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IR , 007 419.,

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DESCRIPTORS:,

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Filan, Gary ; Gerlac, ;-Ve. r ;Lo p S. .

Rehavidral. Obj ectiveS: A CrIt ical P,iv irw of 'Theory

,and liesearch.

Mar 7 9 ' .

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46p..; Paper presenf.ed at the. Annual. Concention of the.

Association. for t tducat!i3:na 1. Communications and

Technology'. (New. .Orleans, Lo.uiSiana, Marchi :197;9 ) ;.: For

?related 'document, see 'IR 007 416

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*BehaVioral Objectivs; XtEadcational Objective!= ;.

Educatio,nal .ReseArch; *Evaluation; *Instrlactio, al

Design; *Student Bella viOr; Te.st, Construcion

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ABSTR A CT .

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This critical reviatpi" of , the literature on be

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O'bjectives is :Prescnted in four sections: def initiOn of a behavioral

objective ; the function, of. a behavioral objective; consistent

acceptable format f Cr constructing behavioral objectives; and :the

pro's And Cons of behavioral objectives. the literature review reveals

that. current.-findings on /the effects of instructional objectives.

provide no conclusiv=e or consist eilt data on the rlationship between .

the use e of objectives. and . student learning, and it is suggested th'at

thre is a need to assess' the behavioral ob-jectives movement , to

identify Arenciths and w.e.akness, and to identify areas. in 'which 1 .,

research is needed. A bibliographvds app:ende,d. (Author/RAO)

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U.S OEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EOUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EOUCATION

THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO-'-.. OUCEO EXACTLY' AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN. ATING IT POINTS OF WEW OR OPINIONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REPRESEfft OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EOLICAT ION POSITION OR POLICY

Gary L. Filan Educational Technology Box FLS

Ari zon.a 4State University

Tempe, AZ 45281

Behavioral Objectives: A Critical Review of Theory and Research

7

Gary. L 4 Filan Vernon S. Gerlach

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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

Michael. Simonson

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TO THE EpUbATIONAL RESOURCE5

INPOVATIO N CENTE:1,WRIC) AND

USERg'OF THE ERIC SYSTEM."

...Abstract

ioral objectives provide the basis for systematic planning Df

instruction. This Systematic approag4 enables the-designer t work-more

effectively and it enables the learner to, understand what is expected"Upft:

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completion of the- learning -experience.

There are

however, a wide range of ,

views concerning the advantages of behavioral objectives. The'purlpose of this

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'paper .is to present a critical review of the literature on behaviora.1 objectives.

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. "riliS paper js diVided into 'four majar areas:

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(1) definition of a behaVidral. 4

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objective; (2) the function of behavioral objectfveS;.(3)

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fdrmat for c4stru.cting.behavioral objectives; and (4),th

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behavioral,/bjectives.

onsiStent-acceptable ...

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pros -'and cons -of'

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The literature reViewATveals.that current findings.,on theeffects of

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instructional

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objectives4rOvide noscomidsi, ve or' consistent.

to on the

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relationshiplbetween the use of objectives anestudent

ConseciUently

there

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arped to

assess

the

behavioral

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objectivei

movement,

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identt64

strengths and weaknesses, and,t6 sugge t areas in which research is - needed:;,

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Introduction

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!BehaVio-ral objectives .have been ,C'entrar' to the concept- of irstructiOnal

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systems-,deyelopirtent" They,,:have\nol&been..incOrporigied into the designing of

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curriculum, Ihey p(rOvi de the -basis for TannTinrgig i nstructi on. The-y-114k- ,been

used to tell ;learners what i? expected of them pletion of. the 1 earning

. 'f. experience. .There is, howeVer; wtde range of views concerning the advantages

of behavioral objectives,., as well as many varying opinions as-to the technical.

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aspects;-of'

hbw

and ..

for

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v/ha4t

'purp-ose

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they

should,

bIse,

;'Behavioral" objectives

prOvide .,,a.point of ,departure- for a thciroughgoing Sttempt to 'Im_,p, rci,.4ruction...

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By precisely stating in behavioral terms what the student should be 4able to

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':. da after the l'earning:ekrierienee, tile designer hopes to reduce- any gaps

int..the .10 .

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betWeen the;desired'outcomes of_education and the intentions .,

ructor.

Th)s approach' has-been criicized from both,. u t'iculum spetialists an

-ectucatforral technolopists. This paper is a ,cV4-t-icalreview of the literature

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on behavior al objectives;; it is, cpAined into 'four parts.: '(1) determining a

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consistent defipition; (2) a consistent acceptablv, -format used for writing

behavioral objectivesL) the function of 'behgvioral obiecfives, and (4/ the( cases for and' againstAzthe use of: behayiorhl -.objectives.7 :Nakv

Defining Behavioral

At first it ma'y seem .that defining objeativeS retalii not A.difficult

task. However, educatorst expe4eileed h curriculum level opment courses, developthent, and ttte:aho:haNie 'tried to develop procedures for evaluating

students will attest to he'....factz-tha it is. Palmer (1974)fe4 1s that most --T.

educators ake the -task. of defin behaviordI objectives far too complicated.

,This section of th

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1 be diVidq into five - .parts:. (1),..-Defining

ehaviora Objectives

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on to' Terminal havior, (2) Definipg_

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Behavioral Objectives in'11...4- on.to Subject Matter, (3) Operationalitm and , .

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ehavioral Objectives, (41 Opposi0 View POints Conerning the gefinition;

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and (5) Research ReYated //-g/o, the Development of a Consistent Operational* . "'.

Defi ni ti on .

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'befi rii ng Behavioral. Objectives in Relation to Terminal Behavibr.

i.

Many educitors have defined'the'term behavioral

Lincivall

(1964). states that the process of developing behavioral objettive it basically7.: ;,;./.

one of \ fatilitating communication This is accomplishe by choosing

precise words and statements- so that there is A clear and exactmeaningsfor.,

those reading the objective. Popham (1969) writes that whether thespstate.

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ments are referred to as objectives, aims, goals, intents, or Outcomes ,is

a relatively unimportant. Whatelier synonym is used, behavioral objective

should refer to an, intended. change which.one wiShes to bring alput in a -

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learner. Bloom (1956) deafies oS'jec ives as being specific fon-MIAs-that-the

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educative process uses to chAnge student behavior. Mager's (1962) definition

o-PbehaVioral objective has probablyinfluenced,more educators than any other

definition: Iran objective is a statement desNainga prOosed change in a

learner; it specifieswhat the learnewill4be like Olen he-,has successf lly

completecrAjearning,experien.e. F:1,-, example, an objective written *f

/ [5th grade science class using. Mage .'s 3 characteristics of A.well stated

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objectfVe would look Tike- theJollowing:H. Given a battery; light bt0b,-sotket,-

anthpieces i f WRe, -4he studen-E.w.11 be 'Ible.-to dempnstrpte the. making-of an

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electricirCuibY cOrliecting:Wires to bAtte

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d,socketAnd teNng the' --''

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:TightIng:of the

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