Social Learning Theory and Collaborative Professional Development/Growth Plans

Video Transcription

In this tutorial, we'll examine the connections between social learning theory and collaborative professional development and growth plans. We'll begin with an introduction to the five components of social learning theory. And we'll explore the concept of reciprocal determinism. Finally, we'll see how collaborative professional development connects to social learning theory. Let's get started.

Let's begin with an overview of social learning theory. Social learning theory is attributed to Albert Bandura. The idea behind the theory is that we learn from one another through observing and imitating and modeling behaviors. Social learning theory tells us that there is reciprocal interaction among environmental influences, behavioral influences, and cognitive influences.

There are five different components that are identified in social learning theory. The first component of social learning theory is the idea that learning is not simply a behavioral process. It's also a cognitive process that occurs in a social context.

As teachers, it's common for us to participate in professional learning that takes place in a social context. A prime example is a professional learning community, or PLC. As the members of the PLC are working together to identify issues and gather data and discuss their findings, there are many opportunities for the observation and imitation and modeling that are key elements in social learning theory.

The second component of social learning theory is the idea that learning can occur through the observation of a behavior and its consequences. In many professional development and teacher observation models, there are opportunities built in for teachers to observe one another in the classroom. It can be very powerful to have the opportunity to watch another teacher implement a particular instructional strategy, and then to also be able to see the reactions of the students and any other potential consequences of the use of that strategy. So the observation of behaviors and their resulting consequences can help you to make informed decisions and to form conclusions as part of your learning process.

The third component of social learning theory is the idea that learning results from the process of making observations, extracting information from those observations, and then using that information to draw conclusions or to make decisions. One of the courses that I teach is high school geometry. And in the geometry curriculum and in the overarching field of logic and reasoning, we call this process inductive reasoning. Not only are human beings naturally inclined to engage in this process of inductive reasoning, but it's also closely related to the process involved in the scientific method.

In the context of education, this type of learning can occur through the process of teacher to teacher or peer modeling. And it's also important to note that this type of learning can occur even without any observable changes in behavior. Because, after all, the observer may use the information that they've gained to decide not to take a particular action. So this can result in just conclusions or decisions that are happening in the mind of the observer, but that don't necessarily display any observable actions on the observer's part.

So think about your very first teaching job. And maybe that's the job you're currently in right now. Maybe it was many, many years ago. Think about how you needed to engage in this process in order to learn the unwritten rules of your job.

Is it OK to refer to the principal by his or her first name? How did you figure out what time of day was best to check your mailbox? How did you figure out where in the school you would have to wander to find the best cup of coffee?

While these little details might seem small in the grand scheme of things, the truth is that they all work together to create our professional environment. And while you likely have an employee handbook that guides you through the written rules, all of these little unwritten rules can often be learned through this process of observing your colleagues, extracting information from what you've observed, and then using that valuable information in order to make decisions or draw conclusions about what is acceptable and what is expected in your work environment.

The fourth component of social learning theory tells us that reinforcement is an important element of learning, though we do need to understand that reinforcement is not expected to be completely responsible for learning. So for example, if you are recognized at a staff meeting for a particular contribution to the school community, that may indeed be an important element of your learning process, as you are receiving that positive affirmation that helps to provide motivation to continue to do similar things in the future. We do need to remember that this shouldn't be the only reason that you're working towards a goal.

The final component of social learning theory reminds us that learners need to be active participants in their learning. We can't just be passive recipients of information. Our environment and our behaviors and our own cognition are all constantly influencing each other.

Think again about the context of a professional learning community. Think about how all of the teachers in that PLC are influencing one another through their behaviors and through their actions and even through their attitudes about the learning process that they're going through. Each individual teacher's ability to get the most out of that learning situation is definitely influenced by the other people in that PLC group.

There's also the element here of the learning environment. Your PLC meetings may be more or less effective, depending on where they are taking place. And depending on whether that particular environment is actually conducive to the processes that you want to have taking place during your PLC meeting time.

This leads us right into the idea of reciprocal determinism. Reciprocal determinism is the concept that while an individual learner is being influenced by both their learning environment and their peers, each individual learner is also concurrently influencing the learning environment and influencing those peers as well. So while you are participating in a learning opportunity with your colleagues, it's important to keep in mind that not only are your peers and the learning environment having an influence on you, but your behaviors and your attitudes and your actions are also going to be influencing not only the overall learning environment, but also your peers themselves. What this really boils down to, since social learning theory tells us that learning takes place in social contexts, is that collaborative professional development or professional growth opportunities support social learning theory by providing those opportunities for the observation of others' interactions or through direct interactions with our colleagues.

And so within these collaborative settings, we're really seeing the direct connections between social learning theory and our own professional development. Once again, perhaps, the best example of this is that professional learning community model, where teachers are working together towards a shared goal. And there are opportunities for both direct interactions and observations built right into this model.

Whatever your professional development or professional growth structure happens to be, here's a chance for you to stop and reflect on how your professional development model supports social learning theory. How can you better take advantage of the opportunities that are provided for you to interact with your colleagues and to observe your colleagues in order to support your own professional growth? As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skill set. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.