Psychology for the Classroom: Behaviourism

ISBN-13: 9780415493987 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 130 str.

John Woollard

Opis

Psychology for the Classroom: Behaviourism describes and reflects upon the foundations of behaviourism and the proliferation of behaviourist techniques in common practice today. Through examples drawn from research, presentation of theory, description of pedagogy and illustration by vignette, the book informs teachers and allows them to modify their teaching in order to take account of what is now known about the way that carefully planned curriculum and appropriately reinforced behaviours lead to learning. There is a particular emphasis upon the role of the traditional principles of behaviourist learning theory and practice to contemporary issues and strategies in e-learning. The author has taken a broad sweep of what has been written and promoted to educators in the area of behaviourist theory and practice, and the result is an informative and potentially very useful guide which should be read by all of us who are interested in, or responsible for, planning and encouraging effective teaching and learning.

Teaching and Learning in a Response-based Classroom provides a broad, unbiased and accessible introduction to behaviourist theory as applied to learning and education in a practical context. Focusing on contemporary issues and strategies, including the use of elearning, the book provides a background to research in behaviourist theory and explains its implications for current teaching and learning, providing practical guidance to show teachers and students how they can use these ideas to improve classroom learning. Chapters incorporate:

• History of behaviourist theory and key thinkers
• Pedagogical implications
• Practical strategies in the classroom
• Behaviourist theory and elearning

Case studies and scenarios demonstrating best practice are used throughout the text to exemplify how theory relates to practice, showing how a carefully planned curriculum and reinforced behaviours lead to effective learning.

Appealing to practising teachers and education students alike, this book provides a valuable and practical guide to the use of behaviourist theory in education, and is applicable to all those responsible for providing effective teaching and learning.

Spis treści

Chapter 1. Introduction  The language of behaviourism  Post-millennium views of behaviourism  The people of behaviourism  Refuting the critics of behaviourism  The nature of behaviourism  Behaviourism is…  Summary  Activities  Chapter 2. Research  Research with animals  Repetition and rote learning  Learning from example  Behaviour modification under scrutiny  Providing models for behaviour  Self-participation in behaviour change  The impact of reward and praise  Summary  Activities  Chapter 3. Theory  Classical conditioning  Stimulus, response and consequence  Operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement  Observational learning by modelling behaviour  Punishment, impact and alternatives  Verbal behaviour and dealing with language  Summary  Activities  Chapter 4. Pedagogy  The characteristics of a behaviourist pedagogy  Behaviour modification through positive reinforcement  Creating a curriculum  Enhancing the interventions  Avoiding the limitations  Reducing unwanted behaviours  Summary  Activities  Chapter 5. Strategies  Strategies of a behaviourist teacher  House points and the lottery draw  Basic skills; basic methods  Shaping and modelling in ICT teaching  SEAL, sanctuary and self-efficacy  Teacher training, social engagement  Improving the learning environment  Computerisation of the curriculum  The challenging class  Summary  Activities  References  Index

O autorze

John Woollard is Lecturer in Information Technology Education in the School of Education at the University of Southampton. He has previously taught in both primary and secondary schools. He now researches teaching and learning with computers.