Tell Your Story! Part 1

Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory was developed by Albert Bandura, he took SCT from his Social Learning Theory. Bandura saw the flaws in his Social Learning Theory and redeveloped it to include four levels of development that can be used in school settings as well as at home within the family. SCT uses the environment and the models (parents, tv, teachers, and social media) to explain how children develop into who they become and explain their behaviors.

In “Applying Social Cognitive Theory in the Development of Self-Regulated Competencies Throughout K-12 Grades K-12” maps out how to use Social Cognitive Theory in each grade level. The chapter that talks about this subject breaks down the roles that teachers and children play in the everyday. Children observe and imitate the people around them and who they see on television, the videos they see on social media, and the behaviors of their peers. The four steps that Bandura lays out is Attention-in order for behavior to be imitated it must first grab our attention. Retention-in order to imitate a behavior, it must be remembered *Social Learning is not immediate. Reproduction-the ability to perform the behavior. We are limited by our physical behavior so we may not be able to perform the desired behavior. Lastly, motivation-the observer will choose to imitate the behavior based on the outcome (if it is positive or negative) (McLeod, 2016 ).

Each stage is very important in understanding the behaviors during each stage of development. Identification and imitation are vital to development but mean different things. Identification means that the behaviors that are observed by children come from many different sources and based on the outcome children can decide that they want to be more like the person(s) they see and start practicing being like them to form their identity. Imitation is when a child observes a specific behavior and then tries to imitate it. Identity and imitating can manifest in different ways. Depending on what the child picks up on can look like disruptive behaviors or can help the child grow and become a contributing citizen of society. Teachers play a big role in a child’s life and is one of the biggest models they will have of how to act, how to learn, what expectations to have from those around them.

Teachers have a tough job when it comes to being the model in a child’s life. They have the responsibility of setting expectations, helping children set and achieve goals, guide them in how to achieve those goals, and doing all of that for 20-30 kids in their classrooms. Children pull their identity from many different places, but their biggest influences are their teachers and their parents.

The reason that this topic is so important to me is because I see this on a regular basis. Teachers are always asking how to help a specific kid or what they can do to help a kid that is continually struggling with schoolwork. I also continue to see parents that struggle with how to handle situations with their children, from helping them with homework, to bedtime routines, to just not knowing how to communicate with their children which can lead to barriers between family members. I want to use Social Cognitive Theory to help teachers and families know how to reach their goals and help their children reach theirs.

I work with students that have severe negative behaviors that come out in school and at home. In my observations these behaviors are due to students not having the correct terminology or tools to correctly express how they are feeling. Using Social Cognitive Theory as a guide I believe that I can equip these students with the help of the teachers and parents with the tools and coaching on how to handle their bodies, give them terminology to use to correctly express their needs and ask for the help they need and in turn cut down on the behavior out bursts. This in turn will change how other children and adults view the child in question, give the child more confidence and this will lead to the child being and feeling more successful at school and at home.

I agree that environment and how we perceive our surroundings impacts what we do, how we act, who we hangout with, what others think of us and we learn a lot about who we want to be and who we are. Understanding this side of a child can help with knowing how to help the child. Have there been any changes at home, what does their schoolwork look like, what do they watch on television, see on social media, observe their parents and older siblings doing.

 

Tell Your Story! Part 2.

          Social Cognitive Theory also considers the eating habits of children and their activity level. Poor diet and the lack of exercise hinders children’s learning ability and cognitive functioning. This issue has also led to the obesity level to rise in childhood. Being overweight as a child can lead to several health issues such as childhood diabetes and low cognitive functioning and can result in low grades in school. The recommended amount of physical activity for children is 60 minutes a day and the recommended diet is found by using the food pyramid to ensure children are getting the right amount of nutrients needed to develop correctly, not only cognitively but physically as well.

          Schools have done a great job of incorporating physical activity into the school day by having minimum of 30 minutes of P.E. everyday, to recess for 20-30 minutes every day. Classes also take “Brain Breaks” in the classrooms for younger children to get students bodies moving while keeping their brains functioning. Schools allow the students to have flexible seating options that can change during the day which allows movement some examples of these options are sit on the floor, lay down, work with partners, or sit at their desks which leads to students cognitive functioning to go up and they are able to retain more information.

          Older students get their physical activity playing sports, participating in marching band, having time set aside during their day to have P.E. as well. They also switch classes which gets their bodies moving even if it is just for a short time. Middle school aged children and high school aged children are entering that stage where they are transitioning from needing the diet and exercise of younger children to needing the amount of exercise and diet that is required for adults. They still need to follow a proper diet but the amounts of each change as they grown and develop.

          Schools have also changed their cafeteria menu to incorporate healthy options for students. Eating “brain food” can help students bodies move better when they need and keep them at a safe weight for their height and age. Unhealthy foods can make students feel groggy and their bodies move slowly. Unhealthy diets can impact how the students retain information and how they interact with others. It can also impact how physically active they are during the day. Food can be an addiction, but it is also something humans cannot live without. Finding the balance is the responsibility of the parents to model it and buy the proper food for the children.

           Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can also help students with their behaviors. Students can think threw situations easier when their brains are clear, and they have control over their bodies. Processing information as they hear it, whether its information they are learning in a classroom to how to handle situations that cause many different emotions. Adults that are involved in the student’s life at home, daycare, teachers at school, and aunts, uncles, and cousins can model these behaviors. Children learn more from what they observe than what they are told. Combining what is modeled and what students are told can be very beneficial for the students. When they get consistency and routine, they learn skills that they will take with them through life.  They develop healthy habits which leads to confidence in learning, processing unfavorable situations calmly, and processing information so they can retain it. “In addition, positive relationships have been found among children’s perceived parental support, self-efficacy and physical activity behaviours. Similarly, adolescents’ perceived self-efficacy, goals, perceived benefits, family influence, and friend support have been shown to have positive relationships with their physical activity behaviours” (Ernesto Ramirez a, 2010). This statement sums up just how important it is for children to have influences from the adults in their lives to stay healthy so they can develop correctly and self-regulate.

 

          Overall Social Cognitive Theory is used from the day we are born to the time we leave this earth. We use it to learn how to contribute to our social circles from our families to school and on into adult hood. What is modeled is what determines how we will turn out in adulthood.  

 

References

Ernesto Ramirez a, P. H. (2010, October 19th). Psychology of Sport and Exercise. San Diego , CA .

McLeod, S. (2016 ). Albert Bandura-Social Learning Theory. Retrieved from Simply Psychology : simplypsychology.org