Learning the Social Cognitive Theory

¶ … Learning

The social cognitive theory suggests that learning takes place through self-regulatory systems. Students can be taught to self-monitor their own performance and behavior and determine for themselves whether they have done well or if improvement is needed. This can be reinforced in the classroom through the use of positive feedback (Bandura, 1991). The strength of this approach is that students can be taught strategies that help them to self-regulate their behavior and set learning goals. The weakness is that this approach does not incorporate actual teaching or learning strategies.

The information processing approach is a theory that explains how learning is processed by the brain. Information in the brain is organized by using procedural memory, imagery, or declarative memory. In the classroom, learning occurs through activating prior learning, making connections, coding information, and repetition (Huitt, 2003). This is different from the social cognitive theory because it deals with how information is processed rather than with how students are motivated. The strength of this approach is that it helps children to commit information to long-term memory. The weakness is that it focuses upon memorization rather than upon how to use or transfer the information.

Unlike social cognitive theory or information processing, social constructivists such as Vygotsky theorize that students learn through their interactions with people and with educational tools such as books or software. Reciprocal teaching and cooperative learning groups may be seen in a social constructivist classroom (Steiner & Mann, 1996). The strong point of this approach is that children can teach and learn from one another. The weak point is that children who benefit more from direct instruction or who learn better in a highly structured setting may have difficulty in this type of environment.

Question 2: Managing the Classroom

There are several different types of classroom management. In an authoritarian classroom, the teachers think that students only learn through lectures and direct instruction. Pupils must participate in the classroom activities whether or not they are willing. In an authoritarian classroom, the teacher is the ultimate decision maker. This is somewhat different from an authoritative classroom, where the expectations are clearly established, but the views and desires of the students are taken into consideration. The third type of classroom management is permissive. In this classroom, there is very little consistent discipline. Children are often treated as friends rather than as students. This type of classroom can easily get out of control (Yilmaz, 2009).

In my judgment, the authoritative classroom is too dictatorial and the students have little buy-in, which can cause classroom management issues in itself because if the children feel oppressed, they are more likely to act out. On the other hand, the permissive environment is too inconsistent and the outlines are not clearly established. This setting can lead to management issues because the children do not know their boundaries.

Out of the three choices, the authoritative classroom is the most effective management style. Although the teacher is the authority figure and the rules are clearly established, the students are allowed to voice their opinions. This setting creates the best learning environment because the children know their boundaries but are able to participate in the decision-making process. In addition, the teacher can improve instruction by generating feedback about lesson delivery and instructional techniques from his or her students.

Question 3: Assessment

Standardized testing is a major issue in education today. According to Chen (2009), this problem will not be going away any time soon. Under President Bush and the No Child Left Behind act, teachers were required to give their students standardized testing in specific subject areas. Many of Obama's supporters had hoped that he would rescind the act. Instead, President Obama has indicated that state governors must "pledge to improve the quality of standardized tests and raise standards" (Chen 2009).