A Paper Presented by Miss Ifunanya Ezeuka at Opinions From Africa Research Department (#ResearchwithPet)- An Online Conference on Parental Factor (Reinforcement) Affecting a Child’s Academic Performance on June 16, 2020.
Host- Jidechukwu Angela Nwabueze
Introduction
Let’s begin with a story:
So I know this girl that failed her West African Examinations Council (WAEC). She was a brilliant girl but then she had an “F” in mathematics. The irony of it all is that she loved maths a lot but then life happened and she failed it to the point of getting an “F”.
When she showed her father her result, he was mad and furious at the girl. He taunted, mocked and yelled at her. He called her a disgrace and asked her what she was doing when her mates were studying. The girl felt so bad that she became withdrawn and hardly joined her siblings to play.
Her father became a thorn in her flesh and he never allowed her a moment of peace. She had to tell her mom when she could no longer bear the hurt. Her mom apologized for her father’s behaviour and promised to be there for her.
In the words of her mother “I believe in you. You failed maths doesn’t mean when you write another one you will fail. I will help you she told her daughter. The mother started lesson for her and never failed to check her daily exercise.
She praised her daughter more often and bought gifts for her when she does well. The next year she sat for another waec and made a “B”. Her mother was so happy as well as the girl.
The story brings me to the topic of today which is the effect of positive and negative reinforcement on a child’s academic performance
What is reinforcement? We can say that reinforcement is encouraging a certain behaviour through the system of praise, reward etc. Also it can be defined as any consequence that strengthens or increases the frequency of behaviour.
Now, one can naturally say that the main goal of reinforcement is to get your subject to do more of a desired behaviour. Similarly positive and negative reinforcement have the same goal – to encourage certain behaviour but they use different methods.
Positive Reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement is one of the four types of conditioning according to the famous behaviourist B.F skinner. Positive reinforcement is one of many things that affect a child’s academic performance. It may as well be the most important as it focuses on amplifying what is already good in your child.
Positive reinforcement allows parents tap into their children’s’ individual strengths, draw attention to their personality traits and interests, as a result give an opportunity for parents to connect, communicate effectively, and ultimately empower them to be more themselves.
For this to be effective and long lasting, it may require a change of habit on the part of the parent. Just like the father that mocked her daughter for failing. That was very wrong of him. What if the mother was not there?
Positive reinforcement works because the brain connects the action of the reward and the subject will repeat the target action in hopes of being rewarded in future. For example your child comes home and you check his or her work in school and you find out they did well, you can praise or compliment their work.
Tomorrow they would do better knowing they would be praised at home. Children of all ages respond well to praise as they want to please their parents. When parents praise good grades in school, children are empowered to repeat them and do better.
Words like “I really like the way you passed all your classwork today; keep it up my child” or “thank you for making me proud. You know I love you very much” can really melt the heart of your child and make him or her do well.
Ways You Can Positively Reinforce Your Child
- Give compliments, recognition and encouragement to your child whenever he does well.
- Pats on the back, smiles, handshakes, and high fives.
- Increased recess time.
- Taking them out, buying things especially what your child likes, toys etc
- Physical affection and gestures.
All these and many more could improve your child’s academic performance. Children learn to self motivate themselves when they feel the love and support of their parents
Negative Reinforcement:
While the word negative may worry you, using this method for a child isn’t bad. In negative reinforcement, it is more to the act of taking something away like a minus sign in a mathematical equation.
Usually the thing that is removed in response to the behaviour is something the person finds unpleasant or uncomfortable. The removal often results in a favourable outcome. For example your child comes home with a failed work in school.
You know that child of yours is a lover of cartoon for instance; you could deny him or her that privilege and only allow him or her watch it when they do better. Now you are taking away what that child likes which is cartoon. He or she would want to get the work done so he would be given his privilege back.
Patricia Richardson said yelling and spanking which don’t always work. Flogging, threats, and overtime punishment creates resentment and diminishing trust, rebellion and even revenge can encourage children to be defiant and do the opposite of what you ask.
Some may retreat into themselves and start to hide and lie, and in other instances internalize the act of punishment and think of themselves as bad persons.
Make sure you study your child and always try to find out why they performed badly in any work, test or exam. They could have friends in class that distract them or probably they find it hard to concentrate. Don’t always assume your child should do well.
Talk to them and find out the areas they have problem and try to help them solve it. Your involvement in their academic life boosts their morale to do more.
Reinforcement is one part our African parents fail woefully because they always believe it’s either you flog or scream at your child not knowing a simple word and show of affection could work wonders.
There are many ways of removing an undesired behaviour; grounding your child from going out or visiting friends, taking away his or her toys, talking to them as well as taking away some privileges could get them back on track. Regardless of what discipline method you choose, consistency and timing are the most important.
You must develop a muscle not only to praise but also praise well. Skinner once said when positive reinforcement is used to reward a desirable behaviour, the unwanted behaviour will eventually extinguish. Note: Not all children respond the same way to reinforcement. You may need to vary your approach to accommodate for differences.
Lastly parents have a major role to play in their children’s academic life. You play your role well; your children will definitely do well. The same result with Parental Level of Education
