The Officers’ Perspective of Academy Training and Transferability of Knowledge: Comparing the Effectiveness of Pedagogical to an Andragogical Method of Instruction
Abstract
Abstract The training for law enforcement officers has a history steeped in a militaristic style method that has not evolved, even though demands have been made for the profession to evolve. There have been numerous calls for change regarding the training officers receive. However, most police academies remain anchored in a teaching methodology rooted in pedagogy. In the past decade there have been a number of high-profile instances of police brutality and some of these incidents led to the death of innocent citizens. The findings of the investigations conducted after these occurrences have reached a similar conclusion – there is a failure to train officers properly. The skills officers use the most, communicating and problem solving, when interacting with the communities they serve, are the skills that get the least amount of focus during academy training. This study was conducted to determine whether the opinions of police officers early in their careers reflect a belief that the academy training they received prepared them to perform their duties effectively during real-world scenarios. A sample was obtained of police officers in the state of Alabama to determine if the opinions differed among various demographics. The demographics were categorized by groups with and without military backgrounds, male and female, those with various levels of education, and by race/ethnicity. For the groups comprised of male and female, and military experience and no military experience, independent-sample t-tests were conducted. For the groups comprised of multiple levels of education and race/ethnicity, re-coding of variables was conducted, and independent-sample t-tests were conducted to obtain statistical data allowing comparisons between the groups. There were no statistically significant differences observed between the groups related to their opinions about academy training. However, this research is the first step in a process to hopefully expand the study of training on police officers and assist the profession in evolving to provide the quality police service expected and deserved by citizens.