mind. In this theory, our brain not only observes things but also analyses and processes them. It is basically a mental process. In this way, learners are actively involved in the way information is processed. Cognitivism rejects behaviourism; it says the complex behaviour of a person is the result of stimulus and response. Cognitive theory focuses on understanding the internal mental process. Cognitivism theory was developed as a reaction to behaviourism in the 1950s by John Piaget.

Strength

Weakness

It increases the understanding of learners because of brain storming activities. For example, I give students some topics to research at home and allow them to ask questions.It develops problem-solving skills in students because they analyse things. For eg. If a student learns to write a C++ sum of two variables next time, he can also subtract two variables.It promotes long-term storage of understanding because students get the information, analyse it and store it. For eg. In our childhood, we learned alphabets, counting, and addition. We remember those things today as well.

The learner learns a way to complete a task best suited to him, which may not be best suited to him in all situations.For example: the process of logging into one computer may be different for another computer.Learners can start to learn the things that are not good for them. For example, when a learner learns cyber security or hacking, he can use that in negative way as well.

Constructivism learning theory

Constructivism theory says that learners construct their understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things, which they then relate to their prior knowledge and experience. According to this theory, the learner is not blank; he has some prior knowledge. Constructivism is somewhat similar to cognitive theory, but the difference is that cognitivism is when a teacher uses group activities or brainstorming to add on new knowledge or remove prior knowledge he has learned from somewhere and that is wrong.

Constructivism theory evolved in the 18^th century. Before that, behaviourism theory ruled the world. Giambattista Vico-coined the term “constructivist.”.

Strength

Weakness

Most remembering experience a learner gets Because learner learn by simulations For example: when I teach my students CPU, I show them CPU by opening a black box or by showing them videos of CPU working.Group involvement because group activities are performed by students. For example, I give students the opportunity to make a project in groups that they make in collaboration with each other and learn new ideas.Allows learners to draw on their own experiences and opinions. For example, when students are provided with problem solving activities, they do brain storming to solve the problem and do their research work. They also create their own experiences and draw their own opinions.

It is very difficult to relate to new subject if he has no prior knowledge. For example, when I have to teach my students any programming language, like JavaScript, they are unable to relate their own concepts to that new language.Some students may not have the ability to do work in groups. For example, when I make groups to do a JavaScript programme, some students sit still and just look at what is happening. Because not every student’s learning is same.It is very difficult for a teacher to control the whole class when they are in groups.

Humanism learning theory

The learning theory of humanism is closely related to constructivism. In humanism, the teacher is primarily concerned with the students’ self-actualization. Every person has some requirements and he functions under the hierarchy of these requirements. Self-actualization is at the top of this hierarchy of needs. It is the moment when he feels all his needs are full-filled then he feels at the top of self-actualization and they feel it is the best version of them. Everyone struggles with this, and the learning environment can move forward if it meets these needs or not.

Teachers can create environments for students to make them feel self-actualized. A teacher can help students fulfil their emotional and physical needs by giving them a secure and comfortable environment to learn in, plenty of food and the support they require to succeed.

Strength

Weakness

It focuses on the overall development of the learner instead of focusing on unconscious behaviour, their genes or their mind. Sometimes in my class, I ask students what they want to become in life; they share their thoughts, and they feel so important that the teacher wants to know about them.Unorthodox methods of learning-It highlight the importance of individualistic methods of learning. Teachers take care of every student’s emotions and practises. Like when my students practise on computers, I check every student’s progress by visiting everyone’s workstation.Learner centered counseling- learner feels more comfortable sharing his feelings in a counselling session.

A teacher has to take care of individual’s feelings and needs. It is time taking task. For example, to check my student’s progress, I will have to visit every student’s workstation.Limited solutions are generated as every learner presents their unique problem and gets only limited solutions because teacher may not have solution to everyone’s problem. For example, if I am teaching programmes in JavaScript and the student’s minds are clicking on different questions related to programme, then I will have to search for their answers sometime.It is considered unscientific because of lack of objective methods.

Connectivism learning theory

This learning theory focuses on the fact that students learn and grow by making connections with their environment. Today is the digital age; every person is connected through technology. If a teacher wants to search for a question, he can find it on Wikipedia, Google assistant or Alexa. If a person is in doubt about any concept, he can chat with his friends or colleagues. Today, every person is connected through the internet. It’s clear that a student not only learns from their teacher or their textbooks but also from technology. He has lots of options to solve his problems. In fact, a study from 2015 found that 87% of college students used their laptops for their schoolwork every week and 64% used their smartphones for schoolwork.

