GRADUATE SCHOOL

Master of Arts in Special Education (MAS)

SPECIAL EDUCATION

REACTION PAPER

Name: Vicente, Vince Irvin R.

Subject Code: MAS-207
Subject Title: Methods & Techniques in Teaching Special Education (w/ Emphasis on
Classroom Mgt. Func'l Assess. & Applied Behavioral Analysis
Date Submitted: November 5, 2020
Title: Importance of Reinforcement in Teaching Students with Additional Needs

A. Summary

It wasn't that long ago school-rooms were places of harsh words and abundant
discipline. It was commonplace for teachers to favor harsh punishment over positive
punishment, including using the cane.

Now, however, it is recognized that there are more effective ways to teach and to
manage classrooms. Techniques such as positive reinforcement.

Positive reinforcement was introduced by B.F. Skinner about the theory of operant
conditioning. It is a form of learning whereby the contingency between a specific
behavior and a desirable consequence help increase the likelihood of the behavior
recurring.

Positive reinforcement is an aspect of the construct of Operant Conditioning that was

developed by B. F. Skinner (Cherry, 2018). Skinner studied rats, and he found that if the
rats consistently pressed a bar which then administered food to the rat, the rat would press
the bar more and more to get the food reward. Like those rats, if people find a particular
behavior rewarding, it is more likely that they will repeat this behavior.
When thinking about positive reinforcement in teaching and education, the
overarching purpose is to provide an incentive for students to repeat desired behaviors. In
other words, by providing students with a positive outcome when they accomplish
achievements or display certain behaviors, students are encouraged to do so again.
 The timing and delivery of favorable reinforcement is the key to promoting certain
behaviors effectively. The reinforcement must be appropriate for the age of a student, it
should be genuine, and it should be awarded straight after the target behavior in order for
positive reinforcement to be effective.

I will provide an example, perhaps the easiest way to explain how positive
reinforcement is used in the classroom, and also to introduce certain areas that I will go
into in more detail:

Timmy is a student in Ms. Fisher 's class in grade two. He fidgets and fiddles, and for
more than a minute or so at a time he doesn't stay in his seat. Ms. Fisher decided that
positive reinforcement would be used. Timmy loves stickers, so Ms. Fisher decides he
will get a sticker after Timmy sits still for more than a cursory period of time.

With Timmy motivated to remain in his seat, this works well. Ms. Fisher deliberately
leaves it longer for Timmy to earn the sticker as the week progresses. To get stickers,
Timmy begins to remain seated for extended periods of time.

For now, it is sufficient to say that Ms. Fisher provided positive reinforcement
(stickers) for Timmy sitting in his seat, which means that he is more likely to do the
desired behavior (staying seated). There is a lot to be discussed in relation to the details
of this scenario.

It should be noted that positive reinforcement refers not only to those stimuli that
increase the probability of a desirable behavior, but also cause any behavior to increase
(Smith, 2017).

For instance, to get attention, a student calls out during class. This reaction acts as
positive reinforcement when the teacher responds, i.e. pays attention to the disruptive
student, so the likelihood that the student will call out again increases (Smith, 2017). The
teacher has made it more likely that the conduct will recur without meaning to, by paying
attention. It can therefore be seen how positive reinforcement, although simple in
concept, must be used carefully and strategically.

Occasionally, positive reinforcement is misunderstood by teachers, such as teachers

who have been trained using various techniques (Rumfola, 2017). However, this evolving
and effective form of teaching and classroom management is understood by more and
more teachers (Rumfola, 2017).

B. Reflection
 What are some examples for positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement? This
response is focused on the application within a classroom. It should be noted that
everyone comes into contact with positive and negative reinforcement on a daily basis.

Reinforcement is used when you want to increase a behavior or response.

Positive reinforcement is when a rewarding stimulus is delivered following a desired
behavior/response you wish to increase.

For example, a child raises their hand and a teacher provides verbal praise “Nice
raising your hand” and calls on the child. The verbal praise is the added reward that
increases the likelihood that the child will raise their hand again in the future.

Positive reinforcers are specific to each individual and can be determined through
a preference assessment. Some common reinforcers are toys, edibles, activities, and
verbal praise. It is important to remember that a stimulus is only acting as a reinforcer if it
increases the behavior/response.
Negative reinforcement is used to remove or reduce an aversive stimulus following a
desired behavior/response you wish to increase.

For example a child who struggles with attending to a worksheet successfully attends for
5 minutes with no problem behaviors. The teacher then provides the student with a short
break from the worksheet. The negative reinforcer is the break from the worksheet
(aversive stimulus). The break is used to increase the likelihood of the child attending the
worksheet in the future.

Many people see the word negative and immediately think of punishment.
Positive and negative punishment is used when you want to decrease an undesired
behavior/response.

For reinforcement, it is easiest to remember positive as the addition of a

desired/rewarding stimulus and negative as the removal/reduction of an aversive
stimulus.

Positive reinforcement is anything that rewards the desired behavior.

In a classroom setting that could be any reward for behavior that you want to encourage
such as:
 Helping a classmate and getting to put a sticker on the rewards chart - number of
stickers leading to a special reward for that child or the whole class
 Being told ‘Well done!’ or ‘Good job!’ for trying hard at a project or problem.
 Getting a sticker or stamp on good work.
  Getting a treat, like sweets or a toy, for getting the highest mark on a quiz or
completing the best project.
 Earning extra playtime, or the children’s choice of activities for good behavior.
For example - good behavior through the week could earn a class an hour on the
playground on Friday afternoon, or an hour’s messy play with paints, or their
choice of the two.

Submitted to: Prof. Minguela S. Ting

SPED Teacher III