Study of Attitudes and Behaviors in School

- What is the difference between Attitudes and Behaviors?

Attitude refers to a person's beliefs, feelings, and evaluations towards a particular object,
person, or situation, often shaping their predisposition or mindset. Behavior, on the other
hand, encompasses the actions or conduct that an individual engages in, reflecting how they
actually interact with and respond to the world around them. Attitudes can influence behavior,
but they are not always a direct predictor of it, as other factors can intervene.

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most widely cited and applied behavior theories.
It is one of a closely interrelated family of theories, which adopts a cognitive approach to explaining
behavior focusing on individuals' attitudes and beliefs.

TPB primarily explores behavior through the lens of individuals' attitudes and beliefs,
emphasizing the importance of cognitive factors in understanding why people act in certain
ways. For instance, in the context of learners, TPB suggests that a student's intention to study
for an upcoming exam is influenced by their attitude toward studying (e.g., seeing it as
valuable), their subjective norm (e.g., perceiving that their peers and teachers expect them to
study), and their perceived control over the behavior (e.g., feeling confident in their ability to
study effectively).

Applying it to school as the most effective socializing institution, it enables the learners to facilitate
their adjustments individually or by group so as relative harmony will be achieved. The positive or
negative evaluation of the behavior and its expected outcomes, and subjective norms, which are the
social pressures exerted on an individual resulting from their perceptions of what others think they
should do and their inclination to comply with these are never overlooked.

In the context of schools being important socializing institutions, it means that schools
play a crucial role in helping students adapt and fit into social settings. Students can
make these adjustments either on their own or with the support of their peers,
ultimately aiming to establish a sense of harmony within the school community. This
process is influenced by how students evaluate their own behavior and its
consequences, as well as the social expectations placed on them by others and their
willingness to conform to these expectations.

imagine a new student, Sarah, who has just transferred from another school. Sarah is
facing the challenge of adjusting to her new environment. Individually, she evaluates
her behavior by considering whether she should actively participate in class
discussions or stay reserved. She also observes her peers and senses the subjective
norms - if she notices that her classmates frequently engage in discussions, she might
feel pressure to do the same to fit in. Alternatively, if her peers tend to be reserved, she
might lean towards similar behavior for social acceptance. In this way, the school, as a
socializing institution, provides a platform for students like Sarah to make individual or
group adjustments to achieve relative harmony within the student community, all while
considering the positive or negative evaluations of their behavior and the social norms
prevalent in their environment.

Furthermore, the TPB added a third set of factors as affecting intention (and behavior); perceived
behavioral control. This is the perceived ease or difficulty with similar which the individual will be able
to perform or carry out the behavior, and is very to notions of self-efficacy. This model offers some
sort of assistance in the variations or modifications of the patterns of social organization to bring
about the desired social change in the learner.
The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) introduced the concept of perceived behavioral
control, which relates to an individual's perception of how easy or difficult it is to
perform a specific behavior. This factor is akin to the idea of self-efficacy and plays a
crucial role in understanding and predicting behavior. For example, if someone intends
to start exercising regularly but believes it's difficult to find time and motivation due to
a busy work schedule, their perceived behavioral control may be low, making it less
likely for them to follow through with their intention to exercise.

Student's Motivation
Meltzer (2002) pointed out that one of the most difficult and challenging aspects Teaching is how to
motivate your students. It should not be overlooked from the beginning of the lesson until its end. It is
a fact that students who are not motivated will not learn effectively and meaningfully.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF STUDENTS ARE NOT MOTIVATED TO LEARN?

They will have the tendency to have lapses in their retention of vital information;
hence, hindering them from active participation and worst of all may resort to
disruptive and overly aggressive behavior without a cause. student may be
unmotivated for some reasons. They may feel that they have lost interest in the subject
or the lessons are no longer relevant to them. To some, the teachers are the culprit
whose methods are unengaging. It may even come to the fore that a student who
appeared unmotivated actually has difficulty learning and engaging and thus need
special attention. While motivating students can be a difficult task, the rewards are
more than worth it.

For instance, a teacher may use interactive activities, real-world examples, or

gamification to engage students and ignite their motivation to participate actively in
the classroom and grasp complex concepts.

Motivated students are more excited to learn and participate actively in the different classroom
activities. So, it will be a beautiful scenario in any classroom setting that a class is full of motivated
students whose learning is both enjoyable and collaborative made possible by the teacher who really
cares.

Some students are self-motivated, with a natural love of learning.

It is in this regard that the school's role as an agent of change will be better
understood as it meets the need to motivate the students in developing good working
relationships with the internal and external communities through the teachers' guide
and efforts. However, many teachers have not thought of these needs in relation to their
potential consequences for social development, that is, to what extent they meet these
needs in the classroom through the academic and social tasks they assign and the social
expectations they held that the students are accountable for.