Trainer Styles

Barry Johnson & Mandy Geal

Learning Partners

You may have had experience of different learning styles and training styles but how much do you know about the different types of trainer styles?

Introduction

Most trainers have had much exposure to Learning Styles and some exposure to Training Styles, but much less exposure to Trainer Styles. Observing how people actually conduct their training and listening to what they believe has resulted in our reflections on Trainer Styles. If you are a trainer, this synopsis of Learning Partners' work on Trainer Styles will help you to consider your own style and, perhaps, encourage discussions with other trainers. If you are an HR or training professional, it will aid your choice of trainer by giving you an understanding of the way they work and help you focus on achieving maximum benefit for your employees.

The Trainer styles

We believe there are four trainer styles. Some trainers seem to use one of them exclusively, but many trainers mix them. The four styles are:
· Presenters
· Classical Trainers
· Experientialists
· Realists.
Presenters

The Presenter usually works from the assumption that the learners are starting with a ‘blank slate’. When observing an expert Presenter, we notice the high degree of organisation of the presented information. The organisation may be:
· from what is known to what is unknown
· from simple to complex
· from specific to general or general to specific
· from beginning to end or outputs back to inputs.
The aim is a build that enables the learner to accept each element of information.

Presenters’ preparation is thorough. We find evidence of task analysis, lesson planning with sequencing and chaining of information, clear behavioural objectives and thought-through audio-visual media.
This whole process is trainer-centred. The Presenters see themselves as experts with the role of informing the learners from a position of authority. What is to be learned is a major driver in the organisation of the Presenter’s material.

Dependent learners prefer the Presenter’s approach as they have a ‘teach me’ attitude and an expectation that the trainer will take responsibility for their learning.

Classical Trainers

Classical Trainers believe the knowledge is within their trainees and their role is to draw it out. This approach stems from the methodology used by the Greek philosopher Socrates, hence ‘classical’.
When observing expert Classical Trainers, the way they pose questions ensuring all participants are engaged is noticeable. The Classical Trainer builds the information from participants’ answers, while telling them little. The participants deliver the main points. The trainer consolidates the information to ensure progress towards the learning goals.

Classical trainers use interactive behaviours such as seeking information, seeking clarification, testing understanding, paraphrasing and summarizing. They use their skills of rapport and reframing to create reinforcement of the learning in a Skinnerian-type model. The participants dictate the pace of the learning.

The process is content-centred. Classical Trainers see themselves as a guide to the learning goals.
Collaborative learners prefer this style as they have a ‘let’s learn together’ attitude. They want to be able to use their own knowledge and experience and to use the knowledge and experience of other people. The consequence is that they are uncomfortable when they have not contributed to the objectives, content or learning process.

Experientialists

Experientialists believe people learn best from structured experience. The Experientialist places the participants in realistic simulations where they have the opportunity to practise using the skills they need to learn. Ideally, each participant observes the performance of the active participant and gives reinforcing feedback. The result is that each participant practices in a simulated situation, observes the behaviours and processes used by others, gives feedback on what they have observed and receives feedback on their own performance.

The Experientialist has the skills of designing the simulations to make the learning ‘real’. They are skilled role-players as they often place themselves in this situation.

Experientialists are learner-centred; recognising that the skills and the processes each participant learns may be different from every other participant. They treat people as adults believing adults know what, why and how they want to learn. Experientialists believe that to impose their own assumptions about what participants should learn is to deny the participants’ maturity and the opportunity to experiment and through practice demonstrate expertise and gain both skills and confidence.

Independent learners favour this style as it appeals to their ‘help me to help myself learn’ attitude. Collaborative learners are also comfortable as they are participating in helping others and being helped by others.

Realists

Realists believe that people only really learn in real time in real situations.

The common approaches taken by Realists are on-the-job training, coaching and counselling. These methods have reality at their core. At one extreme is the on-the-job one-to-one training, through coaching, where the coach seeks from the learner what they need to learn, how they will know when it has been learned and how it will be learned and, finally, there is counselling. This is helping the learner solve their own problems, from operational problems through to personal problems. 

In this style, the trainer is sensitive, open, accepting, helpful and non-evaluative. He or she will give feedback and build confidence so that the learner will take risks and try things.

The Realist is primarily relationship-centred, taking reality as a given, and focused on the person within that reality.

All learners seem to be equally comfortable with the style of the Realist as they sit in the tangible operational environment.

Finally

If you would like the full article on this subject please contact Barry Johnson at barryj@learningpartners.co.uk and it will be emailed to you.

 First published in The People Bulletin, 6 September 2007