Module1 - Activity 4: "Behaviourism-new_strategy"

It is clear that learners learn in different ways and they behave differently in any given situation, thus it is the responsiblity of the teacher to take this into consideration as he facilitates the learning /teaching process. The reading examines important theoretical principles in behaviourism. The work of Pavlov points to learning by associations which he referred to as classical conditioning while Skinner noticed that humans and animals are active in their environment, referred to as operant conditioning. He concluded that one would likely to do something more often when praise (reinforcement) is given for his action.

Based on these principles, it can be concluded that once learners are provided with a description of their desired behaviours and the relevant provisions are made to ensure continuous reinforcement in relation to the learners preference and appreciation, a teacher will likely see an increase in learners' behaviour as it relates to their intellectual development. Therefore, as educators, we need to focus our attention on principles that have been tried and proven to aid our learners maximize their full potential in the learning / teaching process.