How is Constructivism and Behaviorism Similar

Introduction of Behaviorism and Constructivism

Behaviorist methods of education place a strong emphasis on modifying behavior by rewarding good achievement. The idea behind behaviorism is that everything an organism does, including acting, thinking, and feeling, can and should be viewed as a behavior.

Constructivist psychologies theorize about and research how people develop systems to genuinely comprehend their surroundings and experiences. Constructivist educational techniques place a strong emphasis on students' active involvement in the conceptual content through strategies including talking (rather than just listening), writing (rather than just reading), interaction, problem-solving, and other "active" approaches.

What is Behaviorism?

Behaviorism is a learning theory that views individual learning as nonexistent. As the foundation of education, it instead emphasizes "the observation of the environment and responding to it." Behaviorism is usually considered to be a branch of psychology and therefore, it is studied under it. It highlights the interaction between stimulus and response, with the focus being on stimuli.

They contend that people are responsible for their actions and that free will is real. The notion that behavior is a science implies that it can be understood through knowledge, predicted with ease, and controlled through the use of the appropriate tools.

Behaviorists are aware that the desire to learn is stimulated by linkages between stimuli and responses, and that learning is a process that emerges from these connections. They contend that students pick up information passively and that both favorable and unfavorable outcomes might affect behavior.

Observing overt behavior makes it simple to gauge the amount of learning that occurs. By giving students tests and material and then having them repeat what they had learned to the instructor, they may gauge student learning and knowledge and support the claim that behavior is primarily influenced by consequences and outcomes.

These are the following features of behaviorism:  

• The study of people should be constrained and solely based on measurable facts.
   
• Any attempt to change behavior must first undergo a set of behavioral analyses. If the endeavor is unsuccessful, the behavioral analyses used were flawed.
   
• Behaviorists argue that rather than the individual, heredity and environment are the only relevant factors that drive a person to engage in particular activities.
   
• It is discouraged to depict humanity by separating out behavior and mental processes since it is not useful or reliable from a scientific standpoint.

The focus of behaviorist theory is on the investigation of human learning and habit formation.

This theory basically states that whatever behavior an individual emits is the reflection of the environment he or she interacts with.

Individual characteristics and innate tendencies don't matter very much when it comes to someone's schooling. People become conditioned by their interactions with the environment, which results in the formation of a habit.

Dedicated behaviorists contend that "all behaviors are the product of experience" and that "anyone, regardless of history, can be trained to act in a particular manner given the proper conditioning." According to behaviorism, each person is born with a clean slate (tabula rasa). It is a known fact that people eventually learn the societal code of conduct via their conditioning.

For example, if we deem specific acts by individuals desirable, we present them with a suitable incentive termed positive conditioning. We penalize people as a form of negative conditioning if we believe their actions to be objectionable. Behaviorism among people is directly proportional to the conditioning practiced.

What is Constructivism?

Constructivism refers to the idea that each student creates or constructs knowledge on their own. Constructivism is credited with being John Dewey's idea. Constructivists contend that a student has to have the chance to engage with sensory data and create their own worlds.

It holds that students build their own knowledge based on their experiences with the outside world and other people. They are aware that learning is an interpretative, recursive process that is built by engaged learners as they interact with the outside world

Constructivism emphasizes experimentation, open-minded problem-solving, and cooperative learning, where students gain independent learning skills by actively engaging with ideas and principles. Constructivism encourages students to construct knowledge from their time in the classroom.

The following are characteristics of a constructivist methodology: 

• Social interaction promotes learning in the most effective way.
• Learning is built on the processes of experiencing, discovering, and personal discovery, as well as on asking questions, doing, and doing just enough.
• Knowing anything is not a random process; rather, it follows a clear framework.
• When the stages of human development are in line with the undertaking of knowledge, learning is made simple.
   
• Students develop their own knowledge by investigating many tenets, starting with what they already know, and moving on to the unknowns. Then, through honest evaluation and application, their knowledge is determined in an effective manner.

In order to comprehend a person's learning behavior, cognitivism probes deeper than the surface-level observation of that person. These processes are known as cognitive domains by cognitivism.

According to cognitive theory, every person is treated as a unique being with unique cognitive domains and levels of comprehension. Recalling information and keeping it in mind becomes crucial in this approach.

Constructivism and Behaviorism share some similarities: 

• For learning to occur, both internal and external circumstances must be met. Verbal information, cognitive techniques, intellectual skills, attitude, and motor skills are some of these prerequisites.

• The learning theories of constructivism and behaviorism both seek to describe how a learner learns and gains knowledge.

• The methods utilized to impart knowledge to students in both traditional classroom settings and online learning environments, based on clearly laid out instructions, have been directly influenced by constructivism and behaviorism.

• The definition of a learner's position in an educational system is a goal shared by constructivism and behaviorism.

Behaviorism and Constructivism: In Conclusion 

Behaviorism and constructivism are both concerned with the strategies teachers use to impart knowledge and how students are able to assimilate it. In order to structure educational and institutional systems, both ideas are crucial. A teacher's function in constructivism differs from that of a teacher in behaviorism.

In behaviorism, a learner responds to stimuli, such as the teacher, either positively or negatively. If the learner responds negatively, punishment is meted out to the learner. In a contrast to the conventional method of lecturing, they serve as facilitators, observers, and trainers.

As was noted earlier, constructivist learning environments offer a variety of realistic representations of the world. They propose presenting students with actual issues so they may evaluate and defend their answers. In the end, Both behaviorists and constructivists contend that their theories provide the best means for students to acquire knowledge, with neither group placing themselves above the other.