It is quite normal that learning is not limited to acquiring knowledge yet works to improve the social interaction and attitudes of students, where they learn from each other. In the simplest term, social learning is the medium through which learning occurs, especially among young pupils. In the 1960s, an approach to social learning was introduced by the Canadian-born US psychologist Albert Bandura in his book “Social Foundation of Thoughts and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory (1986) as a successor to social learning theory (Colman, 2006).
Social learning theory (SLT) is a psychological theory that explains how people acquire new behaviours, attitudes, and skills through observation and imitation of others in their social environment.
Referring to the view of (Nabavi, 2012), “learning can occur without a change in behaviour. In other words, behaviourists say that learning has to be represented by a permanent change in behaviour; while in contrast social learning theorists say that because people can learn through observation alone, their learning may not necessarily be shown in their performance”.
Bandura proposed that this type of learning involved four stages which include attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation. The first stage is attention, whereby learners be obliged at- tend to the behaviour. They need to see the behaviour that they want to reproduce. Secondly, they need to internalise and retain what they have seen.
This involves cognitive processes in which a learner mentally rehearses the behavior or actions to be reproduced. Thirdly they need an opportunity to produce the behaviour by converting the information obtained from attention and retention processes into action. Finally, learners need to be motivated to enact or imitate the behaviour they have observed.
This motivation occurs via reinforcement, of which Bandura proposes three different types include direct reinforcement, vicarious reinforcement, and self-reinforcement (Horsburgh& Ippolito, 2018). On the other hand, Lesilolo’s research suggests (2019), Albert Bandura’s social learning theory can be implemented by teachers as follow: a. Associate lessons with learner experiences b. Using tools that can focus the attention of learners. c. Connecting the learning message with the material that has been learned. d. Using music e. Creating a carefree atmosphere. f. Material presentation techniques vary. g. Eliminate irrelevant materials and materials (Feri& Husna, 2022).
In conclusion, (SLT) is an approach to education that emphasises the importance of social interactions and their role in effective learning. Thus, educators can use Social Learning Theory to better reach students by incorporating aspects of modelling, reinforcement, and communication into their teaching strategies. Overall, (SLT), can affect the behaviour of learners, socially, and cognitively. it’s a framework for us to consider how students learn via observational learning and modeling.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
