Education Essay: Should Behaviorism Shape Educational Practices?

Should Behaviorism Shape Education Practices?
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Should Behaviorism Shape Education Practices?
Assignment: Identifying Fallacious Arguments and Rhetorical Ploys
Educational Issue: Should Behaviorism Shape Education Practices?
Educational Expert Position
Yes: Carson M. Bennett
No: Carl Rogers
Summary of Author’s Position
Carson M. Bennett believes that the adoption of radical behaviorism as advanced by B.F skinner would improve the power and efficiency of learning, and Carl Rogers uses his ‘humanistic’ approach to oppose Skinner’s concept while arguing that the inner subjective forces of human emotions would play a greater role in learning (Noll, 2013, pp.30). The two are making incredible contributions to learning, and it is unlikely that any one of us can dismiss any of these theories. B.F Skinner believed that the external environment entirely shapes human behaviors. Arguably, there are many instances where there is direct evidence to demonstrate that the environment has altered human behavior, thoughts, and feelings. However, it is not entirely true that behaviorism can be used to model education practices.
Rhetorical Fallacies and Ploys Used by the Author: Quotations and Rhetorical Ploys
Part 1: Quotations
1. “Historically, the atmosphere of schooling has been characterized by harsh discipline, regimentation and restriction” (Noll, 2013, pp.30).
2. “The school retains the stigma of authoritarian control-attendance is compelled, social and psychological punishment is meted out, and freedom of students is curtailed with the belief that young people are evil and wild” (Noll, 2013, pp.30).
3. “Students need to be forced to reap benefits because the schooling is unpalatable” (Noll, 2013, pp.30) and school is a source of “grief and mortification” (pp.31).
Part 2: Rhetorical Ploys
James Noll deploys a rhetorical ploy to dismiss the current form of sch...