Behavioral theory and its implications for conception and practice in the school context

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the behaviorist conception and principles and practices of this theory in the educational context. Given this, it is opportune to raise the following question: in what way has the behaviorist
conception been influencing the principles and practices employed in the school context? Behaviorism has as its
object the study of behavior, and assumes that learning is centered on external conditions and student behavior. This article discusses the behavioral theory emphasizing the theorists Edward Thorndike and Burrhus Frederic Skinner and the theoretical implications of these authors in the school context, with emphasis on professional education. We will then present a reflection on the behaviorist conception and its contribution to potentialize the formation of new knowledge through learning, as well as the questioning of this model in the educational context. This is a literature review research, in which articles and studies on the topic were searched. The results indicate that some methods used in the school context are based on the behaviorist conception. There was also a lack of research on the subject, which demonstrates the need for further studies that seek to reflect on the subject in question.