Behaviourism is the learning theory that claims that a change in behaviour is the outcome of learning. Behaviourists support that all people have key instincts that drive them towards action. This can be aspects such as starvation, the need for sleep or thirstiness. When people experience these drivers they act in certain ways to overcome their needs. The belief is that all behaviour is learned is the cause of irregular behaviour. According to behaviourist theories, each lesson in the curriculum should result in a required change in the behaviour of the learner.
The behaviourist theory is the greatest popular and significant theory of the 20th century. Behaviourists claim that when people decrease drives by acting properly, …show more content…
Behaviourism stems from the work of B.F Skinner and the concept of operant conditioning. The work of Skinner was entrenched in a view that classic conditioning was far too simplistic to be a complete explanation of complex human behaviour. B.F Skinner believed that the best method to understand behaviour is to look at the cause of an action and its consequences. Operant conditioning deals with operants- intentional acts that have an effect on the surrounding environment. Skinner set out to find the methods which made certain operant behaviours more likely or less to occur.
Initially, learning theory had mostly stressed consciousness and introspection, but Behaviourists define learning as something that “people do in response to external stimuli”. Psychologists B. F. Skinner, Pavlov and Thorndike were accountable for the growth of the theory of Behaviourism in the 1920s and 1930s and whereas this does make it a slightly outmoded theory, its strong influence on educational practice is superficial and has added much to the study of …show more content…
Implication for classroom teachers According to Behaviourist theory, learning occurs when two sites are met. Firstly the learner is actively involved and secondly the learner’s activity is reinforced by a reward straightaway. When the reward is satisfying, it toughens behaviour, while unpleasant consequences, or punishers, weaken behaviour.
The initial implication of Behaviourism for teaching was to introduce programmed manuals. This took the form of a paragraph of text followed by a question about that text, and a blank space for the learner to write the answer. If the answer was right they were applauded. If incorrect they were taught to begin again. This was followed by another part of text and another question and the technique continued until the end of the manual. Through this the learner was energetic and there was an immediate reinforcement of correct responses. Though, this was believed as too mechanical and ignorant of meaning and therefore not enforced in schools over a longer period of