Many people view learning as a process of trial and error.  In some respects it is but the key element according to social cognitive theory is observational modeling.  So what exactly is social cognitive theory? 

“Social cognitive theory favors a model of causation involving triadicreciprocal determinism. In this model of reciprocal causation, behavior, cognition and other personal factors, and environmental influences all operate as interacting determinants that influence each other bidirectionally.”

Bandura, A (1989)

The above definition is from Albert Bandura who is considered the father of social cognitive theory. He is quick to point out that although all of the influencing factors mentioned (behavior, cognition, environmental influences) are related bidirectionally this doesn’t mean they are all of equal strength. This stresses the importance of diverse social practice and teachings due to the multitude of factors that may or may not hit home for some students.

Modeling

Modeling is a prime example of a teaching strategy that incorporates social cognitive theory. Now a model can be a multitude of things as described by Denler, Wolters, and Benzon.

“Live demonstrations of a behavior or skill by a teacher or classmate, of course, typify the notion of modeling. Verbal or written descriptions, video or audio recordings, and other less direct forms of performance are also considered forms of modeling.”

Denler, H., Wolters, C., & Benzon, M. (n.d.). Articles. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-cognitive-theory/

Bandura summarizes observational modeling into four main parts: Attention, Retention, Production, and Motivation.

Let’s look at a hands on model to dissect these four processes. For example, let’s say a classroom is working on a community garden. The attention process starts when the students notice something about their environment (a plant is sprouting, it’s sunny outside, the soil is dry). This then piggybacks on to the retention process where a student remembers what they noticed (my plant was greener yesterday after it rained, my plant doesn’t look as good because I forgot to water it). These connections to observations are the basis of retention. The production process is when students use their retention skills to emulate a desired result (I’m going to water my plant everyday so it’s healthy, I’m going to move my plant into the sun to encourage growth). The motivation process is the understanding of why the students want to care for their plants and utilize the things they’ve retained (I want to have the biggest plant in the class, I want to see it flower).

Now many of you are probably saying so what, it’s easy to do observational modeling when you’re teaching science, but by breaking it down into these four parts it makes it a lot easier to construct a model that is relevant to your classroom. After all that is the art and beauty of teaching.

Modeling Behavior

Classroom etiquette is a tool for modeling behavior. Bandura touches on this by stating, “In the transactions of everyday life, behavior alters environmental conditions and is, in turn, altered by the very conditions it creates. The environment is not a fixed entity that inevitably impinges upon individuals.” (Bandura, 1989) For example, when a student talks out of turn the teacher may scowl at the student which alters the environment and lets other students know that talking out of turn is unacceptable behavior. Based on Bandura’s definition modeling doesn’t have to be a tangible object and therefore can be subjected to students in a number of ways which includes molding behavior.

One interesting study sampled four schools and focused on modeling sustainability. The teachers served as active role models to encourage sustainability habits among their students. Some of the behaviors are listed here in this excerpt from the study.

“Behaviors engaged in by teachers and staff included (a) driving a hybrid car, carpooling, hiking, or walking to school; (b) eating organic, local food with minimal disposable packaging; (c) wearing second hand clothes; (d) participating in community service; (e) composting, recycling, and reusing; (f) picking up litter; (g) turning off lights when leaving a room; (h) promoting democratic, equitable classroom environments; (i) using appropriate conflict-resolution strategies; and (j) encouraging diverse and divergent opinions. Although teachers did not always engage in these behaviors exclusively for the purpose of modeling sustainability, their actions nevertheless served as models for students.”

Amy, L. H., & McMillan, V. M. (2006). Teaching through modeling: Four schools’ experiences in sustainability education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 38(1), 39-53.

The schools themselves also created a culture of sustainability by making their facilities more green as well as sponsoring environmentally friendly activities outside of school. The students also served a crucial role in promoting a sustainable environment which is described here:

“Neither school employs custodial staff. Instead, the students and faculty serve as school caretakers, cleaning, collecting trash, recycling, tending gardens, composting, preparing food, and caring for school animals. Students at both schools are responsible for about 30 min of chores per day, as well as longer work projects that involve ongoing maintenance, building construction, and gardening.”

Amy, L. H., & McMillan, V. M. (2006). Teaching through modeling: Four schools’ experiences in sustainability education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 38(1), 39-53.

The researchers attributed observational modeling for the change in students’ behavioral approach to maintaining a sustainable lifestyle.

Hands on Learning in the “Real World”

Looking at how most companies operate it is safe to say that most use observational modeling as their essential training tool. No electrical company (hopefully) is going to throw a new employee out into the field and say, “Figure it out!”, no instead, they require on-the-job training and job shadowing prior so that the new employee can use observational learning to understand their role. So if this practice works so well then why isn’t it being used in schools? It is but there are some subjects that make it a little more challenging to be hands on. That’s why it is important as educators to look for opportunities when lesson planning to utilize hands on experience if able to, which is explained in this video by Sean Rice.

One related study looked at the path to becoming a teacher and concluded that teachers’ effectiveness was mostly influenced by their placement with an effective mentor. This may seem like a no brainer but the study also looked at student teachers’ schools and specific factors associated with their place of study such as diversity, staff turnover, etc. The study was based on a sample of 1,000 student teachers in the Washington state area and they evaluated the mentors educational value prior to pairing the student teachers. They then followed the sample of 1,000 student teachers in the workforce and found a positive correlation between their students’ standardized test scores and the educational value of the mentorship they received. People tend to associate hands-on learning with trades, when in reality it can be utilized to enhance learning in all fields of study.

Another similar study looked at 30 different elementary schools and observed teacher performance (specifically in math and english) after they had received on-the-job learning from their colleagues. They shared what they concluded in this quote.

“Results suggest that formal professional development and on-the-job opportunities to learn are both significantly associated with changes in teachers’ instructional practice in mathematics and English language arts.”

Parise, L., & Spillane, J. (2010). Teacher Learning and Instructional Change: How Formal and On-the-Job Learning Opportunities Predict Change in Elementary School Teachers’ Practice

Now this study focused on teachers with all sorts of teaching experience as opposed to focusing on student teachers, which begs to question if their needs to be more observational learning for our teachers regardless of experience?

After researching social cognitive theory I also had some other questions, like where does behavioral modeling fit in with progressive education? Are the four schools that designed their culture around sustainability a model for what future schools will look like? If modeling is the future, then how do schools get parents and communities on the same page? Could educational video games or interactive simulation be a suitable resource for modeling? In your own experience what lessons stand out the most to you throughout your educational career and how can you relate them back to social cognitive theory? Feel free to discuss in the comments down below!

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Sources

Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of child development. Vol.6. Six theories of child development (pp. 1-60). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

Amy, L. H., & McMillan, V. M. (2006). Teaching through modeling: Four schools’ experiences in sustainability education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 38(1), 39-53. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.augsburg.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.augsburg.edu/docview/233055421?accountid=8430

Parise, L., & Spillane, J. (2010). Teacher Learning and Instructional Change: How Formal and On-the-Job Learning Opportunities Predict Change in Elementary School Teachers’ Practice. The Elementary School Journal, 110(3), 323-346. doi:10.1086/648981

Goldhaber, D., Krieg, J., & Theobald, R. (2019, May 20). Leveraging the Student Teaching Experience to Train Tomorrow’s Great Teachers. Retrieved June 14, 2019, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/05/20/leveraging-the-student-teaching-experience-to-train-tomorrows-great-teachers/

Denler, H., Wolters, C., & Benzon, M. (2014). Social Cognitive Theory: An Overview for Educators. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/social-cognitive-theory/