NCJ Number
53577
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 45 Issue: 8 Dated: (AUGUST 1978) Pages: 58-59,78-79
Date Published
1978
Length
4 pages
Annotation
LEARNING PROJECTS TO ISOLATE DATA FOR USE IN CURRICULUM AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL ARE DESCRIBED, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE PROGRAM OF THE NATIONAL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE (NTMI).
Abstract
THE NTMI IS AN 11-WEEK PROGRAM DESIGNED TO TRAIN LEADERS IN POLICE WORK. PARTICIPANTS ARE SELECTED BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR INTEREST AND ABILITY TO LEARN AND BECAUSE OF THEIR POTENTIAL FOR ADVANCEMENT. A LEARNING PROJECT IS DEFINED AS ANY DELIBERATE EFFORT TO LEARN THAT REQUIRES AT LEAST 7 HOURS OVER A 12-MONTH PERIOD. TEN POLICE OFFICERS ATTENDING THE NTMI AT THE CENTRAL MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY WERE INTERVIEWED TO COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT LEARNING PROJECTS, THE LEARNING PROCESS, AND MOTIVATION. ON THE AVERAGE, POLICE OFFICERS DEVOTED ALMOST AS MUCH TIME TO LEARNING (1,996 HOURS) AS THEY DID TO THEIR JOBS (2,000 HOURS). AMBITION, EASE OF LEARNING, AND THE POSITIVE CORRELATION BETWEEN AGE AND LEARNING HELPED TO EXPLAIN DYNAMIC LEARNING PATTERNS OF THE POLICE OFFICERS. BENEFIT TO OTHERS WAS NOT A MAJOR FACTOR MOTIVATING POLICE OFFICERS TO LEARN. POLICE OFFICERS SOUGHT KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOLUTION OF AN IMMEDIATE PROBLEM. ONLY 37.4 PERCENT OF THE LEARNING PROJECTS WERE SELF-PLANNED, WITH 4.1 PERCENT PLANNED AS A PACKAGE. TWO OR MORE MEANS OF STRUCTURING WORK WERE INVOLVED IN 6.8 PERCENT OF THE PROJECTS. RESPONDENT JUDGMENTS ABOUT THE AMOUNT LEARNED REFLECTED NOT ONLY THE QUALITY OF LEARNING PROJECTS BUT ALSO THE COMMITMENT OF LEARNERS. POLICE OFFICERS EXPRESSED HIGH ENTHUSIASM FOR ALMOST HALF OF THE PROJECTS, AND ESPECIALLY FOR SELF-PLANNED PROJECTS. OCCUPATIONAL RELEVANCE FORMED THE BASIS FOR OVER HALF OF THE LEARNING PROJECTS. (DEP)