INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES CAMPUS, KUALA LUMPUR

PISMP
TESL
INTAKE JANUARY 2012
SEMESTAR 2



TSL 3103
ELT METHODOLOGY







NAME OF STUDENT : CHAWARUTH KET KEAW A/L CHARAT
INDEX NUMBER : 2012211350104
DATE OF SUBMISSION : 3 SEPTEMBER 2012
NAME OF LECTURER : Madam Tan Aig Bee



Sub-task 2
Introduction
Learning is the process whereby an organism changes its behavior as a result
of experience (Gage & Berliner, 1998). It is an important process because every
organism in Earth able to adopt in their environment as they are learning. The
statement proposed by Gage and Berliner had shown that learning has occur
through behavior. Learning also seems takes time because it is a process according
Gage and Berliner (1998). The term learning also have different views according to
many source. According to Rossum and Hammer (2010), learning is the increase of
knowledge. This view of learning is emphasized on knowledge, knowledge is the
center of everything for learning to occur. In order to gain knowledge, the perceiver
must be active enough to seek for the knowledge.
Learning also has been long studied and there are several theoris with
different point of views on learning. In this essay, only two theories is focus based on
the extent to teaching/learning processes in the classroom observed during School
Based Experience II (SBE II). Based on the observation, only two theories is
emphasized by Mr. Baskaran. The two the theories that were emphasized during
English Lesson are behaviorism theory and cognitivism theory.
Behaviorism Theory
According to Woolfolk (1995), the behavioral view generally assumes that
outcome of learning is change in behavior and emphasizes the effects of external
events on the individual. Learning is assume as success if change in behavior has
occur. For the behaviorist, behavior is everything that we do, both verbal and
nonverbal that can be directly seen or heard (Santrock, 2011). This view of learning
also measures observable behaviors produced by a learners response to stimuli.
Responses to stimuli can be reinforced with positive or negative feedback to
condition desired behaviors (Behaviorism: Learning Theory, n.d.). Based on
Behaviorist, there are two type of behavioral learning theories. The first theory is
known as classical conditioning and the second theories is known as operant
conditioning. Classical conditioning focused on changes in muscular or glandular
responses (Gage and Berliner, 1998). From the observation during the English
lesson, Mr. Baskaran has applied classical conditioning during his lesson. The
classical conditioning can be seen during lesson because the student will remain
silent when the teacher put his finger on his mouth. Based on this situation, the
classical conditioning theory is applied because according to Mr. Baskaran, the
student will remain silent if he doing the gesture because the gesture is indicate
silent. From this situation, the noisy environment in the class is unconditioned
stimulus (US) and the teacher say silent is unconditioned response (UR). The
conditioned stimulus (CS) is the gesture. As the the teacher show the gesture
throughout the lesson, student will remain silent because they had learnt the
conditioned response (CR) which is to remain silent. From this situation, it is clearly
shown that classical conditioning had been applied during the lesson because
whenever Mr. Baskaran put his finger on his mouth student will remain silent.
The second behavioral theory that were applied during the lesson is operant
conditioning. Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which the consequences of
learning in which the consequences of behavior produce changes in the probability
that the behavior will occur (Santrock, 2011). In other word, the consequences of the
behavior is the crucial for learning to occur. Based on operant conditioning, learning
is enhance by reinforcement and punishment. Reinforcement is consequences that
increase the probability that a behavior will occur and punishment in other side is
consequences that decrease the probability that a behavior will occur (Santrock,
2011). During the lesson, the learning processes has shown evidence of operant
conditioning which is reinforcement. The reinforcement has been applied by Mr.
Baskaran during his lesson. This can be seen in inductive activity when he used the
reinforcement to attract into the learning process. As an example, student A was
praised by him after answer a question about the picture. The behavior of student A
is more likely to occur because his behavior is being praised by his teacher. The
similar situation is seen before the class ended when Mr. Baskaran said there was
no homework for today if they finish their exercise in the activity book. This can be
conclude that the operant conditioning has been used in Mr. Baskaran lesson.
Cognitivism theory
The second theory that involved during the learning processes is cognitivism
theory. Cognitive views of learning suggest that learning involves the transformation
of information in the environment into knowledge that is stored into the mind
(Learning Theories-Cognitive Learning Theories, n.d). This is prior to the knowledge
that was relate to the experience that has already stored in the mind. According to
Woolfolk, 1995 cognitive view sees people as active learners who initiate
experiences, seek out information to solve problems, and recognize what they
already know to achieve new insight. This also focused on inner mental activities
where the framework mind is compare to computers. The information is first receive
then processed and leads to certain outcomes. Based on cognitivist, knowledge is
stored in form of scheme. Cognitive view of learning also suggest that student is the
active seeker of knowledge where they are to learn. During the lesson, Mr. Baskaran
asked about student`s house to lead to a new knowledge that was going to learn by
student. This is an example of cognitive view of learning because the prior
knowledge is relate to the experience that already stored in student mind. The
experience that they already have is about their house and then the knowledge is
relate to the question that being ask by Mr. Baskaran. Another example of cognitive
theory during the lesson is when Mr. Baskaran ask the question about the example
of comparatives and superlatives and student answer tried to answer the question
without regard to the correctness. After that, Mr. Baskaran will give the correct
answer. This will help construct the scheme of the student because they have
undergone the changes in their knowledge from getting the wrong idea about
something such as their wrong answer about the question that was ask by Ms.
Baskaran. As a conclusion, the cognitivism theory was successfully applied by Ms.
Baskaran in his lesson.
Conclusion
To sum up, Ms. Baskaran had used two learning theories which is
behaviorism and cognitivism in his lesson. He has effectively applied both theories
during the lesson in his class. This can be seen as student able to participate in the
learning session as suggest by operant conditioning through reinforcement. He also
had effectively applied, cognitivism theory because student was able construct their
own knowledge based on the question that was given by him.

References
Behaviorism: Learning theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from msu edu:
https://www.msu.edu/~purcelll/behaviorism%20theory.htm?pagewanted=all
Gage, N. L., & Berliner, D. C. (1998). Education psychology. New York: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Santrock, J. W. (2011). Education psycology (6th Edition). Mc Graw Hill.
Woolfolk, A. E. (1995). Education psycology (6th Edition). A Simon & Schuster
Company.