Skip to main content
 Trainingapproaches
 Experientiallearning
 Laboratory
 Organisational(system)
developmentapproaches
D.V.KUSUMALATHA
Training
Training is a systematic process to develop knowledge, skill and attitude from learning experience to
achieve maximum performance in an activity.
- Buckley and Caple (2007)
Training as the process of teaching, informing, or educating people so that
(1) they may become as well qualified as possible to do their job, and
(2) they become qualified to perform in positions of greater difficulty and responsibility.
- Van Dersal (1962)
The aim of training is to help the organisation achieve its purpose
by adding value to its key resource – the people it employs. The
purpose of training is to:
 To increase productivity and quality
 To promote versatility and adaptability to new methods
 To reduce the number of accidents
 To reduce labour turnover
 To increase job satisfaction displaying itself in lower labour
turn-over and less absenteeism
 To increase efficiency
Purpose of Training
1. Leads to improved profitability and/or more
positive attitudes toward profits orientation.
2. Improves the job knowledge and skills at all levels
of the organization.
3. Improves the morale of the workforce.
4. Helps people identify with organizational goals.
5. Helps create a better corporate image.
6. Fasters authentically, openness and trust.
7. Improves the relationship between boss and
subordinate.
8. Aids in organizational development.
9. Learns from the trainee.
10.Helps prepare guidelines for work.
11.Aids in understanding and carrying out
organizational policies.
12.Provides information for future needs in all areas of
the organization.
13.Organization gets more effective decision-making and
problem solving.
14.Aids in development for promotion from within.
15.Aids in developing leadership skill, motivation,
loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that
successful workers and mangers usually display.
16.Aids in increasing productivity and/or quality of work.
17.Helps keep costs down in many areas, e.g. production,
personnel. Administration, etc.
18.Develops a sense of responsibility to the organization
for being competent and knowledgeable. Improves
labor-management relations.
19.Reduces outside consulting costs by utilizing
competent internal consulting.
Advantages of training
Disadvantages of training
1. Can be a financial drain on resources; expensive development and testing,
expensive to operate
2. Often takes people away from their job for varying periods of time
3. Equips staff to leave for a better job
4. Bad habits passed on
5. Narrow experience
Traditional approach
Experiential
approach
Performance-based
approach
Traditional
approach
• The training staff designs the objectives,
contents, teaching techniques, assignments,
lesson plans, motivation, tests, and evaluation.
• The focus in this model is intervention by the
training staff.
Experiential
approach
• The trainer incorporates experiences where in
the learner becomes active and influences the
training process.
• The objectives and other elements of training
are jointly determined by the trainers and
trainees.
• Trainers primarily serve as facilitators,
catalysts, or resource persons.
Performance-
based approach
• Training, goals are measured through attainment of a
given level of proficiency instead of passing grades of
the trainees.
• Emphasis is given to acquiring specific observable
skills for a task.
• This performance-based teacher education (PBTE)
model, developed by Elam (1971).
• It is mostly task or skill centred and is also applicable
to Non-formal educational organizations such as
Extension.
Approaches to Training
Reactive Approach Proactive Approach Systematic Approach
Reactive Approach
 The reactive approach to training tends to be an approach adopted predominantly by less developed
and/or smaller organisations; this does not tend to involve pre-planning, but can be seen as
spontaneous to a certain degree.
 This approach to training turn into action when business performance and productivity falls or
seems to drop beyond a suitable level; the organisation then attempts to configure training to
counteract this downturn.
 In comparison, to the other approaches to training, the financial layout is therefore relatively small,
since training expenditure is effectively being used when it is needed.
 This approach suits smaller organisations whose finances cannot afford comprehensive training
programmes which are systematically planned and administered.
Proactive Approach
 The proactive approach to training is effective where Organisations are
actively seeking ways for training to improve their business performance;
when Organisations are looking not only to improve their current training
methods, but also opportunities to extend training to wider segments of
their organisation.
 Such an approach tends to be adopted by organisations that see training as
important part of their business model and essential to gaining a
competitive advantage.
Systematic Approach
 The Systematic Approach to training is by far the approach which has been given the
most attention to in literature and research .
 It is also the theoretical approach which most organisations adopt thus it is often
argued it is the most logical and most successfully effective in a practical.
 The systematic approach to training effectively revolves around dividing the training
process and procedures into stages and sub-stages.
 McNamara (2008) identifies the stages of basic systematic approach to training
which are analysis, design, develop, implement and evaluate.
Sensitivity Approaches in Trainings
Gender Sensitivity
Sexuality Sensitivity
Ability Sensitivity
Culture Sensitivity
must consider and acknowledge difference in culture, which may include
race, ethnicity, values, and beliefs.
People with disabilities can feel excluded in trainings if there are few or no
opportunities for their active participation. From activity modifications to
facility considerations, meeting the needs of participants who require
accommodations allows trainings to be more inclusive.
