Should Behaviorism Shape Education Practices?

Assignment Model Week X: 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 R. Rogers Summary of Author’s Position: Bennett argues that the radical behaviorism approach of B.F. Skinner would improve learning and efficiency in the learning process. Skinnerian behaviorism is closely linked to the idea of consequential control of behavior where stimulus influences behavior, and Bennett emphasizes that understanding positive control can help people support and protect freedom while facilitating change. Rhetorical Fallacies and Ploys Used by the Author: Quotations and Rhetorical Ploys Part 1: Quotations 1 “In contrast, successful early childhood compensatory programs such as Head Start focus on specific environmental changes for children ( for example in learning materials and teaching methods), as well as on training parents how to change their home environment to increase achievement” (p.35) . 2 “Implementation of the radical behavioral viewpoint could increase our personal and social power and deepen our freedom” (p. 36). Part 2: Rhetorical Ploy 1 Bennett support’s Skinner’s view of controlling behavior and conditioning to influence changes, but changing the environment does not imply that the students are being conditioned, but rather they have access to better resources. 2 Bennet uses causal arguments and merely mentions environmental changes as an important part of improving learning and education, but ignores how specific behavioral challenges unique to the economically disadvantaged students are addressed by changing the environment. 3 To Bennett, changing the school environment implies more resources and training the teachers and parents, yet there have been other programs that have succeeded by increasing access to education resources without necessarily relying on behavior approaches in teaching and learning. 4 Testing and improving training teachers improves education standards as the teachers are better prepared to teach and apply their knowledge, experience and skills, but Bennett implies that changing the environment will automatically improve student learning, but teachers also play an important role as they design teaching lessons and use certain strategies. Teach all students...