Behavioural Conditioning Techniques For Children – Resource-based Strategy

Resource 1

Category

Colourful Play-dough

Relationship with self

Resource focus: Individual child

Scenario: Margot

Rationale

Aristotle’s theory of ‘Mimesis’ states that human beings have an innate tendency of forming bonds based on their ability to relate with something they know (Hutcheon, 2014). The absence of this very provision seems to be the root cause of Margot’s anxiety. She is a two years old child who had never been away from her parents. Therefore the primary concern to address her behavioural absurdities should be the provision of a sense of belonging or attachment (Acecqa.gov.au, 2018). A two year old child, she had started to form an identity based on her proximity to other people, her parents to be specific. As such, detachment from her known caregiver makes her question her very sense of being or her identity, thereby resulting in her insecurity (Acecqa.gov.au, 2018). Therefore, what is required is a set of behavioural conditioning techniques, which would help her to familiarize with the new environment and new people (Sharma, Pathak & Sinha, 2017). These conditioning techniques and tools adheres to the behaviouristic theory.

This theory promotes the use of tools or instruments to develop the learning ability of child, Margot in this case, which would condition their responses to unknown external stimulus. Since Margot reacts positively in a community of friends and engages well with planned activities, implementation of similar tools would enable the Child Care personnel to shape her behavioural patterns to suit the transitioning environment (Sharma, Pathak & Sinha, 2017). This learning of adaptability can come through engaging associations and activities. Associations should have a two way process – with other children of similar age group, and a personal buddy to look after her. Socially interactive and creative activities with these associations can reinforce her individual sense of being, as well as a sense of belonging to a community. The buddy can establish an attachment with Margot by participating in creating objects that are commonly known to Margot with colourful play-dough. This attachment with the care-giver would increase her self-worth, which would otherwise be shattered during the transition phase. Engaging in goal-oriented creative group projects with play-dough can also be helpful. This would enhance a spirit of competitive learning in the child at her very normative stage, which in turn, would give her a chance to re-establish the self-respect of the child (Acecqa.gov.au, 2018). Such propositions are made by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), which seeks to comfort children during the transition phase, by providing adequate assistance and assessment on regular intervals. Thus, the activities with a personal caregiver as well as a group with the help of an engaging resource like colourful play-dough, and constant assessments of her behavioural changes would help Margot to recognize her identity one again, and gradually comfort her. A photograph of her parents by her bedside at child care may help her to overcome to a certain extent the anxiety stemming from separation. It also helps to balance her sense of belonging to the child care, as well as her own family.  

Therefore, the application of a perfect mixture of behaviourism and the EYLF strategies can help Margot to come to terms with her own emotions and self-respect. 

Resource 2

Category

‘Positive Parenting Program’

Relationships with others

Resource focus: Parent support

Scenario: Janine

Rationale (500 word)

The effect of changed family dynamics taking a heavy toll on the behavioural pattern of Janine, the responsibility of bringing her out of depression and bossiness lies on her father. Since her father has been unable to replace the roles played by her cousins, suggestions from the Australian Curriculum or doing a course from the ‘Triple P – Positive Parenting Program’, which can help Janine’s father to normalize the emotions of her daughter. They would help him to learn the various techniques that can combat the issues underlying Janine’s behavioural abstractions.

It is important for the father to understand that it is separation from her loving playmates at home that is resulting in her depression, and she is using her classroom as a vent for her pent up frustrations, which is affecting her innocence and learning abilities. Any hindrance to this outburst is bound to make her more depressed, thereby affecting her physical and mental health and the vicious cycle would continue. Her deprivation needs to be tactfully addressed by the father by setting a particular time of the day for her when he would engage in interactive activities and games with her. Learning of basic values to avoid her aggressive nature can only come when she is not stressed. Abraham Maslow’s theory of Humanism puts self-actualization at the top of a pyramid which, apart from the basic physiological needs, attaches a lot of importance to a sense of emotional safety and security, love and a sense of belongingness, the assurance and understanding of which would raise her self-esteem, thereby leading to self-actualization (Cherry, 2014). This actualization would comfort Janine and help her to realize and overcome her aggressive attitude.

He can learn the principles of a positive parenting from the ‘Positive Parenting Program’, which would teach him to create a safe and engaging environment for Janine where she does not feel left out due to a lack of adequate partnership or playmates (Sanders, et al., 2014). The program would enable Janine’s father to reconnect with his daughter, whereby she could be made aware of her personal and social capabilities, which in turn would evoke a sense of humility in her so that she can learn to understand, respect and successfully cohabit with her fellow pupils in the classroom. It must be understood that the replacement provided by her father was unable to match up to the anxiety of separation from her cousins. Therefore her father must be able to understand and equipped enough to address the touch-points that would sufficiently fulfil the vacuum created by the separation of playmates. He should not enforce his own opinions as a father all the time, rather mingle with her as a caring and loving friend with whom she is willing to share her enjoyment. The element of intercultural and ethical understanding along with rational judgement with respect to changed environments, as laid down in the Australian Curriculum, should be inculcated playfully, so that she can understand the value of working together in an interconnected world (“Intercultural Understanding”, 2018).

Thus, with a humanistic approach of self-actualization, a parenting course from ‘Positive Parenting Program’, and adherence to the ethical learning techniques of the Australian Curriculum, Janine’s father would be able to get rid of depression and classroom aggression.

