If a new teacher wants to use a behaviorist approach, what should they focus on in their practices?

In a behaviorist approach to education, the emphasis is on observable behaviors and the ways these behaviors can be influenced through reinforcement and consequences. Focusing on linking praise to students' performance and efforts aligns perfectly with this philosophy. By providing positive reinforcement, such as praise, teachers can encourage students to repeat desired behaviors, which helps to shape and modify their actions over time.

This use of reinforcement is a core element of behaviorism, as it leads to a systematic way of promoting particular behaviors among students. When students understand that their efforts and performance will be recognized and encouraged through direct feedback, it can motivate them to engage actively in learning and to strive for continuous improvement.

In contrast, the other options represent approaches that may incorporate different educational philosophies, such as constructivism or experiential learning, which may not focus as intensely on the behaviorist elements of reinforcement and behavior modification. Elements like teamwork, hands-on problem-solving, and student choice all have valuable applications in education but do not align as directly with the behaviorist framework as linking praise directly to individual student performance and efforts does.