Tom Ingram (Owner of BIG TOM Driving School) deals with the challenge of differing aspirations between a Driving Instructor and the pupil.
If you were to draw a poll of 1000 pupils who are learning to drive and ask the question �What is your goal for learning to drive?�, what percentage will answer �My goal is to pass the test�? On the face of it, that is hard to argue with. But in this blog I would like to offer a reason as to why that answer really must be challenged.
The driving test is rather limited in its ability to assess the competence of a pupil to drive to the expected levels as stated in our Driving Standard. The degree to which driving test centres across the UK can test driving ability in a wide variety of class of road and conditions will vary. Driving tests are not undertaken at night. There is no parking in multi-storey car parks or pulling up to fast food drive thru outlets. No friends in the car at the time of the test, no smart phones ready to hand.
So passing the driving test is really not the goal, it may be the goal of our pupil, but if you want to sleep soundly at night, how can it be the ultimate goal? People can pass driving tests and still not be confident or competent for post-test driving. People can be coached to pass driving tests.
We appear to have a conflict of interests. In times like these it is always good to see what the DVSA have to say. Thumb through to Role 6 of our Standard, Unit 3 �Enable safe and responsible driving� and you will come across this paragraph:
In the context of learning to drive, the instructor brings to the learning process their hard-earned knowledge, understanding and experience. If they rely simply on telling the learner what they should do they will probably be able to teach them enough to pass their test. However, all the evidence suggests that learners in this sort of relationship do not really change the way they think and quickly forget what they have been taught. There is a better chance of a long-lasting change in understanding and behaviour if the instructor:
Presents their knowledge, understanding and experience clearly and effectively
Listens to the learner�s reactions to that input
Helps the learner to identify any obstacles to understanding and change
Supports the learner to identify strategies for overcoming those obstacles for themselves
In this context this is not about teaching learners to perform driving tasks in particular ways. While it is reasonable to encourage learners to practise particular methods for performing a given task, because there are clearly explainable benefits to that method, the outcome of the learning process should be that the learner has developed a safe and responsible method which they can apply consistently and reliably; not that they have learnt any one specified method.
Spend time with your pupil to discuss this. It is important. The Standard states �� it is about creating a conversation between the learner and the instructor that is based on mutual respect.�
What percentage of instructor/pupil relationships will have that mutual respect is an interesting question, as is identifying the barriers to developing that mutual respect.
This is an incredibly interesting factor of the work of a Driving Instructor and is really assisted with the guidance provided by the DVSA through their Standard.
Tom Ingram offers PDI training on a pay as you go basis 0775 607 1464
Post a Comment