Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory really speaks to my experiences as an educator. Especially in regards to my time teaching neurotypical students. That said, I do not find it as in-depth as Cognitivism when it comes to the breakdown of how memory and mental schema influence the learning process, or as concrete as Behaviorism when it comes to the direct role of tangible reinforcement. However, Social Learning Theory addresses what I find to be arguably the most salient factor in how learning occurs - culture and peer influence (modeling/imitation). 

There are many concepts of this theory that I appreciate an agree with. First is the idea that people can learn through observation, and imitation of what they see in their environments. Specifically, by observing the outcomes of the behavior of others. I find this especially relevant to my time working with 3rd graders. They responded extremely well to the idea that if they behaved in a certain way they would receive positive attention from instructors, similar to how some of their peers were treated. Instructors never even had to verbalize this correlation. Students were able to pick it up through observation of social cues that some students were treated differently based on their behavior or academic performance, on their own. Conversely, for students who did not like doing the work to receive that kind of positive attention, they knew that by acting out they would be treated differentially by their peers. Even if this wasn't necessarily positive attention, the idea of being considered "other", "untamable", and/or a "social outcast" was very appealing to some kids, and they tried to imitate their older peers or fictional icons who exhibited this behavior. This also sheds light on the cultural piece, because the ways that certain groups of kids viewed certain societal norms differed by socioeconomic status, race, and geographic location. The aspirations and ideas around what made a person "cool" or socially relevant differed wildly by these cultural factors at different schools. Which is why I think that it is so important to have the cultural piece be included in the narrative of how learning occurs, as it impacts both academic and social outcomes.

Next is the notion that internal mental states are an essential part of this process. No matter how much you drill a concept or idea into a learners mind, if they are not motivated to learn, or lack self-efficacy in their learning, they will not get it beyond basic recall. Finally, similar to Cognitivism this theory recognizes that just because something has been learned, it does not mean that it will result in a change in behavior. As I've said before, I think that this is true of learning. Something that Social Learning does differently than Cognitivism in its learning philosophy is the idea that learning is constructed rather than acquired. I think that there is probably more nuance than just one or the other, but I like that Social learning theory posits the idea of the construction of knowledge.

Overall, like with the rest of the theories there are pieces that I love, as well as theory gaps in Social Learning.