The Importance Of The Effective Classroom Environment

One famous behaviourist was Skinner (1904-1990) who was an American psychologist and believed in the role of reinforcement. There are two types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Positive reinforcement occurs when a particular behaviour is followed by a consequence that is desired such as receiving food, money or verbal praise. Whereas negative reinforcement takes place when a particular behaviour removes something unpleasant. Skinner used both positive and negative reinforcement in his experiment where he worked with rats and pigeons. He used a “Skinner box” to investigate the key values of learning new and challenging behaviours. Skinner used the theory of operant conditioning and would place the rat or pigeon into the “Skinner Box” the animal would then be curious and sniff and run around the box until eventually it would press the lever, which would release a food pellet. After a while the animal would carry out this behaviour many times, as it has learnt that after pressing the lever it will receive a food pellet as a consequence. As the pellet is experienced as reinforcing and something that the animal desires, this increases the chance of the behaviour being repeated. This is called

Skinner’s reinforcement experiments conducted on rats showed the principles of operant conditioning. While working with rats, Skinner would place them in a Skinner box with a lever attached to a feeding tube. After multiple trials, rats learned the connection between the lever and food, and started to spend more time in the box procuring food than performing any other action. He used positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement to produce or inhibit specific target behaviors. Therefore, if a specific behavior is reinforced then the probability of that behavior occurring again is increased. Based on Skinner’s view, this theory can be applied to learning because learning is nothing more than a change in behavior. Operant conditioning encourages positive reinforcement, which can be applied in the classroom environment to get the good behavior you want and need from students. One of the ways of reinforcing a student’s behavior is through praise. Also teachers can build operant conditioning techniques into their lesson plans to teach children possible skills as well as good behaviors. For example: to give a smiley face, or motivational stamps to encourage children to perform correctly and encourage them to repeat such action again.

My classroom management philosophy is rooted in B.F. Skinner’s Behavior Modification theory. I believe that negative and positive reinforcements are a key aspect in classroom management. Providing reinforcement increases the probability that a desired behavior will occur, while undesired behaviors will stop because they are not being reinforced (Manning and Bucher 47). Students who are demonstrating unacceptable behaviors may even begin to change their behavior in hopes of gaining approval through reinforcement (Manning and Bucher 47). In particular, I advocate for this theory because it also serves as another way to continuously reiterate classroom expectations. Through daily dialogue in the classroom, students will be able to understand which behaviors are supported, acceptable, and encouraged and which behaviors are ignored, unacceptable, and discouraged. Continuously putting this into practice will foster a supportive classroom climate with clear expectations. Throughout my field experiences in Horry County, I have seen this strategy used with success. I believe that once I have established relationships with my students this will be the most effective course of action for modifying their misbehaviors.

One of the most influential members of the behaviorist movement, as well as among psychologists who study human development was B.F. Skinner (Diessner, 2008, p. 134). Skinner was notable for his description of the acquisition of new behavior through the use of reinenforcement and punishment called operant conditioning (Diessner, 2008). Skinner also contributed his behaviorist explanation of language development through his concept of verbal behavior (Diessner, 2008).

A researcher named Burrhus Frederic Skinner thought he would develop the idea of operant conditioning. He suggested than we act in regard to consequences (reward or punishment) in which we actively learn. He suggested there are 3 types of these consequences of behavior; positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and punishment. Positive reinforcement is receiving a reward for acting in a certain way. An example of this could be getting a school prize for performing well in your exams, because of the reinforcement of the prize, the student will try to perform well every time. Negative reinforcement occurs when we act in a way that avoids an unpleasant consequence (e.g. not being late to a meeting because you do not want to be perceived as rude). Punishment is an unpleasant consequence that comes from the way we act. For example, gaining a detention for arriving late to lessons. Punishment decreases like probability that behaviour is likely to be repeated. Whereas, in positive and negative reinforcement the chances are you will repeat the behaviour. Skinner’s conducted research in the form of a lab experiment. He used a hungry rat that was placed in a cage that had been especially developed for the purpose of the study and was named Skinner’s box. In the cage was a button and a food dispenser. When the rat pressed the button food would appear in the dispenser. The animal soon learned that

Skinner believed that behaviour is shaped and maintained by a reinforcing stimulus and that schedules of reinforcement are important factors in the learning process. There are many situations in the classroom where a behaviourist approach is likely to work well. For example, when I teach, I have started to pick out students who are making the right choices throughout the lesson. I call attention to the student who is doing the right thing and use verbal praise, which is quite an effective way to let other students realise what the expected learning behaviour is. The Year 6 students in the class are aware of the school’s reward system; ten credits lead to one merit, which is recorded in their merit book. They are also aware that bad behaviour in the class or on the playground will be followed by negative consequences. To warn against unwanted behaviour, I have seen teachers use negative reinforcers such as verbal warnings, timeouts and losing privileges.

