Does Your Teacher Give Out Candy? A Look at Reinforcement Principles in the Classroom

Before we can become better students, we must understand how we learn. The following excerpt is an overview of reinforcement principles and the benefits of applying them in the classroom. 

Reinforcement Principles in the Classroom
By: Ryan F.
Abbreviated By: Isabella S.

The following is only an overview of Ryan's research; please read his full paper here. 

   What are Reinforcement Principles?

"[B.F. Skinner] theorized that a behavior increases or decreases in frequency based upon the consequences that follow the behavior. When a behavior is followed by a positive consequence or by the removal of a negative consequence, the behavior will increase in frequency and strength. Thus, reinforcers make a behavior more likely to occur" (Ryan, 1).

Examples

"For example, dog treats would act as positive reinforcers when teaching a dog a new trick. If my dog Wesley is rewarded with a bone every time he sits, his sitting behavior will increase in frequency and strength. Negative reinforcement increases behavior by removing a negative consequence in response to a behavior. For example, getting out of bed in the morning may increase in frequency if it stops parents from nagging their children" (Ryan, 1).

Does It Work?

"Despite the backlash and criticism, research has supported the effectiveness of using reinforcement principles in the classroom. An overwhelming number of studies have shown that reinforcement principles can enhance learning when applied correctly. Lysakowski and Walberg (1981) analyzed the results from 39 studies that examined the relationship between student achievement and reinforcement. These researchers concluded that reinforcement had positive effects on student achievement and that these effects appeared across age, grade, race, public vs. private schools, and community types... Another study conducted by Bear and Richards (1980) delved into the effects of reinforcement on academic performance if students, in grades 5 through 8, were given extra time for recess. It was discovered that student achievement drastically improved over the baseline period. In another study, when tutors were trained in reinforcement and feedback techniques, these strategies impacted first graders’ achievement levels more than tutor skill or tutor expectations (Conrad, 1975). Finally, studies have shown that even IQ scores can be increased using reinforcement principles (Clingman, Auerbach, Bowman & Parrish, 1977). All of these studies provide a good argument for how positive reinforcement can be used effectively in the educational system to improve student performance" (Ryan, 3).

Success

"There are many separate behaviors that make students successful. For example, participation, effort, and achievement are all important but different behaviors. Depending upon which of these behaviors is reinforced, the result will be different. Tobin and Capie reported that junior high students were more engaged and performed better when effort (or motivation) was reinforced (as cited in Cotton, 1988)..." (Ryan, 4).

So What?

"Correctly applying behavioral principles is complicated. One needs to be aware which behaviors need to be reinforced (for example, reinforcing motivation over achievement). But also, one must find what is actually reinforcing to the subject (for example, my dog will not do a trick for pomegranate as he apparently does not find this fruit tasty). Rewards that work with elementary school children are not likely to work with high school students (Kansas)... In order to examine the question about what is actually reinforcing to high school students, [Ryan] conducted [his] own informal survey where a random sa

mple of twenty high school students were given a questionnaire that asked them to rank reinforcers, from least motivating to most motivating" (Ryan, 6). The following is an overview of Ryan's research. 

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