Positive reinforcement is probably the most widely used buzzword in education over the last 20-30 years. Countless articles, teachers, and parents extol the virtues of this concept, claiming that it is the only acceptable means of education or child rearing. This article is not here to either confirm or deny that sentiment. Rather the purpose is to help new teachers and casual educators navigate what positive reinforcement is and how to incorporate it in your classrooms.
Let’s start with breaking down the concept of positive reinforcement to its two parts: reinforcement; and positive.
So, “what is reinforcement?” Reinforcement is any activity that results in the increased likely hood of a desired response. Thus, in the eyes of psychology, a reinforcement is a good thing. A useful colloquial synonym would be conditioning.
“What exactly is positive?” As it is a term that derives from the scientific realm of behavioral psychology, positive has a very clear cut definition: to add something.Thus, positive reinforcement is that act of adding a positive stimuli to an educational regimen.
This additive can range, from the intangible to the tangible. All that matters is that the student receives a reward for a desired action. Below are a few examples of tangible and intangible positive reinforcements.
Tangible
- Students who are quiet receive points in a gamified class.
- Students receive stickers or other prize for winning a game.
- Students get to participate in a bonus activity if they answer a question correctly.
- Students receive a high-five for getting an answer correctly.
Intangible
- Students receive verbal praise for following the class rules.
- Students get to line up to leave class first if they are nice to each other.
I personally find this to an extremely effective tool in encouraging learning and classroom management. In most cases it has an effect on more than just the individual that receives the positive reinforcement. Take for instance a class that won’t be quiet, old or young, and simply say “team x gets 1 point point for being quiet.” Then place a point on the board for the corresponding team. If you have a good rapport with your students that’s based on fairness and sincerity, this usually brings the rest of the class in line because they too want to receive positive praise.
Everybody enjoys being told they did well or receiving a reward. So, positive reinforcement has power effect at a neurological level. When we receive praise our brains release dopamine making us happy. This same dopamine release has been proven to also aid in creating memories. Thus, positive reinforcement assists student learning on a deeper level than simply making them feel good.
Should you be interested in reading more about reinforcement in the classrooms, please look my other posts on negative reinforcement, punishment, and the use of positive and negative reinforcement in class.
For more resources on reinforcement, check out Simply Psychology on operant conditioning for a more detailed article on positive reinforcement and its implementations. You can also check out Positive Psychology, for some useful resources and further readings on the subject.
