Teaching Adolescents |
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Overview
Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory is rooted in traditional learning theory, but posited that learning had a social element: people learn from watching others (observational learning), not merely from direct reinforcement. The three main concepts behind social cognitive theory are (1) people can learn by observing a model, (2) mental states, not just environmental reinforcement, are important to learning, and (3) learning does not necessarily elicit a change in behavior. Those core concepts, with their emphasis on cognitive factors, bridge the gap between learning theories and cognitive development. (Cherry, 2012a). Two specific theoretical contributions that Bandura presented to the field of learning theory are those of reciprocal determinism or triadic reciprocality and self-efficacy (Harackiewicz, & Kihlstrom, 1990). Reciprocal determinism examines the relationship between person, environment, and behavior. Self-efficacy affects how a person will approach goals, tasks, and challenges. Self-efficacy is not an immutable trait, and can be developed through mastery experiences, social modeling, social persuasion, and psychological responses (Cherry, 2012b). |
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Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
Reciprocal determinism examines the casual relationships between the variables in Lewin’s classic formula B = f(P,E), or the concept that behavior is a function of person (internal factors) and environment (external factors). To state it very un-scientifically, reciprocal determinism establishes that, in the above formula, everything affects everything else. The variables affect each other bi-directionally, but not simultaneously or equally (Harackiewicz, & Kihlstrom, 1990). |
Considerations for the Classroom
In a study by Zimmerman, Bandura, and Martinez-Ponz (1992), a casual path was found between student’s efficacy for self-regulated learning, efficacy for academic achievement, and ultimate attainment of academic goals. The most significant conclusions of their findings are that students will not adopt the academic aspirations imposed upon them, but their own academic efficacy determines their aspirations. It is not enough for educational institutions to raise academic standards—the academic experience itself must be structured in a way that builds students' academic efficacy (Bandura, Martinez-Ponz, & Zimmerman, 1992). |
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