Resource 3

Category

Treasure hunt through decoding of scientific clues.

Relationship with the curriculum Resource focus: Activity Based

Scenario: Bertie

Rationale

In the 21^st century, teamwork and collaborative effort in a project is of paramount importance. Unfortunately, the personal sphere of Bertie has never allowed him to develop the right skill-set required for engagement with peers. In such a case, his social skills can be developed by putting to use his knack and natural genius in scientific activities intended for group performance. This would make significant use of the nuances of socio-cultural theory into consideration, the application of which may rid Bertie of his unsocial attitude. This theory hold that the social environment is largely responsible for learning and development of personality of an individual.

Any group project has to consider the interest of the various individuals who constitute the group (Scalise, 2016). This calls for a sacrifice of the interests of some for the greater good of the team. This phenomena apparently proves to be a barrier in the path of Bertie’s acquisition of the social skills. While on one hand, Bertie has a fine ability and interest in science, on the other hand children of his age are usually more interested in fun and adventure. As such, since the main focus is on the development of Bertie’s social skills, the teachers must make a scientifically creative yet adventurous activity which would help to draw the attention of Bertie, along with other children in his group. A treasure hunt within the premises of the school or child care institute can be developed where the clues towards the treasure are all encoded within scientific jargons, and would require a scientific bent of mind like that of Bertie’s to decode in order to move closer towards the treasure. In order to enhance the competitive spirit of the children, the students can be divided into a number of group, with Bertie as captain of one such group. Besides finding the unknown treasure, some fine rewards can act as incentives.

This activity would require Bertie to interact with his group members, thereby enhancing his social skills. His interest would be triggered by the presence of science in this activity, coupled with the responsibility of leadership (Scalise, 2016). This interactive activity can be framed by following the EYLF modes of learning, having a holistic approach where respectful and reciprocal relationships are established. According to the socio-cultural theory of Lev Vygotsky, the faculty of learning is developed through a process of interactions with one’s social environment (Sawyer, 2017). Also, the EYLF focuses on the children’s development by the collaborative effort of the parents and the educators (“Early Years Learning Framework | Department of Education and Training”, 2018). Therefore, in case of Bertie, the teachers, besides incorporating the aforementioned resource, should interact with his parents and try to make them aware of the necessity of the socializing faculty for Bertie, so that they encourage her at home to participate in those social activities.

Therefore, the implementation of the interactive faculty bordering on socio-cultural theory, along with EYLF elements of parent-teacher interaction and formation of identity through a sense of belonging to a group, can help overcome the unsocial attitude of Bertie.

Resource 4

Category

MOODLE

An Enabling Learning Environment

Resource focus: Class/group/community based

Scenario: Michael

Rationale

Michael has reached that stage of adolescence where self-worth is extremely important. At his age, a child’s self-esteem is extremely vulnerable and prone to distortions from the simplest of sources. A connection with peer groups and friends is a major determining factor for that self-worth. In his situation, his ecological system need to be rightly addressed, especially from a theoretical point of view. The socially interactive online learning platform ‘MOODLE’ can be helpful for Michael.

Michael’s social relationships need to be looked after even before his learning, because the latter cannot happen successfully, until the former is set right. Since Michael is deprived of friends of his age due to his degenerative health and frequent stays at hospital at regular intervals, the lack of adequate friendship severely affects mental health, which in turn, takes a heavy toll on his physical health as well, thereby trapping him within a vicious cycle of inadequate socialization and physical illness.

The ecological theory talks of five levels of the ecosystem, of which ‘microsystem’ forms the core. It refers to the institutions or the groups of people that directly impact a child’s development. School and peer group constitute a significant area for this development. This stage is followed by the ‘mesosystem’ which determines the interaction of a person or child with his social surrounding (Espelage, 2014). Since Michael is unable to interact and mingle with much people from his age, his parents should initially make his friends, and above all, their parents aware of Michael’s situation, so that they can visit Michael at times, which talking to him through video-calling or Skype at other times. However, in order to add the learning quotient to the interactive one, online help from ‘Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment’ (Moodle) can be resourceful. It is an open source learning platform, which lays down several roles, that of a teacher, student, parent and many others that can be learnt by Michael’s associates and put to use thereafter. The courses offered by Mount Orange School within the platform of MOODLE, especially those belonging to the category of society and environment, can act as a mood elevator for Michael, at the same time teaching him a lot of things, if followed in the right format, with an extra effort by peers and caregivers (“Mount Orange School edu university write my essay phd dissertations custom written servic: Society and Environment”, 2018). Suggestions for this format can be adopted by Michael’s associates by following the propositions offered by the Australian Curriculum (AC), rather its assessment and reporting authority ‘ACARA’. Since Michael is supposed to be part of the high school curriculum next year, learning based on the ‘ACARA’ curriculum can be strategically incorporated by creating a classroom environment by interactive learning with peers through the aforementioned online platform, especially by adhering to the MOODLE format (Acara.edu.au, 2018).

Thus, his identity as a competitive and respectable human being can be re-instated by tactfully looking after the factors responsible for his emotional turmoil and his resentment towards teachers and nurses can be avoided. He must be provided with adequate socializing facilities, which are, at the same time, rooted to an agenda of learning and character development.