CH 10 - SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF BANDURA

CHAPTER 10: SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY OF BANDURA

10.0 INTRODUCTION

1. What is Learning? Learning is not just memorizing textbooks. It is a relatively permanent change in a person's behavior, knowledge, or skill that comes from experience and interacting with the world.
2. Theories of Learning: Psychologists have different views on how learning happens.
• S-R (Stimulus-Response) Theories: Focus on direct associations, like rewards and punishments (e.g., if you get a toffee for good work, you repeat it).
• Cognitive Theories: Focus on internal mental processes like thinking, understanding, and problem-solving.
3. A New Perspective: Albert Bandura introduced the Social Learning Theory (later called Social Cognitive Theory). He argued that we learn not just by doing, but by watching others. This theory bridges behavior and cognition, saying we learn from our social environment through observation and imitation.

10.1 MEANING OF SOCIAL LEARNING

1. Core Idea: Social Learning is learning by observing others. It is also called Observational Learning or Modeling.
2. It's All Around Us: From a toddler copying her mother's words to a student learning a new dance step from a friend, we constantly learn by watching.
3. Key Terms:
• Model: The person whose behavior is being observed and copied. Models can be:
• Real: Parents, teachers, siblings, friends, celebrities.
• Symbolic: Characters in books, TV shows, movies, or online videos.
• Vicarious Learning: Learning indirectly by watching the consequences (reward or punishment) others face for their actions.
4. Daily Life Example for a Primary Teacher:
• In your classroom, if you publicly praise Gurpreet for sitting quietly and starting his work, you might notice Simran and Arjun also quickly sitting straight and opening their notebooks. They observed Gurpreet (model) getting a reward (praise) and imitated the behavior to get the same reward.

10.2 MECHANISM OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING

Bandura said observational learning is not simple copying. It is an active mental process with four crucial steps:

Step	What it Means	Classroom & Daily Life Example
1. ATTENTION	The learner must notice and focus on the model.	A child will pay more attention to a popular classmate, a kind teacher, or a powerful elder sibling than to a stranger. In class, using bright visuals, animated voice, and demonstrations grabs attention.
2. RETENTION	The learner must remember what the model did. They store a mental image or verbal description.	After watching the teacher form the letter 'ਗ', the child closes her eyes and visualizes the curves. She is encoding and storing the action in memory.
3. MOTOR REPRODUCTION	The learner must have the physical and mental ability to reproduce the action.	A child may observe a gymnast's flip (attention) and remember it (retention), but cannot perform it because his body isn't trained. Similarly, a Grade 1 child observes long division but lacks the foundational number skills to reproduce it.
4. MOTIVATION	The learner must have a reason to perform the behavior. This depends on reinforcement (reward) or punishment.	Direct Motivation: The child shares a toy because he saw his friend get praised for sharing. Vicarious Motivation: He avoids hitting because he saw another child get scolded for it. Self-Motivation: He feels proud of himself for behaving well.

Simple Analogy: To bake a cake by watching a video, you must: 1. Watch the video carefully (Attention), 2. Remember the steps (Retention), 3. Have the ingredients and oven (Reproduction), and 4. Want to eat or share the cake (Motivation).

10.3 ROLE OF OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING IN BEHAVIOUR

1. Learning Aggression (The Negative Side):
• Children can learn aggressive behaviors by observing models in real life (e.g., a parent shouting) or in media (e.g., a cartoon hero fighting).
• Example: If a child consistently sees a TV character solving problems with fists and being celebrated as a hero, he might learn that aggression is effective and acceptable.
• For a Teacher: A bully in class may have learned aggression from home environment or media. Punishing him harshly in front of others might ironically teach other children that power through aggression is the model to follow.
2. Learning Pro-Social Behavior (The Positive Side):
• Conversely, children learn kindness, sharing, and cooperation by observing good models.
• Example: When a teacher calmly resolves a conflict between two students, the whole class observes and learns problem-solving skills.
3. Learning Culture and Social Norms:
• Observational learning is how culture, language, and traditions are passed down.
• Example: A child learns how to greet elders (folded hands, "Sat Sri Akal"), how to celebrate Lohri, or how to behave in a gurudwara simply by watching family and community members.
• It also helps in adapting to new environments (e.g., a child new to school learns the routines by watching classmates).

