Albert Bandura of Stanford University has proposed four component processes to his theory of observational learning: a) attention, b) retention, c) motor reproduction, and d) reinforcement and motivation. This study represents one phase of an effort to relate modeling and observational learning theory to teacher training. The problem of this study…

This study investigates the possibility that the reinforcement strength of stimuli can be enhanced by observational learning as well as by pairing with unconditioned reinforcers. The reinforcement strengths of two candies were determined for 40 preschool children as measured by rate of response on a button pressing apparatus. The children then…

In a 1973 Smithsonian behavioral science project, observational methods were used to record school group behaviors during docent guided tours in the National Museum of History and Technology. The purpose of this exploratory study was to reveal the natural museum habitat and criterion behaviors of visiting fourth through sixth graders. Children's…

This study was designed to investigate the effects of modeling or training with and without rule provision on the employment of strategies in solving four-dimensional, discrimination-learning problems. Subjects were 144 second and sixth-grade children from the New York City Public Schools. The blank-trial hypothesis testing paradigm was used. The…

Appraises the respective contribution of initial competence and of imitation of modeled response in the observational learning of conservation among first grade children. (HOD)

Discusses problems posed by television violence; how behavioral and social scientists became interested in television violence and its effects on children; how psychologists study relationships between television violence and behavior; how television violence can be counteracted by television industry, parents, and educators; and results from the…

Describes activities designed to help students think critically and to accurately process information. (FL)

It is fashionable to say that teaching can be the most rewarding profession there is- and it can be. Most teachers can all give examples of the pleasure of helping a child grow in knowledge and understanding, and achieve their potential. But what about the teacher? They shouldn't be excluded from the benefits of lifelong learning because of their…

Modern research has suggested that imitation is a natural mechanism of learning and communication, yet the possibility of imitation in newborn humans has been controversial. This book looks at evidence for innate imitation in babies. The chapters in the first section of the book reassess the Piagetian tradition, especially concerning the relation…

Summarizes major findings of research report issued by Institute of Social Research (University of Michigan) on "Freestyle," a Public Broadcast System television program designed to counteract limiting effects of sexist stereotyping on career aspirations and life skills of boys and girls aged 9 to 12. Strategies in pro-social modeling…

Student teachers given five weeks of microteaching, observation training, or no preparation, taught mathematics to male high school students in urban, suburban, or rural Nigeria. Those teachers who had microteaching experience demonstrated greater frequency of target teaching skills, while a combination of variables contributed to student…

The author describes the behavior modeling program for supervisors at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City. The program involves writing scripts to model supervisory behavior in problem situations, videotaping the behavior, and evaluating supervisory learning from before-and-after tapes. (MF)

This article reviews recent investigations into intentionality (use of motive information) in young children's moral judgments. Intentionality has been shown to vary as a function of the vignette used to measure it. The educational implications of Piagetian theory and cognitive social learning theory for moral development are discussed.…

Explains an integrated curriculum in which science content is at the core of teaching. Contends that study in an integrated curriculum invites students to build their world knowledge by offering them the time and continuous focus to know a subject well. Details an integrated unit called "Oceans" which included: observation; whole group…

Discusses studies that indicate that most American Indians have a historical and contemporary aversion to writing and reading. Suggests that the use of process drama in American Indian classrooms can bridge the gap between Western philosophies and education and American Indian religious attitudes and oral traditions. Concludes if educators…