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Modern University for Business and Science

Maysam Al Gharib

Instructor: Miss Samar Bouzeineddine

EDU 402 Educational Psychology

Assignment 1: Reflection on Behavioral and Social Theories

Fall 2022
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The way in which humans learn is something that has fascinated educators and

psychologists alike for centuries, with the first scientific studies of learning taking place

in the late 1800’s. Since then, we have seen a surge of interest in learning concepts and

theories, with various psychologists conducting studies to help them understand the way

in which children receive, process and retain knowledge and skills during learning.

The Behaviorism Learning Theory is largely based on the works of Ivan Pavlov, who

contributed the idea of classical conditioning and Skinner, who described the operant

conditioning through positive and negative reinforcement. Behaviorism focuses on

observable, measurable behaviors and interactions with stimuli, both positive or negative

that can be improved with practice and rewards. Behaviorism in the classroom focuses on

observable learner performance, assures that the learner has the prerequisite skills needed

in order to perform the task, elicits a correct rapid response, and uses appropriate

feedback or consequences following the performance. This method is sometimes referred

to as a “skill and drill” exercise that provides consistent repetition and rewards for the

desired outcome. Other methods linked to the behaviorist learning theory include a

question (stimulus) and answer (response) framework in which questions gradually

increase difficulty, guided practice. Behaviorist methods typically rely heavily on a

positive reward system that may include positive praise, prizes, and the reward of a good

grade. I have experienced the behaviorism theory in a few different ways in the

classroom. I have used it as a classroom management technique, to teach procedures and

in lesson planning. The behaviorist approach focuses on guiding learners to reach a

predetermined goal. Learning is considered to take place when the learner shows that

they have met the desired outcome. The goal of a behavioristic instructional design
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strategy for learning must provide the learner with multiple (stimuli) opportunities to

demonstrate their learning (reward).

Whereas, Social learning theory is the idea that humans learn from observing and

imitating the behavior modelled by others. The foundation of social learning theory is the

understanding of the value of observational learning and self-regulated learning. In short,

it is not necessary to have a direct experience of something in order to learn. For

example, a student who is praised for raising his hand to speak, will more than likely

repeat that behavior. There are many ways that I use in my class to incorporate social

learning into the classroom such as, attention and the Flipped Classroom, retention

through peers teaching peers and peer coaching, imitation through real plays and

reinforcement and motivation through simulation and gamification. As Bandura

identified, in order for observational learning to be successful, the observer must be

motivated to reproduce the behavior. As educators, it is our job to find different ways of

motivating our students to learn. In our classroom, learning does not solely take place

through students observing their teacher. Learning also takes place through observing

their peers which is why using pair work and group work in the classroom can have many

benefits.

Today’s classrooms do not solely utilize one learning theory over another, but instead

incorporate multiple theories throughout the learning experience. Each theory has

strengths and limitations, especially considering the realities of education in the 21st

century. Educators must walk the narrow line between creating a student-centered

classroom and meeting rigorous learning standards.