Index Strengths and Weaknesses of Operant Conditioning Comparison with References for Social Learning This essay will explore the possible application of operant conditioning strategies in the classroom to encourage students to be more participatory during class and to be more proactive in completing homework and assignments. Typical student behaviors in the age range indicated in the scenario will be explored, and the evaluation and potential use of various operant conditioning techniques in the classroom will be discussed. The strengths and weaknesses of operant conditioning strategies will be studied and compared with other developmental theories, after which the suitability of operant conditioning as a strategy for improving behavior and classroom management will be evaluated. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe most common behaviors reported were things like speaking out of turn, disturbing or distracting other students, and not attending as the most frequent problematic and disruptive behaviors. Sullivan, A.M., Johnson, B., Owens, L., & Conway, R. (2014) stated that low-level disruptive and disengaged student behaviors occur frequently, as do aggressive and antisocial behaviors, and teachers find them challenging to manage. Student misbehaviors also included such things as disruptive talking among classmates, repeated failure to complete homework, daydreaming, clowning around, interrupting learning activities, harassing or distracting classmates, verbal abuse, being rude to the teacher, defiance and hostility. Research has indicated that the most familiar and destructive problem behavior is speaking out of turn, accompanied by inattention, daydreaming, and laziness. This behavior may occur because students in this age group are exploring their social environment and how they interact with their peers, as well as struggling with their own identity, and may subsequently act out as they try to discover their adult self and what the future holds for them. according to Erikson's developmental theory. According to Dozier, C. L., Iwata, B. A., Thomason-Sassi, J., Worsdell, A. S., & Wilson, D. M. (2012), praise, which is typically defined as an expression of approval or admiration (Brophy, 1981), is the most commonly conferred by parents, teachers, peers, or employers after desirable behavior. The reinforcing effects of praise have been documented in countless studies in which its demonstration, alone or in combination with other behaviors, led to the achievement or maintenance of appropriate behaviors such as job performance, academic work, verbal behavior, recreational activities, and social interaction. . Also, Petrova. E (2017) stated that the different behaviorist theories of motivation explained the behavior of individuals with the idea of ​​'stimulus-response', that is, the organism's ability to respond to the different motivations of its environment. Thorndike and Skinner are the most prominent representatives of these theories, and Skinner's analysis demonstrated that the impact of the environment determines our behavior. According to him, all human behavior is due to external stimuli and therefore people's actions are defined by their experiences, and their behavior is determined and regulated by the external environment. The primary purpose of punishments and incentives is to minimize or improve student behavior. Punishment; that is, introducing an unpleasant reinforcer after an unwanted response has occurred does not always helpstop unwanted behavior and reward it; that is, presenting something positive after acceptable behavior has occurred often does not contribute to improving student achievement. The basic reason behind these circumstances is that teachers are not well acquainted with the various types of rewards and different types of punishments along with their effective usage. Teachers are not fully aware of the correct use of reward and punishment strategies for the desired improvement in students' character, attitude and performance. Inadvertently, educators often choose and use inappropriate forms of incentives and consequences for students who lack knowledge of current behavioral psychology. Therefore, in order to bring about a change in the actions and learning of students, the use of modern knowledge on behavioral modification methods is necessary in order to improve the quality of education and behavior.Merriam, S., Caffarella, R. and Baumgartner, L. (2007) identify three premises that all behaviorists, such as Mager, Skinner, Thorndike and Watson, hold regarding the learning process. First, the object of study is observable behavior rather than internal thought processes; in general, learning manifests itself with behavioral change. Second, the environment influences behavior; what is learned is defined by the elements of the system, not by the individual learner. Third, the concepts of contiguity (how close two events must be in time for a bond to form) and reinforcement (any means of increasing the probability that an event will repeat) are critical to understanding the learning process. The first of these statements suggests that behavior-related learning exercises have little regard for the cognitive processing of the student involved in the task. This approach focuses entirely on learning to understand “what” through approaches such as rote learning, classification, and association. This approach is only concerned with highlighting what students need to understand. The second assumption of behaviorists is that learning is mainly conditioned by environmental factors. This perspective was clearly shown by the early works of Robert Gagne, who was strongly influenced by behaviorists such as Skinner and Thorndike. Gagne's early research examined the transfer of positive and negative training. “Gagne's research was conducted by instructing subjects on specific motor tasks, using multiple tests, and monitoring them for periods of little or no progress in learning.” The last learning theory discussed based on behaviorism emphasizes repetition and reinforcement (operant conditioning) to achieve desired behaviors. B.F. Skinner was a major contributor to operant conditioning, focusing on "positive and negative cycles of reinforcement, reward scheduling, and avoidant behavior." Strengths and Weaknesses of Operant Conditioning A study conducted at Baylor University on the impact of self-monitoring combined with reinforcement to improve on-task classroom attitude. The research offered a direct comparison between self-monitoring and self-monitoring plus reinforcement. The results of the study showed that the theme of improving self-monitoring and reinforcing the token economy was the most successful intervention for minimizing the limitations of problem behavior, including the additional resources, particularly time and money, needed to implement the token economy during self-monitoring. more reinforcement process. Thiselement would involve the active participation of a school professional, possibly a class teacher. It also involves purchasing tangible rewards (e.g. gift cards from a coffeeshop); however, where such resources are not available, easily accessible rewards, such as free time on the school computer, could be used. Education practitioners, however, should take this into account and evaluate whether the capital investment is worth it for future effects, so it may not be the most sustainable strategy. On the other hand, according to a study by Gneezy, U., Meier, S., & Rey-Biel, P. (2011), psychological research includes several examples of rewards that minimize the willingness or motivation to perform a task at short term when such incentives are in place. The general theme of this study was that rewards contained information conveyed from the principal to the operant and that the information can cause undesirable behavioral effects. For example, Frey and Oberholzer-Gee (1997) show that offering community members a significant amount of financial compensation for the presence of nuclear waste sites indicates that the associated risks are serious and that community members may be less likely to accept the implant. The operant can draw inferences from both the presence and magnitude of the rewards offered. Furthermore, if incentives indicate any type of negative news, workers who receive incentives may change their perceptions of the task, their gender, or their supervisor's evaluation. As a result, their willingness to perform the task without additional incentives may be significantly reduced. Since the typical incentive is eliminated in the long run (we define the long run as after the incentives are eliminated), effort will therefore be lower than before the external incentives were offered. For academic environments, long-term negative effects on students' enjoyment of learning can be worrying, as incentives are most often temporary and limited only to certain assessments or activities. Comparison with Social Learning Deaton (2015) stated that self-efficiency plays a crucial role in Bandura's social learning system. The person's belief in the effect they can have on the environment is essential to understanding that effect. With respect to social learning, students are more likely to invest resources to achieve a social outcome when they are confident in their ability to achieve that outcome which results in student engagement and classroom achievement. If learning is essentially a social endeavor, this is much more likely to occur if sociological conditions indicate that the investment effort will result in a positive outcome. For social learning to take place, students must exchange information in an interactive environment. Mourlam (2013) suggested that within the conventional classroom, students still remain isolated from other students, experts, parents, the community, and a variety of others who have the capacity to enhance education. This form of restriction impedes self-efficacy, because social learning involves communication. Without an adequate structure for interaction, students may find themselves objectively weighing the pros and cons of participating in class. Because classroom participation is a variable in academic achievement and learning, traditional classroom interactions create challenges to social learning, so it can be difficult for students to imitate learning when there is little or no lack of engagement. between important role groups both within and:10.1100/2012/208907