10.4 EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF BANDURA’S THEORY

For a primary school teacher (Grades 1-5), this theory is extremely practical:

1. You are a Powerful Model: Remember, students are constantly watching you. Model the behavior you want to see—patience, respect, punctuality, love for reading, and kindness.
2. Use Peer Models: Identify and use positive peer models in class. "Look how nicely Aman has organized his desk." This uses children's natural attention to peers.
3. Show, Don't Just Tell: Demonstrate skills. Don't just say "draw a circle," draw it on the board. Show the steps of a science experiment.
4. Curate Media Carefully: Be aware that stories, videos, and cartoons shown in class are providing models. Choose content that models cooperation, empathy, and perseverance.
5. Highlight Positive Consequences: Praise and reward desired behaviors publicly. This provides vicarious motivation for other children.
6. Create Safe Practice Spaces: After demonstrating a skill (like a new letter or a craft), give children time and materials to reproduce it without fear of immediate grading.
7. Develop Self-Efficacy: Bandura's key concept. Encourage students by saying, "You can do it." Help them experience small successes. A child who believes he can learn (high self-efficacy) will be more motivated.
8. Manage Classroom Behavior: Instead of only punishing negative behavior, reinforce positive behavior. A child throwing paper? Praise the child sitting calmly next to him. Often, the disruptive child will imitate to gain praise.

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EXERCISE

Q1. Explain the social learning theory of Bandura in detail.

Introduction:
Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory, later expanded as Social Cognitive Theory, revolutionized our understanding of how children learn. Moving beyond traditional theories that focused solely on direct experience (rewards/punishments), Bandura proposed that a significant amount of learning occurs vicariously—through observing others within a social context. This theory is highly relevant for primary school teachers, as the classroom is a rich social environment.

Meaning and Detailed Explanation:

1. Core Principle - Observational Learning: At its heart, the theory states that people learn by watching others, who are called models. This learning involves acquiring new behaviors, skills, attitudes, and emotional reactions.
2. Key Components (The Four-Step Process):
• Attention: Learning requires focusing on the model. Factors like model's attractiveness, competence, and relevance influence attention. A teacher's engaging demonstration captures more attention than a monotonous lecture.
• Retention: The observed behavior must be stored in memory through mental images or verbal codes. A child remembers a story's moral or a mathematical trick by rehearsing it mentally.
• Motor Reproduction: The individual must be capable (physically and mentally) of replicating the behavior. A child may see a perfect cricket shot but lack the motor skills to execute it.
• Motivation: The willingness to perform the learned behavior depends on anticipated consequences. These can be:
• Direct Reinforcement: Expecting a reward (praise, marks).
• Vicarious Reinforcement: Seeing someone else rewarded for the behavior.
• Self-Reinforcement: Internal satisfaction and pride.
3. Concept of Model: Models can be live (parents, teachers, peers) or symbolic (characters in media, books). Children are more likely to imitate models they perceive as similar, powerful, or nurturing.
4. Role of Cognition: Bandura emphasized that learning is not mindless imitation. It involves cognitive mediation—thinking about, interpreting, and making decisions about the observed behavior before performing it.
5. Self-Efficacy: A crucial outcome of this theory is the concept of self-efficacy—a person's belief in their own ability to succeed. Successful observational learning boosts self-efficacy (e.g., "If he can do it, I can too").

Conclusion:
In summary, Bandura's Social Learning Theory provides a comprehensive framework that underscores the social and cognitive dimensions of learning. It tells us that children are active observers in their world, constantly learning from the models around them. For an educator, this highlights the profound responsibility and opportunity to be a positive model and to strategically manage the classroom environment to foster beneficial observational learning.

Q2. Discuss the educational implications of Bandura’s theory for teachers.

Introduction:
Bandura's Social Learning Theory is not just an abstract psychological concept; it is a highly practical guide for classroom teaching. It shifts the teacher's role from a mere transmitter of information to a demonstrator, model, and architect of the learning environment. Understanding this theory can significantly enhance teaching effectiveness in primary classes (Grades 1-5).

