These are testing times,for driving instructors and getting a pass has never been more important, to driving instructors and clients.
The demand for driving tests is still causing huge problems nationwide. Driving instructors are finding it massively challenging and stressful to continuously juggle and balance their pupils’ expectations and needs, parents’ expectations, test waiting times and test availability.
For example, an instructor decides to postpone the pupil’s test because they are clearly not ready. Or the pupil goes for their test and fails – not a ‘bad’ fail, with one serious and a couple of driver errors. In both cases, the next test date could be months down the line; and the instructor is presented with the dilemma of what to do with the pupil to keep their standard high enough for the new test date.
In some cases, the pupil will, inevitably, fall off the radar. They may have run out of funds, or they simply do not understand the need to take lessons to keep their standard high enough. In addition to this, the instructor has a long waiting list and may need to fill their diary with new pupils, taking the place of those waiting for their test. Sometimes, an agreement is made that the pupil will return for a few lessons just prior to the new test date and then the instructor has their work cut out to get the pupil test-ready again.
In some fortunate cases, the pupil agrees to take a lesson every two or three weeks throughout the waiting time, and this is probably the best-case scenario.
The greatest catastrophe with this situation is that the driving instructor may become test-focused and therefore fault-focused
They dump their coaching and client-centred learning techniques in favour of short-term solutions that are just too focused on getting the pupil ready for their test.
You might wonder, so what?
The reason this is a catastrophe is because a totally test-focused approach does nothing to develop lifelong skills of self-evaluation, judgement and decision-making. Transferable skills, that can be applied in all the new driving experiences the post-test pupil needs to manage, are not being developed, when the training is all around identifying, analysing and remedying faults.
Fault correction is primarily addressed through rote-learning; and this technique does not equip learner drivers with the skills necessary to reflect and make safe decisions when out driving on their own.
As it is, we know that one in five newly qualified drivers is involved in a serious crash within the first 250 miles of driving post-test. We also know that research has shown that those drivers, who are able to recognise a ‘near-miss’, are less likely to be involved in a crash.
The ability to recognise a ‘near-miss’ comes down to self-awareness and self-responsibility – the driver has to be self-aware enough to analyse their part in the ‘near-miss’ and take steps to avoid something similar happening again.
Their driver training needs to focus on the development of self-evaluation skills
A goal-focused approach – where the instructor discusses and agrees the goal, the structure of the lesson (including how much help the pupil needs), and the practice areas – encourages the pupil to take responsibility for their own learning and, through reflection and self-evaluation, helps them identify what they need to do to improve. These skills are the one the client will need once they has passed their test and is out driving on their own.
With both driving instructors and clients Under pressure, with a test date looming – or the pupil is only taking rare lessons on the run-up to the test – the risk is that the goal-focus approach goes out of the window and the instructor and pupil resort to test-focused training.
So, what is the solution?
The solution sits with the instructor, whose job it is to, consciously and deliberately, remain in a client-centred relationship with the pupil.
A client-centred relationship is based on the belief that ‘learning comes from within’. The pupil will have the understanding to become a safe driver; and it is the instructor’s job to facilitate the process of drawing this out of the pupil and filling in the gaps in knowledge, where necessary and relevant.
Practically, this means the instructor needs to work in and around the pupil’s personal understanding of safe driving and their reason for wanting to learn to drive. Our job is providing opportunities to give them ‘real-world’ experiences whenever possible.
The instructor needs to set their intention, not to talk about the test; and not to focus on faults. Instead, to focus on goals.
The development of lifelong driving skills is key to a pupil being able to pass the first hurdle of the driving test
It enables them to experience real-world driving, and this helps them develop their own strategies and resources for managing the stress and pressure of driving in any situation – even the driving test, which becomes easier by comparison.
Leave a Reply