Power Point Presentation

1. THEORIES OF
LEARNING

2. THEORIES OF LEARNING
• Attempt to explain the mechanism of
behaviour in the learning process of an
individual
• Divided into 3 categories
1. Behaviourist Theories
2. Cognitive Theories
3. Constructive Theories

3. BEHAVIOURIST THEORIES / CONNECTIONIST
THEORIES
• Thorndike’s Theory of
Connectionism
• Pavlov’s theory of Classical
Conditioning
• B.F.Skinner’s Theory of
Operant Conditioning

4. OTHER NAMES OF BEHAVIOURIST THEORIES
•Connectionist Theory
•S-R Bond Theory
•Associationist Theory

5. BEHAVIOURIST THEORIES
• The behaviourist theories consider
learning as a process through which
experience causes a permanent change
in the behaviour of an individual.
• Learning is explained as a connection
between stimulus and response

6. WHAT IS A STIMULUS?
• Stimulus is an event that
activates behaviour
WHAT IS A RESPONSE?
• Response is the observable
reaction to a stimulus

7. THORNDIKE’S THEORY OF CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING
•Trail and error is a method
of learning in which various
responses are tentatively
tried and some discarded
until a solution is attained.

8. PAVLOV’S THEORY OF CONNECTIONISM

9. PAVLOV’S THEORY OF CONNECTIONISM
• Classical conditioning is a
process in which a conditioned
stimulus causes a response after
having been paired with an
unconditioned stimulus

10. SKINNER’S THEORY OF OPERANT
CONDITIONING
• Operant conditioning is a process
of learning through which
organisms learn to repeat
behaviours that yield positive
outcomes or permit them to avoid
or escape from negative outcomes.

11. BEHAVIOURISM - FEATURES
• Began as a formal school of education with the
publication of a book by John B Watson
• Asserts that the only subject matter for scientific
study in Psychology is observable behaviour.
• Major advocate of behaviourism – B.F.Skinner
(20th century psychologist)

12. CONTRIBUTIONS OF BEHAVIOURISM IN THE FIELD OF
EDUCATION
• Given birth to machines that help in teaching.
• Used as a therapy for treating mental disorders
in children

13. HOW TO APPLY BEHAVIORISM IN THE CLASSROOM
Teachers can use Behaviourism Theory in the classroom
to train the students to exhibit positive behaviors and to
teach them when they are not behaving properly, using
the following methods:
• Make Learning Objectives Clear
• Display a Positive Attitude
• Weight Importance of Assignments
• Reinforce Behaviors

15. THANK YOU

16. • Make Learning Objectives Clear :Students tend to not take assignments seriously when they do not understand
the purpose of them. Give the student a list of observable and measurable outcomes, so he can understand the
purpose of the lessons that you teach and the assignments he is given. If he understands what he is supposed to
learn by the end of a lesson, a semester or even a school year, he is more likely to pay attention and apply
himself. He knows his performance will be measured and he does not want to fall short.
• Display a Positive Attitude: If you are impolite to your students, eventually they will associate your class with
being disrespected. This will make a student hesitant to come to class and very on edge when she is there.
Instead of focusing on learning and listening to what you are teaching, she will put her efforts into not getting
yelled at. Avoid this situation by greeting the student with a smile as she enters your classroom. Get the class
period off to the right start by putting her at ease and allowing her to focus on the material you are teaching.
• Weight Importance of Assignments: Every assignment that you give your students is not of equal importance.
You may want the student to put more effort into writing a research paper, than studying for a weekly quiz. Let
him know the importance of these assignments by weighting them according to their significance. For example,
the research paper might be worth 25 percent of his final grade, while the weekly quizzes will only amount to
10 percent of the total. This will help him manage his time wisely, knowing which assignments to dedicate the
most time to.
• Reinforce Behaviors: Use positive reinforcement to praise the student for doing something right. For example,
if she raises her hand and answers a question correctly, give her a sticker. Negative reinforcement should also
be used to punish bad behavior. For example, if she is unprepared for class, deduct points from her
participation score for that day. Always inform students of the behaviors they are being praised or reprimanded
for exhibiting, so they can learn what is acceptable and what is not.