Applications

Behaviorist learning practices generally focus on shaping behavior through conditioning. Shaping involves identifying the goals of instruction and the student's current behaviors, then formulating the steps the student must take to achieve the goals. The teacher then moves the student through the sequence of steps using demonstrations, individual student work and group work. The teacher provides immediate feedback as the student actively responds to the material.

Programmed instruction and contingency contracts serve as examples of behaviorist instruction practices (Schunk, 2004). Programmed instruction provides training materials that are developed using behaviorist principles of learning, like computer-based instruction. Contingency contracts apply reinforcement principles to change behavior by serving as agreements between teacher and student detailing the goals, deliverables, and desired outcomes for the student.

Millennia of trainers and parents have used conditioning techniques to successfully train animals and children, so it is no surprise that research generally shows that behaviorist methods positively influence achievement. Schunk (2004) asserts that behaviorist techniques enhance learning effectiveness in any environment, “regardless of theoretical orientation” by helping to assure that learners master the basic concepts necessary to operate at higher levels of learning and performance (p. 82).

For example, shaping can be effective for teaching a dancer the basic positions of ballet. Once the basic positions are mastered, the dancer can more easily piece together the steps to learn an entire dance under the instruction of a choreographer or create a new dance alone. Likewise, the baseball coach can help a player get out of a batting slump by using conditioning to help the hitter unlearn bad habits that are blocking performance.