BEHAVIORISM

What It Is: Behaviorism is where new behaviors or changes in behaviors are acquired through associations
between stimuli and response (Kelly, 2012). One of the most frequently referenced examples is ringing a bell
as the stimulus, and the dog receiving food or a treat as a response. After weeks of conditioning the dog’s
behavior, he will still come when the bell is rung, even if there is no food provided in return.

Example: Classical Conditioning

How It Is Useful: Behaviorism is often used by teachers when rewarding or punishing student behavior
(Kelly, 2012). For example, if a student misuses his or her Chromebook, he or she would get punished with a
phone call home or lunch detention. If a student models good digital citizenship, he or she may receive
praise, a good grade, bonus points, or extra privileges. In practicing behaviorism, it is important to provide
an immediate response. Students must be given repetitive tasks through rote learning, and feedback must be
consistent, direct, and instant. Behaviorism can also be practiced when learning classroom procedures. After
weeks of conditioning, my students know that as soon as they switch to their independent station, they log
into their Chromebooks, check Google Classroom for their instructions, and complete the task given to them.
COGNITIVISM
What It Is: Cognitivism is where learning occurs through internal processing of information, and is based on
the thought process behind the behavior (Kelly, 2012). Cognitivism supports the idea that humans process
information that they receive, think about what is happening, and make decisions based off of that criteria.
Unlike behaviorism, reactions aren’t automatic and produced from a stimulus, but rather reactions occur
from how humans understand information and relate it to what is already in their stored memory.

Example: Schema Theory

How It Is Useful: Cognitivism focuses on thought-processing and critical thinking. It is not an automatic
response, but instead forces students to make connections to previously learned content. Cognitivism is
useful because it encourages teachers to classify or chunk information or use linking concepts in order to help
students make sense of new material (Kelly, 2012). Other strategies to promote cognitivism is using real-
world examples, class discussions, problem-solving, analogies, and mnemonics. Learning apps like GeoGebra
help students build schema and learn through cognition by linking new math concepts to previously acquired
information.
CONSTRUCTIVISM
What It Is: Constructivism is where we construct our own perspective of the world based on individual past
experiences and internal knowledge (Kelly, 2012). According to constructivism, learning is unique for every
individual because each person’s own experiences determines how he or she formulates meaning behind the
material. That is why in many cases there is more than one way to resolve an issue. Depending on learning
styles and past experiences, people may solve problems in different ways that appear easiest to them.

Example: Situated Cognition

How It Is Useful: Constructivism is useful in the classroom because it promotes individuality and learning by
doing. It helps educators understand that all students are diverse in a multitude of ways. They are from
different social classes, races, religions, backgrounds, families, and have various experiences in learning and
living. Teachers are more aware that content should be presented in different ways according to students’
learning styles, needs, interests, and educational experiences in order for students to construct meaning and
importance behind the material. To do this, teachers can incorporate case studies, virtual tours, research
projects, collaborative learning, discovery learning, and simulations.
LEV VYGOTSKY
Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist who contributed to the
Sociocultural Theory, which is an extension of Behaviorism
(Podgurski, 2016). In this theory, he promoted learning
through shared activities and interactions. Vygotsky’s
concept of the Zone of Proximal development determines
that there is an area in which students learn that is between
what they already have acquired, and what they are capable
of learning through teacher guidance and collaboration with
others. Scaffolding is also an idea inspired by Vygotsky
which encourages teachers to start with a support and build
upon that until mastery is attained, and the scaffold can be
taken away.
JEAN PIAGET
Piaget is most known for his concepts of assimilation and
accommodation in the Constructivism theory, and also his
stages of cognitive development which are sensorimotor,
preoperational, concrete operational, and formal
operational (Podgurski, 2016). He believed that one should
build on a learner’s preexisting knowledge and experiences
in order to stimulate understanding and changed behavior.
B.F. SKINNER
Skinner is an American theorist whose ideas were based on
Behaviorism and operant conditioning (Boeree, 2016).
Operant conditioning is the notion that a reinforcing
stimulus will result in a repeated response, which would lead
to a consequence or reward. He believed that the degree of
the consequence or reward influences the frequency of
future responses. Positive feedback would reinforce future
responses, while negative feedback would result in extinction
of the behavior (Boeree, 2016).
REFERENCES
Boeree, C. G. (2016). B.F. Skinner. Retrieved August 6, 2019, from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/skinner.html

Kelly, J. (2012, September). Learning theories Behaviorism, Cognitive and Constructivist. Retrieved August
6, 2019, from http://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-learning/learning/theories/

Podgurski, M. J. (2016). Theorists and Techniques: Connecting Education Theories to Lamaze Teaching
Techniques. Retrieved August 6, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4719108/