The increasing use of technology in teaching as an educational tool has changed the way people learn. The gap between traditional teaching and modern teaching methods has been filled by connectivism theory.

Connectivism was first launched by two theorists, George Siemens and Stephen Downes. Siemens article Connectivism: Learning as a Network was published online in 2004 and Downes’s article: An Introduction to Connectivism was published in the following years.

Strengths

Weaknesses

It creates an association because learners learn from their peers by communicating their ideas and viewpoints and sharing their knowledge through their association.It entitles facilitator and learner, as it transfers the responsibility from trainer to trainee for how they acquire knowledge from their environment. Seize the divergence, as it supports the opinion of every learner and the divergence of their viewpoints.

Students are grouped according to their ability level and they feel distinguished from the others.All responsibilities are transferred to learners so they learn according to their level.Learners feel demoralised and alone according to their capabilities when they are divided into groups according to their abilities.

Impact of learning theories in the classroom

Behaviorism

The impact of this theory is that students remain positive and do their work enthusiastically. Giving them rewards encourages them to do their work to their full potential.

I use behaviourism in my classroom. I teach grade nine students. I appreciate the student in front of all students when he does good assignment work. By doing this, other students are encouraged to do good work next time. I use negative reinforcement for the students who do not do their homework regularly. I instruct them that if you do not do your work next time, you will not be allowed to visit on a school trip. Then they come with their complete homework for the next class and they do it neatly and cleanly. So it is good practise to use this theory in the classroom.

Cognitivism

The impact of implementing this theory in class is that by relating the topics to their prior knowledge, they better understand all concepts, and the knowledge remains for a longer period of time in their memory. Their confidence increases because when they see that the teacher is asking them questions personally, they feel their importance in front of the class.

I teach structure of computer system, like input and output devices, processors, storage devices, etc. I relate my topic to our body structure, like a computer processor, which is just like our brain because the brain manages each and every task of our body, like how to manage the workload in the morning, which task to do first, then second and so on. So the computer processor manages the multiple tasks it receives and completes them in proper sequence.

Humanism

When I enter the classroom, I start with some activities to relax them, like standing up and sitting down ten times, then they become more active and then concentrate on their topic in a better way. Even they start enjoying the class afterward. The learner observes everything in his classroom, from their teacher to their peers. The teacher should behave with students by considering their emotions, feelings, and self-esteem. A student’s behaviour is the reflection of their teacher, their parent, their neighbor and their peers. So teachers should behave like role models for them; they should speak politely .The impact of this can be seen in their behaviour.

Sometimes I give them a self –evaluation sheet after mid-term exam and ask them to evaluate themselves. This allows them to feel self-reflection on their performance and feel more confident. When we give them value, they give value to us. I don’t use harsh words for my students; I speak politely and my politeness reflects on my students.

Constructivism

Before starting a new topic, I start asking questions to check their prior knowledge, and then I teach them according to that. I use some activities like brainstorming and discussion, and I also conduct guest lectures to give them new knowledge and experience. For example, I give them some topics to research from home. The next day, they come with their answers and present their experience in front of the class through a presentation. So lots of brain storming happens in these kinds of activities.

The impact of this theory on students is that they get new ideas by doing brain storming activities and doing group discussions. The other impact of this theory is that sometimes it becomes difficult for a teacher to remove a student’s prior learning from their mind. Teachers have to put in lots of effort.

Connectivism

Connectivism is a learning theory in which learning is done through the inclusion of technology. Through technology, it has become possible to share thoughts, ideas, Google Forms, and other activities with people.

In my classroom, I teach 9th and 10^th grade students. To connect them with technology, I usually use PowerPoint presentations and YouTube videos to get them to connect with technology. I give them some questions to search for answers on the Internet and ask them in the classroom. I ask them to make an Excel sheet of your daily household expenses and use a formula to calculate total expenses.

The impact of implementing connectivism in the classroom is that students become more high-tech and explore new ideas. There is also a bad impact on students, like when they start to play games and use other websites, etc. So we have to take into account these aspects as well.