B.F. Skinner’s theory of behaviorism claims that behavior is directed by environmental reinforcements, some natural and some intentionally applied. Skinner proposed three possible consequences of any behavior: reinforcements which are consequences which increase the likelihood of behavior (such as praise or food), punishments which tend to decrease behavior (such as a frown or a traffic ticket), and the lack of reinforcement or punishment which also tends to decrease behavior (such as no response to the punch line of a joke). He also holds that reinforcers can be learned (money becomes valuable because of it 's

B. F. Skinner was another influential psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning. Unlike Pavlov, Skinner thought that behaviour was determined by the consequences or rewards generated after the response, he called this operant conditioning, (Cherry, K 2005). Skinner invented a device which contained a button which an animal could press in order to gain food, water or some other form of reinforcement. Using this box he discovered two forms of reinforcement, positive (which resulted in a favourable outcome), and negative (which resulted in removal of unfavourable outcomes).

My classroom management philosophy is based on a combination of psychoeducational and behavioural theories which, will actively provide an environment where students are engaged, motivated and display appropriate behaviours (Lyons, Ford & Slee, 2014). Using psychoeducational theories as a basis, I will create a learning environment that implements student-teacher relationships, differentiated classroom instruction with equal opportunity to learning and an environment where students feel safe, valued and that they belong (Lyons et al., 2014). These strategies will provide many opportunities for students to learn regardless of where they come from or

My classroom observation was done in a 5th grade Science classroom. The environment of the class was positive and supportive. Students were welcomed at the door as they enter. Desks were arranged with everyone facing the front of the room, in pairs of two, with a few single desks. The teacher was positive and respectful with all students. Rules and procedures were posted on both sides of the room so all students could see. The room was decorated with posters and educational information that supports Science standards and objectives. Students were engaged in meaningful dialogue with their peers, and being respectful of one another as they completed their task. As I observed I could see classroom management as discipline, a system, and as instruction.

B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential of American psychologists. A radical behaviorist, he developed the theory of operant conditioning, the idea that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or unlikely that the behavior will be repeated again, (NNDB, 2014). His principles are still incorporated within treatments of phobias, addictive behaviors, and in the enhancement of classroom performance as well as in computer-based self-instruction, (NNDB, 2014). Skinner believed that the only scientific

B F Skinner was one of the most influential behaviourist in psychology. He introduced a lot of new theories from his work and has been studied by many for years. Skinner particularly focused on behaviour patterns of animals and people, of course. He was very popular for his “Skinner Box” experiment. Skinner Box is used for conditioning animals like pigeons and rats to behave in desired ways such as running through a maze, playing tunes on a keyboard, or pressing levers (McLeod, 2007). Skinner also influenced the education field through his theory that behaviour was important and good behaviour should be reinforced with rewards and bad behaviour should be negatively reinforced or punished (McLeod, 2007). Skinner is known as the father of Operant Conditioning and introduced a new term Reinforcement as his work was based on Thorndike’s Law of Effect.

Skinner and his work are monumental to the field of education. Skinner’s entire theory is based off of the fact that behaviors are learned, and in order to learn an acceptable behavior, a consequence must be given as a way of praising the behavior, or condemning it. In Skinner’s book, About Behaviorism (1974), he says: “we cannot anticipate what a person will do by looking directly at his feelings or his nervous system, nor can we change his behavior by changing his mind or his brain”. Just as others cannot see how I feel, which drives my behavior, I cannot see how they feel, which will drive their behavior. This is why Skinner’s operant

After receiving his doctorate in psychology in 1931, B.F. Skinner developed a research that focused on operant conditioning. Operant behaviors were defined by their impact on the environment rather than by their form (Frost & Bondy, 2006). There were three parts of operant conditioning that he coined: neutral operants, reinforcers, and punishers (McLeod, 2007). Skinner investigated operant behavior by using rats in pressing a bar when rewarded with food (Brennan, 2003). Skinner used behavior modification as a technique that was changed the environment’s events depending on the person’s behavior.

Skinner’s positive reinforcement starts by promoting good behavior in the classroom through the promise of a reward. Skinner created a rewards system that is said to help shape human behavior in a