In 1977, the psychologist Albert Bandura created Social Learning Theory and it is still being used in classrooms today. Social Learning Theory states that “Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions, this coded information serves as a guide for action.” Bandura believed that we learn from modeling and observing others’ behaviors. In the classroom, this is especially true. Have you ever seen one kid act out- such as standing on a chair- and one by one, other students start to copy/follow the behavior? This is a prime example of Social Learning Theory.
While this theory and its components can sometimes lead to bad outcomes, you can use it effectively in the classroom. With the example, the teacher was not able to reprimand the first student for standing on his chair due to not catching him on time. The other students, in turn, see that there is no action being taken, so they quickly follow suit. In my classroom, I would use the Social Learning Theory to my advantage. As the teacher, I would model the desired behavior in class. The student pays attention and later imitates the behavior. If a student is doing the desired behavior, such as sitting quietly while raising their hand, I would reinforce the behavior with praise “Thank you, Sarah, for sitting quietly, waiting to be called on.” Usually, this causes the other students to take into account what Sarah is doing and imitate it later.
Social Learning Theory in the classroom isn’t always about good behavior. We, as teachers, implement this theory almost every day. Most of the time, we are modeling what we need the students to do. This can be showing students how to create a PowerPoint, how to write an essay, how to use the scientific method and more. It has become second nature to us to model behavior and the students imitate it. Below is a diagram showing how Social Learning Theory works. If you want to learn more, click on the links below!
How to incorporate SLT in your classroom
Use SLT in classroom activities
Caitlyn Ney- Classroom Management 