How to Formulate a Behavioral Objective

The success of the rehabilitation and educational process for individuals with disabilities depends on multiple factors, the most important of which is the correct formulation and complete structure of the behavioral objective. So, what is a behavioral objective and how should we formulate it?

A behavioral objective refers to the expected performance of the student as a result of the instructional process. That is, it focuses on the positive change desired in the student's behavior after undergoing a learning experience designed to address this behavior. As for how to formulate a behavioral objective, there are several factors that must be considered and adhered to when formulating behavioral objectives to ensure the best possible outcomes. In this article, we answer the most important questions regarding the formulation of behavioral objectives to serve as a reference for teachers and specialists in the field of education and rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.

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What are the components of a behavioral objective?

The correct formulation of a behavioral objective consists of several components, which are:

• Behavioral verb: The verb that precisely specifies the learner's behavior (a measurable behavioral verb).
• Performer of the behavior: The student's name.
• Condition: The learner's state when performing the behavior (when requested / in the classroom).
• Criterion: The degree and quality of the learner's mastery of the behavior (with a 90% success rate / three out of five trials).
• Timeframe: In the therapy session on Monday, date 1442/03/26.

The behavioral objective must be formulated in this format:

That + behavioral verb + student's name + condition + criterion + timeframe.

Example: That Ahmed writes the letter Alif on the whiteboard in three out of five correct trials during the therapy session on Monday, date 1442/03/26.

Also, when formulating a behavioral objective, the alignment of the behavioral verb with the skill levels to be achieved must be taken into account. You can find here an infographic illustrating the levels of behavioral objectives and their appropriate behavioral verbs.

What are the criteria for formulating behavioral objectives using the (SMART) model?

The smart goals model was designed to clarify the conditions required when formulating correct behavioral objectives. The word SMART is composed of the first letters of each of the five conditions: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound. Here, we explore their meanings:

• Specific: It must have a clear meaning.
• Measurable: It can be clearly measured (writes, names, draws, reads).
• Achievable: Appropriate for the learner's ability.
• Realistic: Meaning it is based on the student's needs and establishes a realistic achievement framework: 5 out of 10 trials.
• Time-bound: Meaning it is defined by time: within two training sessions.

Some examples of formulating goals using the (SMART) model:

• Example of a correctly formulated behavioral objective:
• That the student names the cat when asked by the teacher in 9 out of 10 trials across two training sessions (clarity of the performer, measurable behavioral verb, condition, and criterion).
• Example of an incorrectly formulated behavioral objective:
• That the student understands pets when asked to do so (using an unmeasurable behavioral verb + lack of clear criterion).

What are the characteristics of a behavioral objective?

• To be formulated clearly for both teacher and student.
• To be appropriate for the student's development and abilities.
• To focus on the student's behavior, not the teacher's behavior.
• To focus on learning outcomes rather than instruction itself.
• To represent a direct and intentional outcome of the educational experience.

Teachers and specialists in the field of rehabilitation and education of individuals with disabilities exert significant mental and physical effort in working on the correct formulation of behavioral objectives. This is due to the changing nature of behavioral objectives for each student according to their individual needs, which means that formulating goals is an ongoing process throughout the academic year, and it is not expected to be an easy task.

Ynmo has worked to provide diverse features designed with the aim of facilitating the formulation of correct goals, in addition to more than 3,000 ready-made behavioral objectives in the goals library that can be added to the student's plan with the click of a button.

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Originally published in Arabic. This English version was produced with AI-assisted translation; the Arabic original remains the reference.