Purpose of the Study

The primary purpose of the study was to develop a procedure for evaluating pre-service training programs for VISTA trainees. Secondary purposes of the study were to:

1. Identify the training styles of a group of VISTA trainers in Region II.

2. Determine the success of several groups of VISTA trainees in reaching the desired training objectives.

3. Determine whether the training style of the VISTA trainers affected the success of the VISTA trainees in reaching the desired training objectives.

4. Compare the VISTA_ trainers' perceptions of their training style with a team of expert observers' judgment of the training style. of the VISTA trainers.

Methodology

The data were collected in January 1976 in New York City and Buffalo, New York. Six VISTA trainers and fifty-seven VISTA trainees participated in the study.

Each VISTA trainer was video taped delivering a two hour training session on communications to VISTA trainees in small groups. Pre-tests were administered to the trainees before the training and post-tests were administered to the trainees after the training session to determine the number of trainees who were successful in reaching the desired training objectives.

A characteristic profile was established on each VISTA trainer and trainee by requesting them to complete a characteristic profile form. At the conclusion of the training session, VISTA trainers were asked to identify their training style using the guidelines of the Modified Cheffers Adaptation or Flanders lnteraction Analysis System (MCAFIAS). The MCAFIAS was a modification of the Cheffers Adaptation of Flanders Interaction Analysis System (CAFIAS). A team of expert observers was trained in the use of the MCAFIAS. The expert observers identified the training styles of the.VISTA trainers by analyzing the training style of each VISTA trainer in the two hour video taped training session, using the guidelines of MCAFIAS.

Findings

Research Question One: Are there differences in the training styles of VISTA trainers? The team of expert observers identified five different training styles of the six VISTA trainers. They were the high indirective, moderate indirective, low indirective, low directive, and nondirective.

Research Question Two: How successful are VISTA trainees in reaching title desired objectives in training classes? The results of the pre-test administered to each group of VISTA trainees before the training session and the post-test-after the training session indicated that thirty-five out of fifty-seven VISTA trainees (61.4 percent) were successful in reaching the desired objectives.

Research Question Three: Does the training style of the VISTA trainers affect the success of the VISTA trainees in reaching the desired objectives? The comparison between the training style of the VISTA trainer identified by the team of expert observers and the percentages of trainees successful in reaching the desired training. objectives indicated that the non-directive, low directive, and high indirective training styles were the least effective training styles. The low indirective training style was moderately effective. The most effective was the moderate indirective training style.

Research Question Four: Is there a difference between the trainer's perception of his training style and the judgment of a team of expert observers' of his style? The comparison between the trainers' perception of their training styles and the team of expert observers' judgment of training style of the trainers indicated that five of six VISTA trainers' perceptions of their training styles were different from the team of expert observers' judgment of their training styles.

Conclusions

1. Some VISTA trainers and trainees object to participating in research studies.

2. Most of ·the training styles of the VISTA trainers fell into one of the indirective training styles.

3. VISTA trainees are being given the kind of learning experience that enables them to reach the desired training objectives as outlined by VISTA managers and executives.

4. The training style of the VISTA trainers affects the success of the VISTA trainees in.reaching the.desired training objectives.

5. The VISTA trainer's ethnic background and education have little effect on the success of the trainees in reaching 'the desired training objectives since the most effective trainers had a group different from their own ethnic background

6. Most VISTA trainers are unable to identify their own training styles.

7. The high indirective training style is perceived by m:ost trainers as the most desirable training style.