Educational reforms for training, based on constructivism, require trainers to become learning facilitators. Within this paradigm, the role of the educator changes: Learning facilitators are supposed to be more process- and student-oriented, reducing the role of the knowledge provider and giving more space for self-organised learning (Neville, 1999). The present study investigated the factors and motivations that contribute to trainers’ adoption of educational changes. The study was undertaken in the context of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), in which two yearlong training courses have been restructured based on constructivism. The study has a sequential, two-part, mixed-methods design. In the first part, 62 trainers who had participated in a course on learning facilitation completed an online questionnaire. Questions were related to their motivations for participation, attitudes and intention to implement learning facilitation in their seminars. As many of those who had responded to the online questionnaire were in favour of the approach, semistructured interviews with six trainers critical of the change process were carried out subsequently in order to generate a more complete picture. The results showed that the trainers’ attitudes towards the educational reform strongly predict adoption and that adoption is not uniform. Three implementer types with different motivational profiles were identified from the questionnaire data: intrinsic implementers, extrinsic implementers and non-implementers. The interview converged with the results of the questionnaire as some of the interviewees corresponded well with the motivational categories found, although, in this part, a further non-implementing type of trainer also emerged. The findings of the two parts of the study are integrated, suggesting ways in which training motivation and attitudes influence the adoption versus non-adoption of learning facilitation. In addition, suggestions of how to integrate those who are critical into educational reform processes are made. Finally, potential implications useful for the consideration of educational organisations planning to implement similar educational changes are put forward.
Who will and who won’t? Factors influencing the uptake of learning facilitation: a mixed methods study
Boege, K. (Author). 1 Jul 2019
Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy