The basis of behaviorist theory is that learning is a passive process in which learning is defined as "what people do in response to external stimuli" (Elliot, 2007, p. 46). Learning is, therefore, the acquisition of new behaviors. According to Skinner, knowledge is not used to guide human actions; it is the action itself (Skinner 1976. p152). Behaviorism suggests that, to learn, the student needs active involvement and to be reinforced with immediate rewards (Sotto, 2007: 35). The more satisfying the reward is for the student, the more his behavior is reinforced, leading to more complete learning (Skinner 1974 cited in Elliott 2007 p. 48). The idea is that if a child is rewarded for his or her desirable behavior, he or she will be more likely to repeat that behavior. Skinner suggested that educators should focus primarily on positive reinforcement and student success rather than punishing poor behavior as this undermines the behavior represented by the student (Pritchard, p11). This suggests that the school's reward/behavior system is extremely important to a student's development, as how the school views rewards and punishments can influence student behavior and learning. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Behaviorist learning breaks tasks into small, progressive sequences in which continuous positive reinforcement is provided. The theory suggests that without positive reinforcement, learned responses will be forgotten. The theory is based on continuous repetition and the use of “skill and practice” exercise. It has been suggested that the purpose of education was to present the student with an appropriate collection of responses to specific skills (or stimuli) by constantly repeating said behavior which is reinforced by rewards (Skinner 1976) since this is the most reliable way of processing and retain information. The problem with this theory is that although students actively do homework, they receive information passively, as the teacher is the transmitter of knowledge to the student, rather than actively seeking out and deciphering the information for himself. Farnham-Diggory (1981, p60) criticized the theory for its “lack of understanding” of what individual student learning actually entails. Pritchard argues that although positive reinforcement is an acceptable way to practice skills for some students, for other students they may not be motivated by the rewards or may not understand the logic behind it (Pritchard, p11). In a behaviorist environment, students are expected to do the same activity and work at the same pace as the rest of the class and are not given the opportunity to choose their own activities or topics. While this reduces the amount of planning a teacher does, as they can focus deeply on one topic, it can also cause problems regarding differentiation. When planning and delivering lessons, a teacher must ensure that lessons have the right level of understanding for each student in the class, which can influence teaching and learning as a whole (Kyriacou, p79). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Some critics argue that by consistently rewarding positive behavior and learning, some children may lose interest in their own learning (Pritchard pg. 10). He goes on to state that the use of35.)