2. About Albert Bandura
• Born on December 4, 1925
• Canadian, American
• Studied at University of British
Columbia and University of
Iowa. Researched and taught
at Stanford University.
• Elected president of American
Psychological Association in
1974
• Famous for research on social
learning theories
3. What is social learning?
Remember the saying monkey see monkey do? Same
concept!
Observational learning: Watching actions performed either
in a form of media of in real life then mimicking the
observed behavior.
Bandura’s concept of regulation of human behavior is found
in the diagram of triadic reciprocal causation.
Behavioral, cognitive and environmental factors all
influence learning behavior.
4. Research Experiments
Bobo the clown
Boys and girls watched a video of a
person performing violent acts on a
blowup clown named Bobo. Use of
kicking, punching, and hammering
were modeled.
When children were then left alone
with the same blowup clown they
performed the same behaviors they
had observed.
Watch Bandura and the Bobo
experiement
6. What this means for
educators
• Model appropriate behaviors for a
school environment, realize that your
students are watching you constantly.
• Watch and listen critically to
audiovisuals before using in class.
• Do not underestimate how quickly
children learn from what they
observe!
• A funny example...
7. Key Concept: Self-Efficacy
A person’s belief that they can successfully perform
behaviors that will produce desired effects. Judgment
of personal capacity.
Typically people will not try to do things they do not
believe they can do.
Self concept arises from past accomplishments.
Contribute to academic confidence and success.
8. What this means for educators
It is important to foster the development of self-
efficacy.
Create a sense of empowerment in the classroom.
Challenge students, and always maintain confidence in
their abilities to rise above challenges. Tell them this!
Celebrate and acknowledge when children perform to
the best of their ability and conquer challenges.
9. Applying Bandura’s theories in
the classroom
Carefully select audiovisuals that are to be used in the
classroom.
Create a sense of collective-efficacy by emphasizing
team work.
Set goals for students to accomplish, have them keep a
record of these accomplishments. Once a month take
the record out and celebrate their hard work.
Incorporate technology by putting the students'
challenges and accomplishments online on the class
website so they can show their friends and family.
10. Works Cited
Engler, Barbara. Personality Theories: An Introduction.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2009. Print.
Shelly, Gary B., Glenda A. Gunter, and Randolph E. Gunter.
Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating
Technology in a Connected World. Boston, MA:
Course Technology Cengage Learning, 2012. Print.
