Changing paradigms in police training: Transitioning from a traditional to an andragogical model

Abstract

The principal mission of policing within the United States, unchanged since its inception, serves to maintain social order and control. As society has continued to grow, mature, and evolve, so too has the complexity of fulfilling the police mission and the methods for training its officers.While a traditional, pedagogical, military model of basic police training may have at one time served the needs and interests of police and society, its applicability and efficacy has been called into question. An adult-based, andragogical instructional methodology has been viewed as a more effective means for training police recruits. It features a holistic, integrative, and collaborative approach to training with a strong emphasis on experiential learning. Andragogy is based on critical distinctions between how adults learn differently from children (pedagogy) and bases its practices on the needs, interests, readiness, orientation, experience, and motivation of the adult learner. While anecdotal data have suggested that an andragogical instructional methodology yields greater outcomes in learning and competencies, the absence of empirical data served as the impetus for a 2-year study that revealed the efficacy of an andragogical model over that of a traditional model. The study also led to identifying six thematic and categorical constructs for organizing, facilitating, and assessing the process of basic police training.