In every walk of life the act of reinforcement is essential. However, when we talk about classroom activities, reinforcing our learners is special. Pupils need social approval of their behaviours. When they are answering or responding in the class, they are eager to know whether or not their answers or responses are correct. At the same time, reinforcement increases learners participation in the class activities to their best. As a teacher, everyone should try to reinforce their learners so that they can feel happy and comfortable to participate in teaching learning activities.
- Meaning of Reinforcement
- Importance of Reinforcement
- Types of Reinforcement
- Limitations of Reinforcement
Meaning of Reinforcement:
Reinforcement means strengthening. But strengthening of what? Here, reinforcement implies strengthening of positive desirable behaviors of the learners. Thus, a skilled teacher will take those techniques through which learners will inspire to develop his/her behavior.
Importance of Reinforcement:
In every walk of life the act of reinforcement is essential. However, when we talk about classroom activities, reinforcing our learners is special. Pupils need social approval of their behaviours. When they are answering or responding in the class, they are eager to know whether or not their answers or responses are correct. At the same time, reinforcement increases learners participation in the class activities to their best. As a teacher, everyone should try to reinforce their learners so that they can feel happy and comfortable to participate in teaching learning activities.
Types of Reinforcement:
Reinforcement can be discussed in two types and they are - positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. However, by the term ‘reinforcement’ we only mean the ‘positive reinforcement’ here. Positive reinforcement can also be divided into two types. One is Verbal Positive Reinforcement and the other one is Nonverbal Positive Reinforcement.
Verbal Positive Reinforcement:
When a teacher reinforces his learners verbally or with verbal expression (with words) for their correct or desired responses, that is called positive reinforcement. As a teacher you can use the words like ‘right’, ‘you are absolutely correct’, ‘excellent answer’, ‘yes, that’s great’ etc. Such type of praising words will act as a motivating factor in the minds of the learners. As a result they will get inspiration to participate in classroom activities without hesitation.
Nonverbal Positive Reinforcement:
In this technique, a teacher reinforces learners without words,- nodding of head, smiling, moving towards the responding pupil, writing the response of the pupil on the blackboard, etc. Observing or seeing the teachers positive nonverbal behaviours the pupils will learn that they are praised by their teacher for their correct and desired responses. While evaluating classwork or homework copies, the teacher should write ‘good’, ‘well done’, ‘correct’ ‘excellent’ etc. to reinforce and appreciate learners’ correct and timely done works.
Limitations of Positive Reinforcement:
However, the teacher should remember that the job of reinforcement should encourage participation of all the pupils. That means, act of reinforcing someone should not work insulting for another one. At the same time, the teacher should use a justified reinforcement statement. That means, he should know where to use ‘good’ and where to ‘great’. More importantly, the teacher should refrain from using reinforcement statement time and again for each and every response of the pupils. This may make statements merely artificial to the learners.