16 Behavioural Science Techniques to Use in the Classroom

Behavioural science encompasses research and methods relating to human actions: sociology, psychology, social and cultural anthropology, and even aspects of geography, politics, and economics.

8 minute read | #behavioralscience #psychology #nudges #habits

Imagine you had techniques at your fingertips that you could use to get students more engaged, to participate in their learning more, to complete and hand in their homework, and to settle quickly between transitions during the school day.

What is Behavioural Science?

Behavioural science encompasses research and methods relating to human actions: sociology, psychology, social and cultural anthropology, and even aspects of geography, politics, and economics.

As I think about standing in front of a class full of 30 small humans, it makes me wonder why behavioural science was never once mentioned on any teacher training or CPD (Continued Professional Development) I participated in throughout my career. All that ‘human action’ taking place in every classroom, every day. Wouldn’t it be valuable to understand so much more about the way humans behave and why?

An awful lot of study has gone into the application of cognitive science to education. This is more than understandable – we need to know about how humans learn to help them learn. But some research suggests that we might be wise to shift the balance away from cognitive science towards behavioural science.

The positive impact behavioural science can have on learners is being unearthed and it’s exciting! We’re not talking here about using basic reinforcement and punishment techniques in schools to motivate learners, either. Read on for quick and simple tips grounded in behavioural science principles that you can start implementing from today.

Barriers to Learning

The way we learn as individuals, of course, impacts enormously on how successfully we learn. A visual learner simply being talked at, without any visual aids or prompts, will struggle to reach their potential.

Educators are highly aware – and skilled – at catering for a range of learning styles and meeting the unique learning needs of individuals in their class. But what if this still isn’t enough? What if as well as addressing learning styles, we should be addressing behaviour?

As a new teacher, over 20 years ago, I quickly realised that no child in my class would be able to fulfil their potential if they weren’t ‘ready’ to learn. In fact, it wouldn’t matter how well-prepared my lesson plan was, how beautifully designed my resources were or how animatedly I delivered the lesson, if children weren’t in a receptive state.

Barriers to being ready to learn can range from being tired to feeling anxious, from being hungry to needing the loo! So, our physical, mental, and emotional state impact our ability to engage in learning; I’m sure every educator is well aware of this fact and we try to work with the pupils themselves and their families to ensure that they are calm, have had enough sleep, are getting enough to eat and can go to the toilet when they need to.

But there are other barriers that we may not be aware of:

Humans are easily distracted so struggle with staying focused
Humans also tend to lack self-control
Humans develop certain habits, that we’re often unaware of, that can be hard to break

Nudge Theory in Education

Behavioural science techniques can be used to motivate people and ignite behaviour change. In education, like the health and business sectors, we are working towards goals: concrete goals such as exam results and data; and conceptual goals such as emotional wellbeing.

Making minor changes, known as ‘nudges,’ in the health and business sectors is proving to be hugely successful. There isn’t currently a great deal of information out there when it comes to using nudges in the classroom but below are some examples that are easy to put into practice. Plus, I’ll put money on the fact that you’re already doing some of them!

Start Using These Nudges in Your Classroom Today!

Social/descriptive norms – How others behave greatly influences our own behaviour; people want to do what others are doing! Rather than repeating an instruction to pupils to tidy their desks at the end of a lesson, try stating positive facts about those who have completed that task, e.g. “Two groups have cleared their tables, well done!”

Providing feedback – Receiving instant and regular feedback on a task we’re performing lets us know we’re on the right track, which in turn motivates us to keep going. One study even showed that teachers giving a one-sentence piece of feedback to parents on older students, substantially reduced student dropout.

Mental anchoring – studies show that we tend to anchor our thoughts and decisions to the first piece of information we receive on a topic. Make your opening to a lesson really count by delivering a key piece of information that you want students to take away from that session.

