Learning techniques for driver training
Sylvia Downs, Jean Petford, Josephine McHale · Applied Psychology · 1982
Summary This small scale project showed that by systematically observing the behaviour of trainees at specified hazard points, road behaviour could be assessed. It showed that this behaviour was related to success in the driving test which in turn was related to instructor style. Style was measured from tape‐recordings made in the cab during the course of instruction, by calculating percentage talk time and the proportion of comments which were defined as ‘teaching’ comments. These were ones which encouraged the trainee to use his discretionary skills and gave him feedback on his decisions. They are the sort of comments that differentiate between trainee orientated learning and instructor orientated learning. The ‘telling’ form of instruction is helpful where straightforward procedures have to be learned such as the ‘how’ of gear changing, but ‘where’ and ‘when’ to change gear is related to many variables such as visibility, speed, weight and road conditions and so the driver must be capable of making his own decisions. It seems that he makes these decisions better when his instructor uses ‘teaching’ remarks rather than ‘telling’ remarks. An attempt was made to change the style of two instructors by the use of a guided self‐discovery method, but although the results were encouraging, it was felt that a complete and permanent change of style would require feedback and discussion with a trajning adviser. The difference in style can be related to a great deal of learning which involves the development of new concepts which have to be internalized and understood before they can be applied to different situations. Instructor style plays an important role in facilitating or inhibiting the development of concepts, and in creating either an adaptable trainee who has accepted responsibility for his own learning, or a trainer‐dependent trainee who has great difficulty in transferring his learning from the specific instance in which it occurred.