The general theory on the use of rewards is that behavior that's immediately followed by a reward is strengthened. This is the method animal trainers use to control the behavior of lions, horses or dogs. Training is achieved by helping the student, whether an animal or human, to modify behavior so as to maximize rewards. In the classroom environment, rewards or positive reinforcement appear in the form of grades, treats, praise and prizes.
Punishment, in the context of teaching, is any stimulus provided after a certain type of behavior that's intended to suppress it. In theory, the student modifies his behavior to minimize punishment. This can include inflicting physical pain, taking away privileges or objects, a verbal reprimand, the withdrawal of attention or the introduction of an activity the student doesn't like. One of the problems with punishment is that it does not always work. The purposes of punishment is to get the student to fear the consequences of a certain action so he doesn't do it again. However, more students feel unafraid of teachers and consider themselves above the law, which causes punishment to lose its desired effect, Virginia Tech reports.
The use of acknowledgment, recognition and validation are effective rewards to reinforce in students the value and importance of their work without resorting to bribes or payments. Rewards that are important to the student can also provide excellent results. However, not all students will respond in the same way to a reward. A good example is the use of grades in school, while some students are highly motivated to work hard to receive good grades, others will have no interest in them, according to the AboutDiscipline.com website. Rewards are most effective when they used as acknowledgment after the positive behavior has occurred, such as with employee of the month or student of the week prizes.
Giving students rewards for standard and expected behavior can be counterproductive for two reasons. It can cause the student to expect a bribe or payment for every action, instead of doing things motivated by generosity, responsibility and integrity. Rewards for standard behavior can also be taken as an insult, because they may make the recipient feel others are surprised when does she something well or think that she isn't a capable person, Virginia Tech states.