Albert Bandura: Principles of Social Learning Theory

1. Learning occurs through observation. We learn by observing other people. They observe other’s behavior and the results of these behaviors. Remember the “bobo doll experiment”? Children learn especially from older ones and try to imitate their behavior. This underscores the significance of good role models for children to learn appropriate and positive behavior.  

.

2. Learning doesn’t necessarily mean a change in behavior. Behaviorist theory connotes that learning should result to a change in behavior. For social learning theorists, learning can happen even without a change in behavior. People can learn just observation and does not certainly have to be represented in a change to their behavior. 

3. Social learning theory involves cognition for learning. Various cognitive factors are involved for people to learn such as attention, awareness and retention. Reinforcement and punishment also have an impact on the behavior people may demonstrate and exhibit. 

4. In relation to the above-mentioned principle, social learning theory can be considered a transition between behaviorist learning theories and cognitive learning theories. It suggests the importance of cognitive process in learning like attention but at the same time acknowledges the role of behaviorist idea of reinforcement and punishment to strengthen learning and behavior. 

Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory: Application in Teaching and Learning Process

1. Students can learn by observation. As teachers, we need to expose our students to good role models for them to exhibit positive behavior. Observational learning can as well be applied across various subject areas. Demonstration method is perhaps the most common example in which a teacher model or demonstrate a certain skill while students learn by observe and follow. 

2. Discuss to the learners the reward and consequences of certain behaviors. This can effectively make students be driven to exhibit appropriate behaviors while reducing the occurrence of inappropriate ones.  

3. Modeling can be used to teach new behaviors. It gives another way of molding certain behaviors aside from reward and punishment. By exposing students to certain models and the consequences of their certain behavior, it provides a more efficient way for teaching new behavior.  However, the teacher has to take into account that the four important conditions exist to make modelling effective. These are attention, retention, motor reproduction, and motivation.

4. Teachers and parents must be an exemplar of appropriate behavior. This highlights that we teachers, together with parents and adults, first and foremost be a good role model for our students. We must be careful with our own actions since what we do, being adults, is most of the time considered right in the eyes of the students.

5. Present students with different models. We should not limit modelling to typical examples rather exposed students with a variety of other models. This way, students avoid stereotyping and labelling certain groups of people. 

LET Tips: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory

          Forgive me if I wasn't able to update my blog that often. There was a lot of "ATs" going on in the public school system. If you are not familiar with these, I am actually referring to achievement tests namely Division Achievement Test, Regional Achievement Test and the upcoming National Achievement Test this March. These tests are conducted to measure the extent of learning of pupils among public schools in our country. But to be honest, I'm actually skeptical if these tests really "measure" what they really want to measure. Hmmmmm....
          Going back to my usual business (thank God for the holiday), here are some of the questions that usually come out visavis Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory. As I said many times, these are just the "look" of how the questions are constructed and asked in LET. (Answers are found below, please READ first the questions before scrolling down.)

1. Young Mary saw her mother applying make-up in front of the mirror. She then went to her room and  color her face with crayons. Which psychologist can best explain Mary's behavior?
A. B. F. Skinner
B. Jean Piaget
C. Albert Bandura
D. Ivan Pavlov

2. Teacher C demonstrated the steps in ChaCha before he let his pupils do the dance. Which theory adheres to this teaching strategy?
A. PsychoSocial Theory
B. Purposive Behavior
C. Constructivist Theory
D. Social Learning Theory

3. Teacher Maila wanted to apply Bandura's principles in learning. Which of the following will she most likely do?
A. Exhibit good and proper attitudes in teaching values in GMRC
B. Present concrete materials in teaching Science
C. Do oral graded recitation in Language
D. Have the pupils draw different polygons in Mathematics

4. Which must first be taken into consideration for effective modelling to occur?
A. The learner must be able to replicate the behavior the model exhibits
B. The learner must be able to pay attention to the model
C. The learner must be motivated
D. The learner must retain what he has observed

5. Which does NOT adhere to Albert Bandura's theory?
A. Learners can learn by observing other people
B. Learners must have direct experience of the consequences of one's behavior in order to learn
C. Teachers can demonstration method as a teaching strategy
D. Teachers must serve as role models for the learners


Answers:
1. C
2. D
3. A
4. B
5. B
Any questions, violent reactions and comments about the questions and answers are welcome.

