Christine Vidal-Gomel

Qualitative analyses of accidents and incidents to identify competencies. The electrical systems maintenance case

This study looks at ways of elaborating training situations aimed at preventing professional risk. In order to identify the dimensions of competencies that allow professional risk management, accidents and incidents are seen as revealing required competencies and the limitations of the competencies activated by operators in given situations.

Development of student drivers' self-assessment accuracy during French driver training: Self-assessments compared to instructors' assessments in three risky driving situations

Promoting self-assessment accuracy among student drivers could help improve road safety for young novice drivers (Minimum Requirement for Driving Instructor Training, 2005). It is crucial to investigate the development of this ability in student drivers, although few studies have been conducted on this issue to our knowledge. The present study was aimed at examining the development of accuracy in student drivers self-assessments. Students self-ratings of their skills were compared to instructors ratings based on the students progression through the four steps of the French driver training course. The ratings were collected from two versions of an ad hoc questionnaire about students ability to turn right, overtake another vehicle, and turn left in driving situations. The questionnaire included a three-part assessment scale (six driving subtasks required to perform the maneuver, the number of driving subtasks managed simultaneously, and the students autonomy), demographic data, and the students progress in the training program. The participants were 149 student drivers (58 men and 91 women) with a mean age of 22.2 years, and 38 professional driving instructors (36 men and 2 women) from 13 driving schools in Paris. The psychometric quality of the scale was satisfactory (α(s)>.9) concerning the self-ratings as well as the instructors ratings in the three parts of the scale. As a whole and as expected, the self-ratings and the instructors ratings became increasingly positive as the training progressed, on each part of the assessment scale. The students and the instructors ratings did not differ significantly between the three driving situations tested, nor between male and female students in each training step. Furthermore, students overestimation of their driving skills was mainly observed on step 1, less on steps 2 and 3, but never on step 4. Thus, the students became rather aware of their current driving skills as the driver training course progressed. The results on the development of the self-assessment accuracy in driver training are discussed.

Time course of driving-skill self-assessments during French driver training.

Promoting self-assessment accuracy among student drivers could help improve the road safety for young novice drivers (Minimum Requirement for Driving Instructor Training, 2005). However, it is essential to first examine the time course of student drivers assessments of their own driving skills. As a result, the present study examined the time course of student drivers self-assessments in relation to their general driving abilities during the four steps of French driver training. We used Victoir et al.s (2005) self-efficacy scale, which we translated into French. We set four goals for the present study: (1) to examine the psychometric qualities of this self-assessment scale, (2) to study the time courses of the students self-assessments, (3) to investigate the relationship of these time courses to the number of driving hours that the students estimated that they needed to complete before taking the driving test, and (4) to compare the number of hours estimated by the students to the number of hours estimated by their driving instructors. In total, 150 students (58 men and 92 women) and 38 instructors from 13 driving schools in Paris participated in the present study. The self-assessment scale was composed of 12 items that were rated on a 7-point Likert scale that ranged from 1 (certainly so) to 7 (certainly not). The internal consistency of the scale was satisfactory (α=.88). The self-assessments became increasingly positive as the training progressed (at the beginning of training, M=3.45 vs. at the completion of the training, M=4.8). Globally, the men assessed themselves more positively than the women. However, no significant gender difference was observed at each training step. The students self-ratings were negatively correlated with the number of driving hours that they estimated they still needed before taking the driving test. This number did not differ significantly from the number of hours that was estimated by the instructors at each training step throughout the training. The results describing the time course of the student drivers self-assessments during driver training and this time courses correlation with the estimated number of driving hours still needed to take the driver test were discussed.

A Longitudinal Study of Driving Instructor Guidance from an Activity-Oriented Perspective

The aim of this study was to provide a better understanding of the scaffolding activity of instructors during driving lessons in a French urban traffic context. It focuses on three common and risky tasks: turning right, turning left and overtaking. Data were based on fine-grained longitudinal analyses of the records of five driving lessons involving four student-instructor dyads. The instructor scaffolding activity was analyzed throughout training - an original approach in the sphere of driving. The results show that the instructors implemented the learning process using an integrative approach based on cutting and decoupling the driving task rather than the step-by-step method recommended in the curriculum. They transferred the responsibility of the driving components to the students in a similar order: 1) technical maneuvers, 2) situation identification and 3) goals focusing on other road-users. As expected, student autonomy and efficiency in driving increased as the training progressed. However, at the end of training, uncertainties remained with regard to the execution of basic sub-goals in complex situation; moreover, the instructors were still in charge of the navigational task. The results were discussed and suggestions were made to improve instructor training with a view to increasing their efficiency in teaching students.

What are the consequences of sharing a trainee's driving course between different trainers?