Comparison between all learning theories

	Behaviorism	Constructivism	Humanism	Cognitivism
Role of learners	In this theory, learners only respond to stimuli. Here, the learner is not active.	In this theory, the learner is in an active process because all focus is on the learner as new knowledge is constructed based on their prior knowledge.The curriculum is also designed according to learners’ requirements.	The learner is in an active process because, while making curriculum, they are kept in mind and their feelings and emotions are considered first. The teacher asks learners what they want to learn in the next session; assignments are also designed according to their level of understanding.	In this theory, learners receive, process and store the information, organise it and recall it whenever required.
Role of teacher	In this theory, the teacher is active because he facilitates stimulus to get a response from the child. For example: when teacher wants class to be managed, he can saying, “class be seated properly,” and then students will sit properly.	The role of the teacher here is to focus on making curriculum by considering the prior knowledge of learners and having to remove standardised curriculum.	The role of the teacher here is to create a threatening free environment so that children can learn with a positive mindset. The teacher has to take care of individual learner’s needs.Teachers make their learners perfect at self-reflection by providing them with a self-reflection worksheet. It is the responsibility of teachers to give proper guidance to their students for their development.	In this theory, the role of the teacher is to relate the students’ prior knowledge to the current concepts. Teacher give problem solving tasks or make their groups analyse any problem and do brain storming.
Key ideas	This theory stress only on observations but does not on internal mental processingIt is nothing more than to acquire new behaviours through conditioning.Conditioning is of two kinds:Classical conditioningIt is a natural response to a stimulus, like when we salivate when we see good food of our choiceOperant conditioningIt happens when a response is generated by reinforcement. Like when we want to make it a habit for our child to wash their hands, then we will instruct them again and again, and then it will become their habit.	A teacher plays an important role in guiding their students, motivating them and monitoring their activities.Learners themselves are the creators of their learning. The learner’s prior knowledge plays an important role in building their new concepts.	The role of the teacher here is to create a threatening free environment so that children can learn a positive mindset. A teacher has to take care of individual learner’s needs.Teachers make their learners perfect at self-reflection by providing them with a self-reflection worksheet.	This theory focuses on a person’s brain activity, how he is responding to any task, how our brain processes information and how it retrieves it when required. The focus is only on brain processing.For example computer program in C++ language , if we do not practice of writing, it will remain in our mind for short period.For example: counting is practised in our childhood multiple times, we can recall that instantly because we are memorising it regularly.

Judgements on learning theories

Behaviorism

By using behaviourism, a teacher becomes more confident because he knows how to manage naughty students and how to encourage them to do their work appropriately. The whole class gets managed as teachers take care of everything, like their behaviour with students, chart paper pasting on the classroom board and other factors. Because teachers know that students are learning from their environment, what they see, they observe and learn. The outcome of using behaviourism is awesome, because some students in my class showed a massive improvement in their performance and efforts.

Cognitivism

My judgement on using cognitivism in the classroom is that it is a good way to make learners understand all topics clearly. Teachers relate concepts to their prior knowledge to make learners understand the topic. For example, if my students are not understanding what input devices are in a computer system, I will try to find some real life examples for them. In our body, our hands, mouth, ears, and nose are all used to give input to our brain. Just like that, in a computer system, a keyboard, scanner, and webcam are used to give input to our computer system. From this example, my students will understand input devices in a clear manner, which they will store in their minds for future knowledge. But sometimes it becomes a time taking task to make students understand everything by connecting class teaching topics with their prior knowledge because it is very difficult to move with every student’s understanding.

Constructivism

My judgement on this theory is that students become more confident when teachers ask them questions related to their current lesson and they give the answer. For example, when I teach networking to my 10^th grade students, I ask them questions and sometimes I give them a pre assessment test to test their knowledge. By doing assessments, they come to know their level of understanding about the upcoming topic and they become more enthusiastic.

Humanism

My judgement on humanism is as follows:

Students feel more confident as teachers give them importance in selecting their topic for next session.
Students and teachers both enjoy their teaching and learning because teachers work according to children’s feelings and emotions and students follow the instructions of their teacher.
Students can analyse their performance using self-evaluation worksheets.
Students can select assignments according to their level, which makes them more energetic.

Connectivism

My views on connectivism are that it is a great idea to connect people through technology because people learn more by connecting them with their peers , friends , and technology. The main task of the teacher here is to guide them, determine which path they have to follow to complete their task, and determine what they should and should not do. So every teacher must include this theory in their teaching. But the cons of this theory are that the teacher must be familiar with technology and must be updated accordingly so that he can guide students in a proper way. The other drawback of using this theory is that the learner can become addicted to technology and he can try to use other useless tasks like playing games on his laptop or using other websites that are not of his or her use and then he can go deeper and deeper. So we have to monitor their activities.

References

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Implementing learning theories in a classroom

Introduction

Behavioural learning theory