Applications: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory

          These are some of the educational/instructional applications of this theory. As I always say, these are just some of the applications and the possibility of applying this theory is endless given various factors like the learners, classroom environment, etc.

1. Learners learn through observation. Therefore as teachers, we can utilize modelling especially on topics that develop skills or the psychomotor domain of our objectives. Demonstration method can be used especially on topics like dance or stunts in Physical Education Topics; using the microscope in Science; how to sew buttons in EPP; measuring angles in Mathematics and many more.

2. Modelling is another way to modify or shape behavior aside from the usual reinforcement. Present scenarios or vicarious experiences of models that present rewards or consequences (for the information of everybody, educators/psychologists nowadays prefer to use the term "consequences" to replace the word "punishment") of various behavior. Share and discuss biographies, anecdotes and many other stories about people or certain models and the results of their behavior.

3. Present not only the "usual" or common models. As teachers, let's present and expose our learners to diverse models to avoid stereotyping.

4. Last but not the least, teachers must be good role models for learners. Let us be aware and be careful with the behavior that we exhibit in front of the class. Let us model appropriate behaviors especially values. Let us walk our talk...

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory

 
     After how many months of moratorium about education topics, I now have to go back with my discussion since the next LET will be this April 2011. And my buena mano topic for this year is Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory. (I'm so sorry that this blog was not updated for how many weeks. There are a lot of things going on in my life...hehehehe...lol)
     Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory States that learners learn through observing, modelling or imitating other people's behavior and the consequences of this behavior. (You might have remembered my previous video post about this theory that showed how the children imitated the way adults treated the "Bobo" doll.) This is also commonly referred to as "Observational Learning" or "Social Learning".

Father and son...peeing together...Who do you think is the model??? The father or the child?hehehe..

      Albert Bandura's theory can be categorized to "NeoBehaviorism" - a movement that crosses both behaviorist and cognitive views of learning. This proposes that internal and external factors of behavior both play important roles in learning. It explains the interplay among the mind, behavior and environment in the learning process.
 
Modelling

       Modelling has a lot to do especially on learning. It teaches by providing models for imitation as well as encourages and influences the frequency of a behavior to occur by providing vicarious or observed consequences of this behavior.

    

    As you have noticed with the conditions above, learning (reproduction of behavior) requires both internal and external processes. These, according to Bandura, are necessary conditions for learning(modelling) to occur. These are:
1. Attention -- this is the cognitive aspect(internal processes) of this theory by presenting that for learning to occur, a learner must first pay attention to a model.
2. Retention -- the learner remembers what was observed.
3. Reproduction -- the learner produces or replicates the action/behavior that is a copy of what was observed.
4. Motivation -- the environment delivers a consequence that changes the probability the behavior will be emitted again (reinforcement and punishment).


         Actually, there are still other essential topics under this theory (i.e. self-efficacy, reciprocal determinism, etc.) that have important applications on learning. However, let's just stick with modelling, in which shall I say, the most applicable topic if teaching and learning process is concerned. Watch out for my next post on specific applications of this theory in classroom setting.








     

Educational Psychology: Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory (also my First Video Post)

          
          It has been soooooooooooooooooooooooooo long since I last posted about Educational Psychology topics. However this time, I added a new feature that will surely make learning about these topics more interesting and effective. And the first on my list is no other than Albert Bandura and his Social Learning Theory. As a sort of summary, we are grateful for Mr. Bandura because he gave us the idea of Observational Learning. If Dewey is "learning by doing" guy, Bandura is "learning by observing/imitating" hearthrob (hearthrob?relate relate relate...LOL). Seriously, Bandura said that learners learn through observation/imitation especially from the people around them. Later I will discuss comprehensively about this theory but for now, you can watch the following video clip re Bandura's Social Learning Theory. (Spoiler Alert!!! The following scenes may be disturbing...)(Expect more videos on the next topics that I will be posting...in respect with the principle that the more senses being used, more learning happens...hehehehe)

(video courtesy of Microsoft Encarta...Thanks!!!)