OBJECTIVESnIn some driving schools in France, several trainers may successively train a single trainee. This situation can be described as a case of asynchronous collaboration. In this paper, we examine the consequences of this situation in two different studies: the first explores the trainers activity while the second concerns the trainees.nnnPARTICIPANTSnThe participants in the first study were 6 trainers with different levels of experience, each working with 2 different trainees. Four of them met their trainees for the very first time. The second study included 150 trainees from 13 driving schools in Paris.nnnMETHODSnIn the first study, the driving lessons were recorded and fully transcribed before a thematic analysis was conducted. In the second study, the trainees completed a questionnaire. We collected both socio-demographic and driver training data.nnnRESULTSnIn the first study, we observed that changing trainers during a trainees driving course had an impact on the trainers activity. We identified difficulties in establishing a diagnosis of the trainees progress, and the organization of the driving lesson was altered. The second study highlighted the fact that changing trainers at the beginning of a course increased the duration of the training period.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe impacts of changing trainers during a trainees driving course are discussed with regard to both the trainers scaffolding activity and the trainees skill development.

Ergonomic analysis on work activity and training.

It is an honor and a great pleasure for us to present this special issue for WORK. This selection of papers is an outcome of our symposium organized during the IEA congress 2009 (Beijing, China) that followed up previous IEA symposia. Ever since the IEA Conference in Paris (1991), and at each of the subsequent triennial IEA conferences (Toronto, 1994; Tampere, 1997; San Diego 2000; Seoul 2003; Maastricht 2006), a highly active scientific committee (chaired alternately by M. Bellemare, C. Chatigny, M. Lacomblez, S. Montreuil, and C. Teiger) has taken the task to organize a multiple session symposium on “Ergonomic Work Analysis and Training”. Initially, such a scientific event aimed to develop and promote the ergonomic approach of work analysis in the field of vocational training. Within this framework, “Activity” has been used as a central concept to understand work specificities. Hence, Daniellou and Rabardel [2] synthesized some major theoretical contributions defining Activity as being:

The Operators' System of Instruments: A Risk Management Tool

Previous analyses of the working activity of professionals in charge of safety in industrial companies, also called preventionists, have shown that the purpose of this activity consists of establishing a process of “pragmatization of regulations.” This is an adaptation of the regulations, relative to processes from the texts of law of general order towards their implementation in a context [1]. We have analyzed these processes according to the instrumental approach of Rabardel [2]. In this perspective, we focus on the safety workers’ systems of instruments [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. These resources, developed according to the workers’ experience, render their activity more reliable. They are also of heterogeneous character: simultaneously material, symbolic or of cognitive order. The systems of instruments present certain properties, in particular being structured according to the experience and skills of the workers, but also characterized by the complementarities and redundancies of their functions, following the example of a security system; this takes into account the elements of the context, the constraints and the resources of the activity [3]. In the following case study, we present the system of instruments of a preventionist, in which the regulations function as a “pivot instrument” of this system. It is from the regulations that the worker establishes the diagnosis of the safety level of his or her company and develops his or her preventive and formative actions [9]. To conclude, we develop a discussion about the design of the preventionists’ training.

Specialisation and training for fire-fighters driving heavy rescue vehicles: consequences for the development of operators?

This work was undertaken in France at the request of a local fire and rescue school in order to conduct an analysis of driving two types of heavy rescue vehicle with a view to improving training. This study took place in a context of specialisation: the drivers of these vehicles will henceforth only perform this type of task. Consequently, specific training has been designed in advance. Our study concerns the improvement of this training, taking account of the particularities of driving these vehicles in emergency situations typical to the profession of fire-fighters. The results stress first that driving of rescue vehicles in emergency situations is a multidimensional collective activity. Driving strategies identified share certain common objectives: optimising trajectories, warn other road users, anticipate their behaviour and leave room for manoeuvre to counter and react to any unexpected behaviour. They include risks management for the potential victims of the incident and the risk of accidents during the journey. These initial results help identify certain recommendations for the training courses dealing with driving vehicles in emergency situations. They also provide a warning concerning the possible consequences of driver specialisation.

How Holistic Approaches of Activity Analysis in Ergonomics Renew Training Design

This communication presents the benefit of holistic approaches of work analysis in ergonomics and professional didactics in the field of occupational training. The research-intervention processes discussed have the originality aiming to conduct jointly learning questions, conditions of training and prevention of occupational risks. Its specificities are presented from three research-interventions in the field of aeronautics industry, agriculture and education. We stress questions that are emerging, such as the design of digital tools for training, the importance of subjective commitment at work and the identity transformations and we precise how the holistic approach advocated, based on a model of operator development that articulates mastery of tasks and work and the construction of health and safety over the long term, may be used to treat these questions.

Reflections and Theoretical Contributions Regarding Trainers’ Practice and Simulation

It is not surprising that a number of trainers met in companies ask themselves recurring questions about what they have to do, if they do it well, if they could do it better… Testimonials in following chapters will provide elements for reflection and will try to provide answers. This chapter proposes to bring to light some conceptual aspects related. We hope to demonstrate that theoretical inputs will help to better understand the term “practice” and help “to practice better”.