Report on Learning Theories

Introduction of Learning Theories

           Learning in modern classrooms is a concerning research topic for educational scholars. Educational technologies have changed the meanings of traditional classrooms. The learning process is also changing in response to changes made in the educational system. However, to understand effective strategies and techniques aimed to encourage learners to bring positive changes in behaviour many researchers have conducted research studies and presented theories supported by research work. Some of these research theories presented on learning and student behaviour are information processing theory, behaviourism theory, constructivism theory, and social cognitive theory. In this present work, behaviourism theory is analyzed in the light of research studies. Moreover, present work also includes examples of learning activities, classroom management, and components of behaviourism theory. Conclusively, the objective of this research work is to highlight and identify the role played by behaviourism learning theory in the classroom learning of students.               

Behaviourism Learning Theory of Learning Theories

          There are several learning theories presented by the theorist to help teachers understand the behaviour of students at different age levels and belonging to various situations. Learning theorists have presented theories such as information processing theory, behaviourism theory, constructivism theory, and social cognitive theory. Here in the following headings, behaviourism theory and its contribution to the educational system is discussed in detail.     

v  Summary of components and Theorists of Learning Theories

          Behaviourism theory represents the actions and motivation of behaviour to respond in a given situation. In this theory, the main focus is on the factors which can bring predictable changes in behaviour through relating a situation with some shared stimulus. Behaviourism theory is mainly supported by the experiments of Pavlov and Watson. Pavlov conducted an experiment on the dog and found that dog behaviour was changed and made conditional for the bell when Pavlov associated this bell ringing sound with food given to the dog (Nalliah & Idris, 2014).   

          Key components of behaviourism theory are stimulus, reinforcement, and responses. According to the theorist of behaviourism when the stimulus is given to the object it shows a response followed by reinforcement. The stimulus is an external factor or a sign that can cause to bring change in the behaviour. Responses are the behaviour generated by the given stimulus. Although, reinforcement relates to an act caused by the reinforcement factors and conditions. According to the research study conducted by the major components of behaviourist theory are S → R pairs (“S” stands for stimulus and “R” for response). While on the other hand, components identified by the followers of information processing theorist’s major component are related to the structure of memory. According to the researcher, theorist of behaviourism relate the learning process with the stimulus and its response. Following their opinion, teachers create a stimulus to bring desired changes in the behaviour outcomes of their students. Conclusively, behaviourism theorist represents the learning process as the acquisition of stimulus-response pairs (Malone, 2014; Doolittle, 2014).

v  Lessons and Activities in the Classroom of Learning Theories

Behaviourism theory can be used in the classrooms and educational environment as a learning theory. Behaviourism theory provides a basis for teaching staff to make the classroom environment supportive for learning. Here three examples are discussed about lessons and activities how this theory can differentiate classrooms activities and lessons based on this behaviourism theory. The first and second examples relate to classical conditioning and operant conditioning.  Firstly, behaviourism theory can support teaching staff to introduce new activities in the classroom to improve the learning performance of students. For instance, teachers can give a problem-solving activity to the students or schedule a presentation for the students while setting a rule that students presenting excellent performance will be rewarded. In such a situation, the reward will work as a stimulus to encourage students to study hard and perform well in the classroom activity. Secondly, the teacher can also relate complex lessons with something already learnt by the students. Developing a classical association between two different concepts or topics will support students to learn both concepts easily. For instance, the teacher can organize a classroom activity to learn and memorize years and historical information by their home telephone numbers or date of births. Moreover, complex formulas in the numerical subjects can be learned by relating that formulas with each other in the form of a rhyme or jingle. In this example, previously learned knowledge or interesting poem will work as a stimulus to motivate and support students learn complex concepts and lessons in an easy way. Thirdly, behaviourism theory can be applied in the classroom to improve the self-learning of students for a subject or course. For instance, a teacher will give class assignments to students for formative assessment before starting a new course. The teacher will check all assignments and give critical feedback on assignments which will work as a reinforcing factor to make students attentive toward classroom lectures to perform better next time. Thus operant conditioning and behavioural approach of modelling will work to implement behaviourism theory as a highly influencing theory in the educational system to bring differentiation and positive changes in learning outcomes of students.                                

v  Learning theory Impact __ Classroom management and student learning

Learning theory of behaviourism draws impact on classroom management and student learning. According to the research findings of Budiman (2017), behaviourism theory is useful in learning foreign languages in the classrooms. Teachers and instructors control stimulus and design responses of students by providing them appropriate stimulus. Teachers can punish the student for violating discipline rules or presenting poor performance in learning thus strict environment will work as reinforcing environment to influence learning and classroom management (Budiman, 2017).

  According to the research study of Nalliah and Idris (2014), society wants a positive modification of children in educational institutions to make them enable to get an adjustment in society as an active participant. Behaviourism theory represents the behaviour of students and motivates teachers to under contextual backgrounds behind the different response of students. Thus they can modify the behavioural outcomes of students in the classrooms. (Nalliah & Idris, 2014)

Following a research study of Doolittle (2014), behaviourism is a learning theory which involves two types of components that are stimulus and response. Pair of these components can support a learner to create the big picture and get motivation or demotivation for a particular behavioristic outcome. For instance, a strict classroom environment will reinforce students to show their obedience and strictly follow up disciple rules (Doolittle, 2014). As a physiological learning theory behaviourism modify human behaviour through influencing cognitive domains and abilities in a person.     

v   Discussion why identified this theory of Learning Theories

         According to the theory of behaviourism, the learner is considered essentially passive and responding to the stimuli of the environment. The learner starts off as a clean paper and the behaviour is the factor that induces impact on shaping the attitude that can be negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement. The probability of the program winning the antecedent behaviour is high for both positive and negative reinforcement. In the theory of behaviourism, the learning process is defined as a change in learning and behavioural attitude. The behaviourist determines the change in the behaviour and observes the findings if it is conveniently excludable or not. The behaviourist remains cling with the central vision of the behaviour that is considered as measurable and observable. The approach of a behaviourist has further applied to the learning process as well as the educational process. The factors affecting the behaviourist approach are a complex learning process, linguistics and problem-solving activities. I selected the theory of behaviourism due to the validity of the theory in real human life. The theory is based on the learning outcomes from the animals and it provides more opening to the human response repertoire. The theory has the number of applications in determining the behaviour of humans. From another perspective, this theory explains the economic behaviour, historical considerations, cultural analysis, and other casual factors. The theory enables to determine the difference between people and how people perceive the issues logically but in a different sense. This theory has practical implications and enables us to understand the reason behind the attitude and behaviour of different people about solving the issues. The behavioural theory describes that people look at issues from a different viewpoint. The benefits associated with the behavioural theory are the identification of negative emotions and thoughts, management of anger, overcoming sleep disorders, management of chronic pain, prevention from the addiction of relapse and overcoming the behavioural disorders.

Conclusion  of Learning Theories

           The whole discussion concludes that behaviourism theory is one of the important learning theory. Behaviourism theory is the psychological theory that studies human behaviour and components that can modify human behaviour. Key components include stimulus, responses, and reinforcement. Behaviourism theory directly relates to the learning capabilities and behaviour of students. Through the use of reinforcing factors, teachers can motivate or demotivate students to learn a specific course or lesson. The relating complex concept with something already memorized by the students, setting rewards for excellent performance in an activity, and giving critical feedback on formative assessment can assist a teacher to make learning more effective and change behaviours of leanings in a positive way towards lessons and classroom activities. Research studies summarize the importance of behaviourism theory in classroom management as it relates to the obedience of a student to accept rules of disciplines.