Drive

If you have been following my Intelligent Instructor series about whether ADI Training is fit for purpose you will know that after much exploration over four articles my conclusion was that, like the curates egg – it is ‘good in parts’. But a major flaw here is that ‘bad’ parts can, and often do, render the good parts almost useless.

To finish this short series I’m going look at a specific example of a point where I think some Part-Three and Standards Check training might be tending to confuse rather than help. Client-centred learning/training and goal setting.

Should we routinely ask a “What would you like to do?” question at the start of lessons?

When asking and answering queries about lesson goals I have come across vary many instructors and student instructors who have responded “But that’s what my trainer told me I should do” – directly referring to the “What do you want?” question.

There are at least three major issues here but the main one is the notion that simply asking “What do you want?” (or similar) is client-centred. Basing a lesson on the learners ‘wants’ is not necessarily going to address the learner’s needs. In some cases this approach can be the total opposite of client-centred.

In my last article I suggested that too many instructors and trainers attempt to treat the DVSA Report Form as a teacher’s ‘syllabus’ but ironically it says nothing about the learner’s ‘wants’.

There is no ‘want’ in this DVSA criterion:

“Did the trainer identify the pupil’s learning goals and needs?”

The ‘What do you want?’ myth

Close your eyes and image for a moment, that you are on your fourth or fifth driving lesson (from scratch) and the lesson starts with the instructor politely asking “What would you like to do today?”

How do you feel?

Faced with this question some learners will feel overwhelmed and stare blankly while thinking “How should I know, you’re the instructor?” Other learners will express a genuine but impracticable ‘want’ – “I want to drive through the town centre.” Some might have a guess saying what they think that the instructor wants to hear.

In each of the examples above there is real potential for an uncomfortable situation.

(Thinks) “How should I know, you’re the instructor?” Here the customer will be feeling under pressure to answer something totally beyond their ability.

“I want to drive through the town centre.” This is a legitimate ‘want’ but on a fourth or fifth lesson is likely to cause major issues if you go ahead (unless it’s 5am on Sunday morning!). The more likely outcome will be time spent explaining why the learner can’t have what they want possibly leaving a feeling of “Why did you bother to ask me then?”

Guessing what they think that the instructor wants to hear. Learners who are doing this are not engaging with the learning by ‘taking ownership’. By their very nature, guesses are not a considered opinion based on needs – many learners, and drivers, will be unaware of their needs until an instructor highlights them.

So why have lots of instructors decided that they should start lessons with the “What do you want?” question? Where does the idea come from? If I’m honest I don’t know, but I can have a good guess –and it’s to do with a ‘little knowledge being a dangerous thing’; a situation in which instructors have perhaps read an article or been on a Coaching course but not followed up with in-depth learning.

Being ‘client-led’ is not the same thing as being ‘client-centred’.

What should be happening?

An in-depth discussion about what the learner wants is a rather long winded and circuitous route to the determination of either lesson goals or attainable personal goals that are in line with the learner’s needs.

As soon as you start to think “the lesson should start this way because that’s what I’ve read/been told” you are no longer being client-focussed. In the case of believing that “this is what the Standards Check Examiner wants to see”you are being examiner-focussed (the examiner’s job is to assess what is seen, not to have pre-conceived wishes).

Perhaps the DVSA criterion might have been better if had been worded:

“Did the trainer identify the pupil’s learning needs and goals?”

This is because if we consider the hierarchy, in this context ‘needs’ come before goals. Without knowing the needs it’s impossible to equate them with any ‘wants’ or to determine achievable lesson goals.

Needs can be identified through the use of questions but are more likely to be identified though observation of the learner’s actions on the move – feedback can then be offered (and/or the learners opinion elicited) and future goals/additional goals/alternative goals can be determined.

The goal setting process is dynamic, it’s not a one-off process at the start of a lesson. Goals develop and change subject to changing needs.

The starting point for lesson goals is not the beginning of the lesson (Standards Check or otherwise), it’s the end of the previous lesson.

It might be necessary to review the goals on the lesson day because of changes in need brought about by home learning or practice or because of  the learner’s physical or emotional state, but usually the goals discussion will simply be a reminder/recap and short Q&A session.

There might be some validity in asking a test-standard learner the “What do you want to do?” question to help with the self-actualisation of the driving process. There will also be points within a lesson where asking for the learner’s preference will be important. But as a starting point for setting goals, it’s a non-starter!

John Farlam

John Farlam, Founder and Training Director, DRIVE.

If you are interested in becoming an ADI Trainer and SmartDriving have a need in your area we will give free training and ongoing development – contact [email protected] for more information.

You can check out John’s previous article by clicking here