Educational Implications (Detailed Discussion):

1. Teacher as an Exemplary Model: The teacher is the most influential live model in the classroom. Students observe and imitate the teacher's speech, manners, problem-solving approach, and even attitudes. Therefore, a teacher must consciously model punctuality, respect for all, enthusiasm for learning, and calm conflict resolution.
2. Purposeful Use of Peer Modeling: Teachers can strategically use peer models. Recognizing and highlighting a student who is working diligently, sharing materials, or speaking politely encourages others to imitate. This is especially powerful in middle childhood when peer influence grows.
3. Demonstration and "Think-Aloud" Strategies: Instead of only giving instructions, teachers should show how to do a task. In math, demonstrate the steps of a problem while verbalizing your thought process ("First, I look at the ones place..."). This makes invisible cognitive processes observable.
4. Selective Reinforcement: The theory underscores the power of vicarious reinforcement. Publicly praising desired behaviors (e.g., "I really appreciate how Group 2 is cooperating") motivates not just that group but all observing students to act similarly to earn praise.
5. Curating Learning Materials: Since symbolic models (in stories, videos, posters) are powerful, teachers must select and discuss media that portray positive social values, gender equality, and prosocial behaviors. Discuss the consequences faced by characters to reinforce moral lessons.
6. Building Self-Efficacy: Teachers can foster self-efficacy by:
• Setting achievable tasks to ensure early success.
• Providing specific, encouraging feedback ("Your handwriting is improving because you are taking time with each letter").
• Using phrases like "You've solved similar problems before, try this one."
7. Managing Behavior Proactively: Rather than solely focusing on punishing undesirable behavior, teachers should invest energy in reinforcing alternative, positive behaviors through modeling and praise, thereby shaping the classroom climate.
8. Facilitating Practice: After observational learning (attention and retention), students need safe opportunities for motor reproduction. This means guided practice, role-playing, and hands-on activities where they can try out the observed skill and receive constructive feedback.

Conclusion:
In essence, Bandura's theory equips the teacher with a lens to view the classroom as a dynamic social stage. Every interaction, demonstration, and piece of feedback is a potential learning moment. By mindfully applying these implications, a teacher can create an environment where children learn academic skills and, more importantly, develop into socially competent and confident individuals.

Q3. What do you mean by social learning theory? Discuss the role of observational learning in behaviour.

Introduction:
Social Learning Theory, pioneered by Albert Bandura, posits that learning is a cognitive process that takes place in a social context. It challenges the idea that learning requires direct personal trial-and-error. Instead, it argues we can learn by observing the actions of others and the outcomes of those actions, a process called observational learning or modeling.

Meaning of Social Learning Theory:
Social Learning Theory means that individuals learn new behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions primarily through observing and imitating models in their environment. This learning is mediated by internal cognitive processes—we pay attention, remember, and decide whether to act based on anticipated consequences. It is a bridge between behaviorist theories (which focus on reinforcement) and cognitive theories (which focus on mental processes).

Role of Observational Learning in Behaviour:

1. Acquisition of New Behaviors: Many complex behaviors are learned primarily through observation. For example:
• A child learns her mother tongue by listening to and imitating family members.
• A student learns how to solve a puzzle, play a new game, or use a craft material by watching a peer.
2. Learning Social Norms and Culture: Observational learning is the primary vehicle for socialization. Children learn gender roles, cultural rituals (like greeting elders), manners, and values by observing their community. A child in Punjab learns the significance of Vaisakhi or the respectful way to handle a Guru Granth Sahib through observation.
3. Development of Aggression and Prosocial Behavior:
• Aggression: Bandura's famous "Bobo doll" experiments showed children imitating aggressive acts they observed in adults. In daily life, exposure to violent media or domestic violence can teach children that aggression is a viable tool.
• Prosocial Behavior: Conversely, observing acts of kindness, sharing, and helping leads to the learning of prosocial behavior. A child who sees his teacher comforting an upset classmate learns empathy and care.
4. Inhibition and Disinhibition: Observational learning can strengthen or weaken existing behaviors.
• Disinhibition: If a child sees a model being rewarded for a forbidden act (e.g., a cartoon character breaking rules and having fun), the child's own inhibitions against that act may decrease.
• Inhibition: If a child sees a model being punished for an act (e.g., a classmate scolded for cheating), the child is less likely to perform that act.
5. Facilitation of Existing Responses: Observation can simply trigger behaviors already known. Seeing a friend run towards the playground may facilitate the observer to run too, a behavior they already knew.

Conclusion:
Observational learning is not a passive or minor part of development; it is a fundamental and active process that shapes a vast array of human behaviors—from basic skills to complex social conduct. It plays a critical role in both adaptive behaviors (learning culture) and maladaptive ones (learning violence). For educators and caregivers, this underscores the immense impact of the models they provide and the social environments they create for children, making it a cornerstone concept in child development and pedagogy.