Theory

Operant Conditioning - B.F. Skinner B.F. Skinner is one of the best-known theorist and researcher in psychology. He argued that learning is a result of lived experiences that cause permanent change. The key to Skinner is that those experiences are observable. Building on the findings and theories of John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, Skinner’s findings and beliefs form the basis of behaviorism, a branch in psychology arguing that learning occurs through interaction with environmental stimuli. Today theories of behaviorism specifically Skinner’s theories, are used to teach children with language, social, and learning deficits the skills they need to survive and thrive in the mainstream world. The basis for Skinner’s approach to behaviorism is operant conditioning which argues that learning occurs in reaction to a consequence. For example, if a person eats an apple and loses a tooth, then that person learns not to eat apples with loose teeth. This is a rather basic example, but i...

Social Development Theory - Lev Vygotsky In terms of popularity, Lev Vygotsky is one of the most utilized psychologist in the educational field. Stressing the importance of social learning, Vygotsky advocates a cognitive perspective that learning precedes development. According to Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory , the social interactions and experiences of an individual guides his/her development. Cognitive processes and thinking are therefore a product of socialization and one’s social behavior. One important byproduct of this is what Vygotsky termed private speech - children’s silent inner speech that guides their actions and thoughts. This inner speech is initially the incorporation of others’ speech, which children use to help themselves solve problems. Teachers often incorporate this in their teaching when they use the “I do, we do, you do” modelling instructional strategy. While this strategy is primarily used for teaching academic content, it is also a powerful tool ...