Chapter 10 Learning Log

What?

Social Cognitivists believe that learning is an internal process tha tmay or may not lead to a behavior change. This is expands upon Behaviorism, in that Behaviorists believe that an outward observable behavior must be exhibited in order to ensure that learning has taken plac.e In social cognitivism, this is not the case.
People learn by observing others and in the process begin to assume control over their own behaviors.

The visual metaphor presented in class was a video camera that records and plays back, just like the mind of a student. As they observe something, they play it back in their own behavior.

Reciprocal causation is an important component of Social Cognitivism. It is a model suggesting that motivating beliefs and values are interconnected with environmental factors and behavior. These three things relate to one another in a multi-directional cycle.

So What?

Social cognitivism is important to understand because if you are interracting with your class and you present them with new behavior, even if they do not show outward response, they may be recording information internally. If your students appear attentive, you have good reason to believe that perhaps they really are recording something up their in those heads.

Reciprocal causation is essential to be aware of as a teacher. Because of the interconnectedness of these three factors: 1. Environment, 2. Behavior, and 3.Motivating beliefs, values, emotions, and meanings, we must be constantly observing the tri-interaction within our students. It is of utmost importance that we model good behaviors for our students, as well as create an environment conducive to the behaviors we desire out of our students. We also must be familiar with the individual beliefs, values, and emotions of our students so that we may know the best possible way to adjust one of the 3 factors for the best possible outcome.

Now What?

As a future educator, I am feeling the importance of modeling good behavior and self-efficacy to my students. I am beginning to realize how essential it is that I display complete self-efficacy in my subject areas; health, anatomy, and biology. If I do not display my own confidence in my ability to complete and understand these subjects, my students will not trust the information I am presenting them.

Also, it is important for me as a teacher to build self-regulatory behaviors into my curriculum and assignments. It is very important for students to learn how to self-regulate, self-instruct, self-evaluate, and self-reinforce. If they do not learn how to do these things, it will reduce their productivity later in life. It will make their higher-education experiences much more difficult, not to mention real-world job experiences. I know as an educator I have the opportunity to help my students learn these skills by creating assignments that require them to slow down in their process and self-regulate.