Language – Educators are well-aware of the importance of language to learning. But advertisers also know that if you want to create a norm, you need to create a name or a term for the concept. E.g., ‘Homework Heroes’ hand their homework in on time.

Positive framing – Humans naturally have a strong bias towards positive options when making decisions. We can be mindful of the way we present options to pupils, highlighting the positives and downplaying the negatives. For example,

The goal gradient effect – The closer we feel we are to achieving a goal, the more motivated we are to get there. We can use this in assessments and tests with our students. Have two or three practice questions at the start of a test that you do together as a class. This makes each student feel as though they are already part way to completing the test and achieving a decent score.

Loss aversion – It’s human nature to feel the impact of loss twice as powerfully as the impact of gain. For example, those ten marks dropped on a test will hurt a student twice as much as the increased happiness they’d experience if they achieved those ten marks. This means we need to always highlight and celebrate success over failure. The impact on motivation really will be noticeable.

Explicit norms – These are the norms (guideline, rules) that are clearly stated. It might sound obvious but visual prompts, working wall displays, and signs and instructions are necessary in classrooms and around the school. Put up posters, display instructions and showcase pupils’ efforts.

Implicit norms – This refers to hidden messages or sub-text that we provide when teaching. It could be making eye-contact with, or moving closer to, a disruptive pupil. Modelling behaviour and actions - a type pf implicit norm - is one of the most powerful tools we have as educators. Model underlining the date on the interactive whiteboard if you want the pupils to do the same in their books. Model active listening in class when a pupil is speaking, and pupils will learn and follow the behaviour.

Group motivation – Studies highlight pros and cons to group activities and pledging commitment alongside others. However, group tasks with a common goal and reward involved can be an effective way of motivating students. Just be careful not to use it as tool whereby one student could be held responsible for the failure of the group. A positive example of group motivation in the classroom would be in drama or dance, where a group are working together to rehearse then perform to others.

Default thinking – Humans like to opt for the path of least resistance – the option that requires the least cognitive effort. So, make the default option for your pupils something you want them to do and subliminally guide them towards the desired outcome. For example, provide a worksheet that contains a table with space for five facts if that’s what you expect them to find during a piece of research.

The Goldilocks effect – When faced with a choice, people assume that the ‘middle’ or ‘medium’ option is the average, so tend to choose that option in order to fit the norm (see social norm, above). Provide pupils with options relating to tasks or challenges and pitch the ‘middle’ option at a level you want the majority to be working at.

Emotional states – As previously mentioned, we know that our emotional state can impact our cognitive ability. We can use emotional states to our advantage though. Before embarking on a lesson dealing with a potentially sensitive topic, seek to put pupils into a safe, secure emotional state. E.g., before a PSHE lesson on imbalances of power in unhealthy relationships, engage pupils in a mindfulness meditation and focus on visualising being in a familiar, safe place, with a trusted loved one.
Sensory priming – Many influences subconsciously impact our behaviour. These influences are often linked to our senses – assumptions we make based on the way something, or someone looks, sounds, smells, etc. Consider the impact a visually clutter-free classroom painted in a calm colour can have on pupils. Even a calming scent used indoors as pupils come back into class after breaktime can have a noticeable positive effect.
The ‘IKEA’ effect – Research shows that humans are more invested in something that they themselves have helped build/make/plan/initiate. Actively involve students in the planning of an activity or task so they feel more motivated to engage and see it through to completion.
Commitment device – When people make a commitment to something, it means they are more likely to stick to it. So, when setting homework, ask students to record where and when they are likely to complete their homework. Another example to try might be getting pupils who are signing up to an extra-curricular activity to add their own name to a register when first joining.

Conclusion

Nudges should be easy to implement and free. And the above ideas are. We don’t need to throw money and time at specific resources or staff training workshops. What we can do as educators is consider the diverse ways in which we can nudge pupils towards actions we know will aid them with their learning. We can help them form new habits that support short-term change for the better, and – in some cases – long-term impacts that will benefit them later in life.