Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if a police academy using adult learning techniques instills higher levels of perceived competence in recruits than an academy using traditional pedagogical methods.

Design/methodology/approach

The study took advantage of a timeframe when two academy models using different approaches to learning were employed in Massachusetts. Recruits (N = 97) were surveyed before entering the academy and just prior to graduation to assess their levels of perceived competence across three domains of training topics (i.e. “Policing in Massachusetts,” “Investigations” and “Patrol Procedures”).

Findings

Results were mixed in terms of the academy model's effects on recruit competence levels. In terms of investigations, participants experienced a greater level of growth in an adult-learning setting. Regarding general topics grouped into the “Policing in Massachusetts” category, such as constitutional law, recruits taught with traditional pedagogy experienced more growth. For patrol procedures, taught using similar hands-on methods, results showed comparable levels of growth for all recruits over time. Overall, recruits in both the traditional and adult-learning-based academy experienced similar growth trajectories in self-perceived levels of competence. Findings suggest that a mixed approach to training may provide optimal results for police recruits.

Originality/value

Prior research on academy curricula has been limited to cross-sectional analyses. Further, little effort has been made to analyze the impacts of academy training from an andrological and/or “adult learning” theoretical lens. This study evaluated the effects of a new, overhauled recruit academy curriculum over time to expand the literature in both of these areas.

中文翻译：

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比较学院培训模式对招聘能力的影响：课程教学类型重要吗？

目的

本文的目的是确定使用成人学习技术的警察学院是否比使用传统教学方法的学院在新兵中灌输更高水平的感知能力。

设计/方法/方法

该研究利用了马萨诸塞州采用两种使用不同学习方法的学院模型的时间框架。新兵 ( N  = 97) 在进入学院之前和即将毕业之前接受了调查，以评估他们在三个培训主题领域（即“马萨诸塞州警务”、“调查”和“巡逻程序”）的感知能力水平。

发现

就学院模型对招聘能力水平的影响而言，结果喜忧参半。在调查方面，参与者在成人学习环境中经历了更高水平的成长。关于归入“马萨诸塞州警务”类别的一般主题，例如宪法，以传统教学法教授的新兵经历了更多的增长。对于使用类似动手方法教授的巡逻程序，结果显示随着时间的推移，所有新兵的增长水平相当。总体而言，传统学院和以成人学习为基础的学院的新兵在自我感知能力水平方面经历了相似的成长轨迹。调查结果表明，混合培训方法可能会为警察新兵提供最佳结果。

原创性/价值

先前对学院课程的研究仅限于横断面分析。此外，很少有人从男科学和/或“成人学习”理论角度分析学院培训的影响。这项研究评估了新的、经过全面改革的招聘学院课程随着时间的推移而扩大这两个领域的文献的效果。