Instructional practices of Canadian police officer training programs

Canadian communities are asking their police officers to perform duties that are becoming broader in scope and this has placed increased demands on those officers. These changes also bring about questions about the methods used to train tomorrow’s police officer and how this training aligns itself with how adults learn. The purpose of the research was to examine the instructional practices of contemporary police officer training programs with respect to Malcom Knowles’ six major principles of adult learning. The study used a mixed method design comprised of an instructor survey, and interviews with key informants from police training academies. Forty-eight instructors completed the survey and nine administrators participated in individual interviews. The analysis of the survey data revealed that although respondents utilized activities that aligned with some of Knowles’ six principles, there were other activities that did not align. The analysis of the interview data revealed that participants understood and supported the utilization of most of Knowles’ six principles with their training programs. Further analysis of the interview data identified four emerging themes as having a significant impact on the delivery of police officer training: social context, model of training delivery; contributing institutional factors; and, instructor qualifications. Based on the findings from this research police officer training academies should: 1. Promote a new model of training delivery that focuses on the learner and their ability to problem solve, think critically, and effectively work with others. 2. Adopt a pre-employment model of training. 3. Establish stronger partnerships with post-secondary institutions. 4. Work with all levels of government in order to facilitate change.