BEHAVIOURISM: ITS IMPLICATION TO EDUCATION

1
Janisah M. Baulo
2
Edna B. Nabua
1
janisah.baulo@g.msuiit.edu.ph
2
edna.nabua@g.msuiit.edu.ph

Behaviorist theorists believe that behavior is shaped deliberately by forces in the

environment and that the type of person and actions desired can be the product of design. In
other words, behavior is determined by others, rather than by our own free will. By carefully
shaping desirable behavior, morality and information is learned. Learners will acquire and
remember responses that lead to satisfying after effects. Repetition of a meaningful
connection results in learning. If the student is ready for the connection, learning is enhanced;
if not, learning is inhibited.
Motivation to learn is the satisfying after effect, or reinforcement. Behaviorism is
linked with empiricism, which stresses scientific information and observation, rather than
subjective or metaphysical realities. Behaviorists search for laws that govern human
behavior, like scientists who look for patterns in empirical events. Change in behavior must
be observable; internal thought processes are not considered. Ivan Pavlov's research on using
the reinforcement of a bell sound when food was presented to a dog and finding the sound
alone would make a dog salivate after several presentations of the conditioned stimulus, was
the beginning of behaviorist approaches. Learning occurs as a result of responses to stimuli in
the environment that are reinforced by adults and others, as well as from feedback from
actions on objects. The teacher can help students learn by conditioning them through
identifying the desired behaviors in measurable, observable terms, recording these behaviors
and their frequencies, identifying appropriate reinforcers for each desired behavior, and
providing the reinforcer as soon as the student displays the behavior. For example, if children
are supposed to raise hands to get called on, we might reinforce a child who raises his hand
by using praise, "Thank you for raising your hand."
Other influential behaviorists include B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) and James B. Watson
(1878-1958).Throughout his life, Skinner did not stop throwing ideas in the most diverse
fields. These ideas were inspired by Pavlov, Thorndike Watson, and Skinner, but carried
them to a degree of differentiation, or integration of generality unknown before him. His
thoughts always seemed to have a practical, concrete and technique. He took care of
education, broadly defined, through all sorts of activities, whether designing a cradle of
teaching machines or programmed learning. Other ideas were the fruit of his ingenuity and
his talent as a researcher. Skinner maintained that less philosophical speculation and more
“realistic” observation of behaviour are necessary, but he still posed the question, “What is
man?” Skinner attacked what he called the traditional views of humanity. Those views have
imputed all kinds of internal drives, forces, or otherwise mysterious actions to the
“autonomous person”-such forces as aggression, industry, attention, knowing, perceiving, and
so on. The principle of behaviourism and the techniques of behavioural engineering go back
at least to Pavlov and Watson, but B.F Skinner pioneered their implementations in many
fields of contemporary life. Skinner saw behaviourism extending into politics, economics,
and other social organizations. He strongly championed it as an educational method that is
more practical and produces greater results than any other It has grown in popularity and is
used frequently, particularly in areas of special education and with disadvantaged children.
The primary aims of behaviouristic techniques, is to change behaviour and point it in
more desirable directions. The question of whether one should go in special direction is
immediately raised: who decides what changes and what direction? Skinner replied that we
are already largely controlled by genetic forces, parental upbringing, schooling, peer groups,
the media, the church, and society. Skinner was a strong advocate of education, although
many critics argue that what he meant in education is not education but “training.” Skinner
charged that much of what passes for education is not good education because it is not
reinforcing, it does not properly motivated students to progress, and does not deal with
immediate reinforcements.
Skinner emphasizes the importance of behaviourism specifically its procedures in a
classroom setting. One might briefly describe a procedure of a behaviour modification as
follows: (1) specify the desired outcome that needs to be changed and how it will be
evaluated;(2) establish a favorable environment by removing unfavourable stimuli that might
complicate learning; (3) choose the proper reinforcers for desired behavioural manifestations;
(4) begin shaping desired behaviour by using immediate reinforcers for desired behaviour; (5)
once a pattern of desired behaviours has begun, slacken off the number of times reinforcers
are given; (6)evaluate results and reassess for future development. Many critics charged that
Skinner’s theories charged that Skinner theories belittle and limits humanity, but there is a
strong argument that his views are optimistic. Holding the promise that we can become
practically anything through proper behavioural engineering. From the Skinnerian standpoint,
little in people’s inner make up limit’s development in variety of creative ways. For those
reasons, the Skinnerian maintain that is possible to build the good society with a good people
forcible future if we have the fortitude to plan and cooperate in this venture. When all said
undone, the controls on the environment, on the contingencies of reinforcement; in this way,
individuals are indirectly controlled. While some critics see Skinner’s Walden Two as the
kind of brave new world Huxley wrote about, Skinner maintain that it is idealization of the
behaviourally engineer society, where happiness and good will prevail.

REFERENCES:

Ozmon, H.A. (2012). Philosophical Foundations of Education 9 th Edition. New Jersey, Upper
Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

Zulhanafi88. (2012, May 23). Implication of behaviorism learning theory. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/zulhanafi88/implication-of-behaviorism-learning-theory