Social Cognitive Views of Learning

Last week in class we talked about the social cognitive views of learning. This view says that humans can learn by observing other people and their thought process. This theory goes hand in hand with behaviorism, but it goes a little deeper. In behaviorism, most of the learning takes place through actions. In the social cognitive model, learning takes place through actions and observations. For example, if a child sees a human hitting a doll the child will probably repeat that action. This example was observed by Albert Bandura in the bobo doll experiment. The social cognitive theory says that much of our learning occurs in social environments.

I really like this theory, and I agree with everything it says. I believe that as humans, we learn by observing other people and their actions. I am a very observant person, so this theory has been shaping me and my thought process my entire life. As a teacher, it is important to use modeling to teach kids and to set an example. A teacher's actions may stand out more to a student than a lesson. It is also important for teachers to encourage self-efficacy in students. If a teacher is positive and encouraging, students will believe they can achieve tasks and reach goals. This will help the student and the teacher to be motivated. A high self-efficacy is something that students and teachers must strive for.