Behaviorism

The principles underpinning behaviorism can be stated as follows: (1) that all behavior is learned and since they are learned, thus they can also be unlearned or relearned; (2) a behavior is a result of a specific stimulus that elicit certain responses; (3) behaviorist techniques such as contracts, consequences, reinforcement, and extinction can be employed in the teaching and learning process to promote behavior that is desirable and discourage that which is not. Therefore, learning takes place when there is a change and/or reinforcement in behavior from the learner.

The teacher plays a very important role in this learning process. He or she must see to it that the student responds favorably to whatever learning he wants to impart. A “favorable” response may not always be positive. The success of this process depends much on the teacher. Careful planning is essential because whatever we say and do in the classroom will elicit certain responses from our students. The questions we ask and the manner we express them, the way we carry ourselves, our facial expression, our verbal and non-verbal cues, the tone of our voice, and even the clothes we wear will one way or the other draw out certain reactions from our learners and therefore, we teachers must be conscious in everything we articulate and carry out in the classroom. These desired learning responses by the students must be clearly stipulated in his or her lesson plans and carefully applied. These objectives and plans are the teacher’s primary tools to execute desired behavior from students.

Favorable or satisfying responses by the learners are conditioned and repetition of these outcomes by the learner constitutes mastery of learning. This behaviorist framework are being executed by educators in their classroom instructions whether consciously or unconsciously, although it would be great if we do this consciously because this can help us deliver better instruction to our target learners. In preparing materials for instructional design, the behaviorist framework can be very helpful. With proper guidance and careful choice of stimuli a learner will elicit satisfying responses from the instructional design we will create.

Although behaviorism has been a proven framework in classroom instruction, application of this framework is not only limited and exclusive in classroom instruction. We can apply this framework in any learning situation, whether formal or informal or whether inside the classroom or not. The important thing is for us teachers to be very sensitive to the behaviors our students carry out. The manner we respond to these behaviors can make or break our students and might put a block in the learning process. As future instructional media designers we must all be A.C.T.O.R.’s.

A – rtists

C – ommunity oriented

T – eachers

O – organizers

R - esearchers