An inclusive training environment recognizes and respects all individuals,
regardless of sexual orientation. In many societies, people who do not
conform to dominant societal norms around sexual orientation and gender
identity or expression are marginalized. Trainings are inclusive spaces where
the agency and dignity of all people are recognized and respected.
A gender sensitive training explicitly addresses gender differences in existing
roles, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs that affect access to the training,
receptivity to the topic, and opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills
after the training.
Experiential learning
Experiential learning is “learning from experience” which is learner centered and
allows the participants to manage and share responsibilities for their learning with their
teachers.
Experiential Learning Cycles are models for understanding how the process of
learning works
Experiential Learning Cycles are commonly used to help structure experience-based
training and education programs.
Tell me, and I will forget.
Show me, and I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand
Experiencing
Perform; do it
• Provide a concrete experience that:
• Can be an individual or group experience, but involves
doing.
• Most likely will be unfamiliar to the learners – a first-time
activity.
• Pushes the learner beyond previous performance levels.
• May be “uncomfortable” to the learner (The “Groan
Zone”).
• Includes the risk of failure.
Sharing
Results; reactions; observations
• Get the participants to talk about their
experience.
• Share reactions and observations.
• Discuss feelings generated by the experience.
• Let the group (or individual) talk freely and
acknowledge the ideas they generate.
Processing
Discussing; analyzing; and reflecting
on the experience
• Discuss how the experience was carried out.
• Discuss how themes, problems, and issues
are brought out by the experience.
• Discuss how specific problems or issues
were addressed.
• Discuss personal experiences of members.
• Encourage the group to look for recurring
themes.
Generalizing
Connecting the experience with real world examples
• Find general trends or common truths in the
experience.
• Identify “real life” principles that surfaced.
• List key terms that capture the learning.
Applying
Apply what was learned to a similar or different situation
• Discuss how new learning can be applied
to other situations.
• Discuss how issues raised can be useful
in the future.
• Discuss how more effective behaviors
can develop from the new learning's.
• Help each individual feel a sense of
ownership for what was learned.
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory
Concrete Experience (CE)
DO
Reflective Observation (RO)
REFLECT
Active Experimentation (AE)
PLAN
Abstract Conceptualisation (AC)
THINK
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory
Accommodators Divergers
Convergers Assimilators
CE
AE RO
AC
view situations from many
perspectives and rely heavily
upon brainstorming and
generation of ideas
use inductive reasoning and
have the ability to create
theoretical models
rely heavily on hypothetical-
deductive reasoning
carry out plans and
experiments and adapt
to immediate
circumstances
Need
assessment
process
Objective
setting
process
Design
process
Implementat
ion process
Evaluation
process
Discrete phase approach
Training is conceived in 5 discrete phases connected sequentially
Laboratory approach/ process approach
The Interdependent and Interrelated Process Model is used in which the five phases form sub
processes which are highly interrelated and interdependent on all other sub-processes as well as on
the total process.
Need
assessment
process
Design
processImplementat
ion process
Evaluation
process
Objective
setting
process
SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO TRAINING (SAT)
• The system approach to training consists of number of systems which are
interdependent to the extent that the malfunctioning of one system can seriously
impair the functioning of the total system.
• The systems are logically developed accordance with the extension training policy.
• The systems are also linked with each other, with the total system linked to national
agricultural productivity and production.
• It is a diagnostic approach . It diagnosis the performance problems at several levels
of aggregation.
• It prescribes remedy only after a careful diagnosis of the problems.
Training need
assessment
Training plans
development
Design of training
programmes
Training
programme
implementation
Training
monitoring and
evaluation
It develops the training system in five distinct and sequential phases of development.
Training needs should be assessed at three levels namely,
• Individual
• Groups
• Organizational.
A number of methods for training needs assessment are available for different levels. The training
needs have to be assessed within the ambit of national priorities and programmes and farmers’ felt
needs for training. It is essential to realize that farmers’ felt needs for training lay the foundation
upon which the training needs of extension personnel are required to be assessed.
Training need assessment
Training plans development
After assessment of training needs appropriate training plans are required to be developed on the
basis of assessed training needs of extension personnel. A training plans can be (a) short-term, (b)
long term, or both.
Design of training programmes
The starting point in the design of the training programme is a statement of its objectives. should
clearly state the Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes the trainee will acquired after the training and how
will it be useful to the trainee in his job performance.
Broadly, extension personnel require three types of skills, namely, i) technical, ii) human and iii)
conceptual.
Training programme implementation
The implementation of training programmes is the responsibility of KVK, or more precisely, the Course
Instructor. Many training programmes flounder due to poor implementation which usually reflects lack
of/or inadequate preparation
Training monitoring and evaluation
Training monitoring should take place through well developed training monitoring indices like number
of training courses planned and held every month and number of trainees planned and covered. The
training monitoring indices will differ from level to level. These indices should be regularly brought to
the notice of top management so that it can intervene to correct a situation.
Training approaches