Reinforcement-Based Instructional Practices and their Influence on Adolescent Behavioral Regulation in Secondary Classrooms

Abstract

This paper evaluated how the positive reinforcement methods would influence classroom behavior among secondary school students in Kohat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. Four dimensions were used to operationalize classroom behavior, namely attention, classroom participation, compliance with classroom rules, and disruptive behavior. Based on Operant Conditioning Theory of Skinner, the research used quasi experimental pretest- posttest and a single group design. The students sampled were 50 secondary school students of a government girls higher secondary school. Data collection was done using a validated Classroom Behavior Questionnaire ( 0.769). Verbal praise, recognition and constructive feedback were among some of the positive reinforcement methods used systematically in a six week span. The analysis of data was carried out by means of descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests. Findings showed that the general classroom behavior improved significantly, t(49) = 23.29, p <. 001, with a very large effect size (Cohen d= 3.29). The major gains were witnessed in all behavioral dimensions. The results show that positive reinforcement is an efficient and feasible method of correcting classroom behavior in the secondary school level. Teacher implications, administrative implications and policymaker implications are discussed.