Training "In a Good Way": Evaluating the Effect of a Culturally Responsive Pre-training Intervention on Learning and Motivation

Abstract

Employee Training and Development (T&D) is a crucial component to an organization's success and its ability to remain competitive. Although researchers in the field have discovered ways to enhance the effectiveness of training programs through the design, delivery, and evaluation process, research has not provided empirically-based recommendations for how to best train individuals whose cultural backgrounds may influence receptiveness of training curriculum. This is particularly relevant for employees whose cultural groups have been historically discriminated against, where cultural norms implicit in the training design may be met with resistance on behalf of the trainees. In the field of multicultural education, an instructional approach has been suggested to overcome cultural differences between instructor, curriculum writers, and students known as culturally responsive education. I evaluated a pre-training video prime based on this approach in the context of multi-site data-use training program for Native American educational professionals. Data-use training was delivered after exposure to one of two videos that framed the objectives of data use either in a culturally responsive way or in a generic mainstream fashion. Participants filled out surveys after the video but before the training, and then again after the training. Prime type was randomly assigned by training location. I hypothesized that participants who received a culturally responsive training prime would learn more during the data-usage training than participants who did not, and that this effect would be mediated by heightened affective motivators immediately following the culturally responsive prime. None of the hypothesized pathways were supported. There was no direct effect of my prime manipulation on

Reconciliation and industrial–organizational psychology in Canada.

“…Latham and Budworth (2006) showed that self-efficacy improved from skill-based training on how to interview. In the grey literature, Murry (2015) tested a pre-training primer intervention as part of a training program for Indigenous educators. Primer videos were randomly assigned to different training locations, where half of the trainees listened to Indigenous researchers speak about their work in research and the other half listened to White researchers, who answered the same questions.…”