by Israel Gil A. Lacay
The most significant and useful role in education is played by teachers. They are referred to as a nation’s architects or builders. The value and quality of teachers have a significant impact on how students behave in school and may even persist into adulthood. In other words, teachers encourage behavior. The creator of operant conditioning, behavioral psychologist Skinner, sees it as a type of learning to discourage some behavior and encourage the good ones. Such should be the results of rewards or punishments depending on the actions of the subject, in this case, the student.
A behavior that is not rewarded should put an end to it while a reward suggests strengthening of a behavior.
According to Skinner, teachers should reward desired conduct, whereas all of the things we consider to be bad are to be punished.
Giving punishments and rewards are to change a learner’s behavior for the better or worse. We often hear the statement, “To spare the rod, is to spoil the child”. Punishment, however, is rarely the ideal solution. Accordingly, grave punishment also offers a danger to a student if done in an unsafe manner. It could result in a negative behavior and this happens frequently under the pretense of discipline.
Child abuse is just unacceptable in schools no matter how it is undertaken. It is shocking to know that some contemporary psychologists argue that rewards—which involve giving a positive reinforcement after a positive response rarely increase students’ academic achievement while punishment, which entails giving a negative reinforcement after a negative behavior, can occasionally be ineffective in stopping the negative conduct. The risk that punishment will not be applied calmly and objectively while keeping in mind the need to inhibit or eliminate undesired behavior is a significant one.
The person administering the punishment is usually angry with the student harming the student physically (but often not considered as child abuse) and psychologically. This does little to change the child’s bad conduct. A teachers’ lack of knowledge regarding the various rewards and punishments available, as well as how to use them effectively, is the primary cause of such result.
Rewards and punishments might involve the immediate presentation of a stimulus or its removal following a certain conduct. It implies that punishment can have unfavorable repercussions as well, namely anger, resentment, and aggressiveness. A study conducted on lab animals being punished in an aggressive manner have shown aggressive behaviors as the result of the punishment techniques. The animals in an experimental setting frequently fight against each other during the shock, which is used as punishment. Teachers who regularly punish their students without providing alternative rewards breed future animosity and degrade the quality of their relationships with them.
Few psychologists disagree that punishment can be a useful tool for changing behavior, and in some cases, it might even be detrimental. Punishing someone is rarely a sufficient method; instead, it needs to be combined with other behavior modification techniques that allow for some gentle loving care (positive reinforcement or positive punishment). A punishment’s goal in behavior modification is reducing undesired conduct, which lowers the likelihood or probability of such behavior has not always been the case especially in today’s times.
Punishment, as used in daily life, is a penalty issued for carrying out a certain conduct. Children who misbehave, for instance, are typically “taught a lesson” by suffering discomfort, making a sacrifice, or enduring physical punishment, but which are sometimes tantamount to legalization of child abuse. Examples are harsh physical reprimands and use of cruel words.
The truth is that teaching students who have behavioral issues can be challenging. It’s critical to understand not only how the behavior works, but also how to stop it. Teachers frequently focus more on punishing bad behaviors than strengthening the favorable habits. According to a study done in 1000 Indian schools, rewards were given out considerably less frequently than punishment. The study also indicated that teachers lacked the skills necessary to use rewards and punishment effectively, which would have been beneficial for pupils.
The outcome of dealing with non-compliant conduct depends on whether it is dealt with in a punishing method or not at all. Teachers are torn between implementing “mature” teaching methods in their classrooms and implementing more modern methods. Teachers are so accustomed with the easiest ways of reinforcement which could frequently have no significance in behavioral change.
Although conventional techniques have a straightforward effect, the results in behaviors sometimes are not desirable. The need for training of contemporary means of disciplining for teachers to be effective as a nation’s builders cannot be overstated. Although mastering any technique takes time, it is crucial that teachers begin by cultivating a good rapport with both their pupils and their fellow teachers. Students can only gain from positive reinforcements in the classroom when they have faith in their positive role models. **
