Operant conditioning is a key concept of behaviorism where we use rewards and punishments to instill a particular behavior. It is a highly effective method used often in classrooms.

In general, reward systems are a great example of operant conditioning. Within a classroom setting, whether it is orally praising someone, extra play time, not giving homework or even letting them decide on the reward, this sort of positive reinforcement encourages children to behave a certain way as there is an assurance that they will be rewarded at the end.

There are 2 main things to keep in mind when coming up with a reward or punishment within a classroom setting. One, is how effective the reward/punishment itself is going to be. For example, if the reward isn’t appealing enough or if the punishment isn’t daunting enough, students will not be motivated to behave the way we want them to. Hence, a lot of thought must go into designing the reward/punishment. It is important to remember that there isn’t one universal reward/punishment, and what works with one set of students need not work with another, as encouragement works differently for different children. The second thing to keep in mind is consistency. If we aren’t consistent with implementing rewards/punishments, students tend to realise that they might get away with it and hence not behave the way we intend for them to.

Works Cited

Cherry, Kendra. “What Is Operant Conditioning and How Does It Work?” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863.

Goldman, Jason G. “What Is Operant Conditioning? (and How Does It Explain Driving Dogs?).” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 13 Dec. 2012, blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/what-is-operant-conditioning-and-how-does-it-explain-driving-dogs/.

“Operant Conditioning Theory: Examples for Effective Habit Formation.” PositivePsychology.com, 28 Apr. 2021, positivepsychology.com/operant-conditioning-theory/.