NCJ Number
66106
Date Published
Unknown
Length
12 pages
Annotation
BANDURA'S RECENT MODIFICATION OF SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY IS REVIEWED AND ARGUED TO BE, USING THE STANDARD OUTWARD BOUND COURSE AS AN ILLUSTRATION, THE BEST THEORY FOR CONCEPTUALIZING OR EVALUATING EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION.
Abstract
EXPPERIENTIAL EDUCATION IS A COLLECTION OF PRACTICES AND TECHNIQUES LACKING AN UNDERLYING THEORY. WITHOUT A THEORY, EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATORS MUST RELY ON INTUITION, TESTIMONIALS, AND FIELD DEMONSTRATIONS TO EXPLAIN THEIR APPROACH. BANDURA'S MODIFIED THEORY (SELF-EFFICACY THEORY) PROPOSES THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCEDURES WORK BY CHANGING THE LEVEL AND STRENGTH OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S SENSE OF SELF-EFFICACY. EXPECTATIONS OF EFFICACY DETERMINE WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL WILL INITIATE COPING BEHAVIOR, HOW MUCH EFFORT WILL BE MADE, AND HOW LONG THE INDIVIDUAL WILL PERSIST IN THE FACE OF OBSTACLES AND ADVERSE EXPERIENCES. THIS THEORY COMBINES ELEMENTS FROM BEHAVIORISM AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY. THE STANDARD OUTWARD BOUND COURSE IS DESIGNED TO CHANGE AN INDIVIDUAL'S SELF-EFFICACY THROUGH ALL FOUR SOURCES IDENTIFIED BY BANDURA: PERFORMANCE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, VICARIOUS EXPERIENCES, VERBAL PERSUASION, AND EMOTIONAL AROUSAL. AN OUTWARD BOUND COURSE'S VERBAL PERSUASION TECHNIQUES, FOR EXAMPLE, INCLUDE SUGGESTION, EXHORTATION, SELF-INSTRUCTION, AND INTERPRETIVE TREATMENTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT BANDURA'S SELF-EFFICACY THEORY OFFERS A NEW SYNTHESIS OF THE PROCESS OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE THAT CAN EQUALLY EXPLAIN OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND CLASSROOM EDUCATION. IN ADDITION, IT OFFERS A PROMISING APPROACH TO EVALUATION, COMPARING DIFFERENT APPROACHES' RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS. IT SEEMS TO OFFER NEW INSIGHTS THAT EXPERIENTIAL THEORISTS SHOULD EXPLORE. FIGURES, A TABLE, AND A REFERENCE LIST ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)