Monday, March 9, 2009
Behavioral Objectives and Modifications
The effect of behavioral psychology on American education can clearly be seen through the widespread use of behavioral objectives and behavior modification in the school setting. The “clear articulation of the outcomes of instruction through the use of well-defined behavior objectives” is the first step in the behaviorist instructional system, followed by developing instructional material to assist the student in meeting the objectives, assessment of the students’ success in reaching the stated objectives, and revising the instructional materials based on the results of the assessment process (Abeles, Hoffer, & Klotman, 1995, p. 243). Behavior modification, on the other hand, focuses on the use of different reinforcers to increase or decrease a desired student behavior.
According to Abeles et al. (1995), “Behavioral objectives must be precise, clear, and unambiguous” (p. 244). A well-written behavioral objective should have four elements: a verb, a statement of conditions under which the behavior occurs, the standard of quality that the performance must reach, and the learner (Abeles et al., 1995). For example, in the objective “Students will be able to sing a pentatonic song in the key of F=Do accurately and in tune by themselves,” the verb is “sing,” the condition is “by themselves,” the quality is “accurately and in tune,” and the learners are “students.” In my undergraduate experience at North Central College in Naperville, IL, all learning objectives needed to begin with “The student will be able to,” or “SWBAT,” followed by such recommended verbs as identify, describe, differentiate, demonstrate, define, etc. Some educators believe that behavioral objectives are limiting, especially in the arts, and advocate the additional use of problem-solving objectives with expressive outcomes (Abeles et al., 1995).
Abeles et al. (1995) suggest that the other strong influence from the behavioral psychology school on education, behavior modification, “appeals to teachers because of its emphasis on direct application and its focus on solving specific problem behaviors. In addition, its techniques seem easy to learn and apply” (p. 260). In contrast, intrinsic rewards are much more difficult to control. Psychologists and educators focus on the type of reinforcer in use and the frequency in which the reinforcer is associated with the desired (or undesired) response when implementing behavior modification. Research in music education indicates that behavior modification is generally successful: “behavioral strategies may alter musical preferences, reduce disruptive behavior in music instructional situations, increase the amount of time students practice, and reduce instrumental music performance anxiety” (p. 263). A potential limitation in implementing behavior modification strategies is the amount of time and resources needed to “1) Select the behavior to be modified and identify the desired or goal behavior, 2) Observe the frequency of the behavior and its antecedents and possible reinforcing events, 3) Plan a program to alter the behavior and monitor the change, and 4) Remove the program and monitor to see if the goal behavior is maintained” (p. 261). In order to thoroughly monitor such progress, an outside observer or some kind of recording device would be necessary.
The popularity of behavior modification is not likely to fade in the near future, and its perceived usefulness in improving instruction validates its placement in the classroom for the time being. Additionally, standards-based movements have had a lasting and long-term effect on education, and teachers can again take advantage of this by improving student instruction through the use of behaviorally stated learning objectives.
Abeles, H. F., Hoffer, C. R., & Klotman, R. H. (1995). Foundations of music education (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Higher Education.
According to Abeles et al. (1995), “Behavioral objectives must be precise, clear, and unambiguous” (p. 244). A well-written behavioral objective should have four elements: a verb, a statement of conditions under which the behavior occurs, the standard of quality that the performance must reach, and the learner (Abeles et al., 1995). For example, in the objective “Students will be able to sing a pentatonic song in the key of F=Do accurately and in tune by themselves,” the verb is “sing,” the condition is “by themselves,” the quality is “accurately and in tune,” and the learners are “students.” In my undergraduate experience at North Central College in Naperville, IL, all learning objectives needed to begin with “The student will be able to,” or “SWBAT,” followed by such recommended verbs as identify, describe, differentiate, demonstrate, define, etc. Some educators believe that behavioral objectives are limiting, especially in the arts, and advocate the additional use of problem-solving objectives with expressive outcomes (Abeles et al., 1995).
Abeles et al. (1995) suggest that the other strong influence from the behavioral psychology school on education, behavior modification, “appeals to teachers because of its emphasis on direct application and its focus on solving specific problem behaviors. In addition, its techniques seem easy to learn and apply” (p. 260). In contrast, intrinsic rewards are much more difficult to control. Psychologists and educators focus on the type of reinforcer in use and the frequency in which the reinforcer is associated with the desired (or undesired) response when implementing behavior modification. Research in music education indicates that behavior modification is generally successful: “behavioral strategies may alter musical preferences, reduce disruptive behavior in music instructional situations, increase the amount of time students practice, and reduce instrumental music performance anxiety” (p. 263). A potential limitation in implementing behavior modification strategies is the amount of time and resources needed to “1) Select the behavior to be modified and identify the desired or goal behavior, 2) Observe the frequency of the behavior and its antecedents and possible reinforcing events, 3) Plan a program to alter the behavior and monitor the change, and 4) Remove the program and monitor to see if the goal behavior is maintained” (p. 261). In order to thoroughly monitor such progress, an outside observer or some kind of recording device would be necessary.
The popularity of behavior modification is not likely to fade in the near future, and its perceived usefulness in improving instruction validates its placement in the classroom for the time being. Additionally, standards-based movements have had a lasting and long-term effect on education, and teachers can again take advantage of this by improving student instruction through the use of behaviorally stated learning objectives.
Abeles, H. F., Hoffer, C. R., & Klotman, R. H. (1995). Foundations of music education (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomas Higher Education.
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