Introduction
The concept of teaching learning philosophy underpins the notion of nurturing students and teaching them in ways that engender enthusiasm and passion in them for a long lasting learning. While learning is a lifelong process, every student is unique and has inconsistent learning styles; hence each student should be considered as an individual. As students, we develop some prior knowledge from our families, culture, friends, spiritual and social environment. According to Punjani (2014), we initiate our amateur teaching process at an early age by imposing knowledge on siblings or friends. In this paper I will describe my personal learning and teaching philosophy as supported by behaviorism theory. I will also provide detailed examples to demonstrate the how my beliefs and values relate to both teaching and learning processes and how this influences my role in health care.
Personal Learning Style and Teaching Philosophy
My personal learning style underpins a good environment where I feel secure, respected, and given attention. I learn best in an environment comprising critical challenges and rewards for excellent performance. This philosophy is supported by Punjani who claims that “Every student should be treated with respect and dignity, this helps in building rapport with the students. Respecting students also builts trust in student-teacher relationship and boosts the confidence and self-esteem in students” (2014). In this context, I value feedbacks from my teacher, which enhances my attitude and willingness to learn.
My teaching philosophy embraces the fact that learning does not occur within classroom boundaries rather, it occurs everywhere. In this context, learning begins once a child is born and continues at home where the first teacher is a mother. Moreover, environment plays an integral role in learning process. Teaching in clinical context presents nurse educators with issues, which are distinct from those experienced in classroom context (Jamshidi, 2012).
However, I believe that clinical and classroom experiences are substantially linked in nursing education. This is because students are compelled to apply what they have learned in classroom into clinical practice. Nonetheless, I agree that clinical the clinical environment is complex and critically changing hence requiring distinct approaches. Therefore, should be prepared for the rapidly changing roles in the healthcare practice. Virtually, environment plays a substantial role in learning process as discussed in behaviorism theory.
Theoretical Perspective
Citing from the learning theories explained in Unit 3, my personal learning style and teaching philosophy is typified in behaviorism theory. According to Zhou & Brown (2015) behaviorist learning theory underpins the observable change in behavior. In this context, behaviorists argue that people learn through an explorative mechanism; in this regard, learning exposes an individual to extrinsic stimulus to attain a desired response. The knowledge disseminated in this regard is objective, absolute and factual (Zhou & Brown, 2015; Guney & Al, 2012). When growing, my parents always reinforced good behavior in me through gifts, and punishment for inappropriate behavior. From this perspective, realized that through rewards and punishment, environment can be critical modifier of individual’s behavior hence an effective learning process.
As discussed in Unit 2, behaviorist learning theory is can be applied both at home as well as in school. In this context, a teacher can utilize simple contracts to enhance students’ behavior in a school environment. For example, when a student fails to complete his/her homework, the teacher and the student can design a simple contract seeking the student to stay at school for extra assistance, ask parent’s help, and complete the assignment on time. In this context the teacher will avail himself to help the student after school, as well as during free periods for further help. As discussed by Zhou & Brown (2015), consequences typically follow after a behavior. The consequences may be immediate or long-term, material or symbolic, positive or negative, or extrinsic or intrinsic. This usually occurs upon achieving a target behavior. The positive reinforcement should be given when the consequence is positive.
In clinical education, skills can be disseminated through the use of mannequins. This involves using harmless trial-error methods to stimulate a desired response from the students. Once a satisfying result is achieved, the teacher focuses on strengthening it through reinforcement. According to Aliakbari, Parvin, Heidari, & Haghani (2015) unpleasant result in healthcare learning is compels the student to seek alternative answers through trial-error method. The student eventually attains a desired answer for each question. In this context the result may be am observation from a satisfied client, a classmate or the teacher. Therefore, behavior modification techniques are the most effective in enhancing the social and academic behavior of students in a learning environment.
Values and Beliefs
My values and beliefs regarding the concept of teaching and learning underpin behavior modification processes through reinforcement. As described in Unit 1, healthcare education is crucial in examining patient’s behavior and providing quality care. I believe that people learns better in an environment which reward excellent performance and punish undesired outcome. This phenomenon is essentially typified in behaviorist learning theory. As a healthcare practitioner working within surgery I have come to realize that hospital environment has a substantial influence on the behavior of patient. Patients with different experiences about healthcare may have a varied response to the medication process. Basing on the concept of classical conditioning I perceive that patients’ prior negative in healthcare environment can be regulated through quality care. As such, nurses should define the factors in a healthcare environment influences the behavior of patients.
For example, a patient who has undergone a painful surgery may develop fear and anxiety when admitted again in a hospital environment. In some cases, patients may experience post stress traumatic disorder as a result of medical experience. In this context, the healthcare specialist may have to make the patients unlearn their previous experience through classical conditioning. Such patients should be enrolled in behavior modification trainings to overcome the fear and anxiety related to medical treatment. For instance, a child who has undergone a painful surgery may develop phobias and anxiety upon visiting the hospital environment. To overcome such phobias, the child should be exposed to the fear stimuli (the hospital environment) multiple times. Through exposure therapy the child can be conditioned to no longer fear the hospital.
Conclusion
Different people have distinct techniques of learning. Environment plays an integral role in people’s learning process. Therefore, healthcare professional should establish the broad context of patient’s experiences to offer quality care. In my perspective, people learn better through behavioral learning and operant conditioning (constituents of behaviorism). In healthcare, classical conditioned has been significantly applied through therapy theory to help people overcome medication phobias. Behaviorist learning theory can also be used in treating patients with PSTD.