Driver instructors and program administrators are encouraged to review the Saskatchewan School Based Program Evaluation Resource Book, (Saskatchewan Education, 1989) for valuable insights and information.
The most suitable teaching style to meet the goals of the driver education program is an adult education approach; that is, considerable input is solicited from the participants, the process of instruction is one of guiding, filling in the gaps, and setting a climate for self-discovery.
The course should be firm and interesting, with predominant use of a workshop format rather than a lecture format. It should be viewed as a highly practical, rather than an academic experience for new drivers.
Special efforts are needed to move the course out of the verbal medium and into the visual medium. As driving is primarily a visual task, extensive use of transparencies, slides, video, and graphics is essential.
The classroom lessons include 30 hours of core instruction. The overall objective of classroom instruction is to familiarize students with all areas of the driving experience. The student is introduced to the vehicle and controls. Time is spent on developing visual skills for "reading traffic". Highway and city driving are both dealt with in detail, with attention paid to specific driving situations such as parking, corners, passing, intersections, and night driving.
Special attention is paid to driving in various weather conditions. Also included is instruction in the following areas:
A number of critical questions should be asked when evaluating a Driver Education program. Some of these include:
A classroom atmosphere that reflects the objectives of the course should facilitate discussion and the interchange of ideas and concepts.
Regular classroom facilities are provided for such instruction.
Storage space for records, materials and equipment is provided. These materials are readily available and accessible for use when needed.
Driver education vehicles, if purchased or leased, are used for instructional purposes.
Resource materials are accessible to the students.
The quality and success of the program is primarily dependent upon the individual driver instructor. The expectations for the teaching load for the driver instructor in terms of hours and work required is comparable to that of teachers of other subject areas. A well-prepared instructor will ensure the continuation of a high quality, trouble-free, and comprehensive driver education program.
The good driver instructor:
Review all of the goals of driver education to see what is important to achieve.
It is important to teach those behaviours that are needed to avoid collisions. Therefore, the content of the course is founded upon research identifying the types of collisions that young Saskatchewan drivers experience.
Supplementary goals of the program are to teach new drivers to drive smoothly with courtesy and consideration for other drivers, and to develop a pride in their vehicle control and "traffic reading" skills.
Finally, an attempt is made throughout the course to condense the "experience" of other drivers and teach this in a manner that gives the new driver the tools needed to develop driving skills.
The in-car component is the major practical focus of the course. The emphasis is to provide the student with those skills that are needed to avoid collisions - vehicle control, visual skills, and decision-making skills.
The system of teaching consists of a gradual transfer of responsibility from the instructor to the student accompanied by demonstrations that satisfy performance and knowledge objectives. The in-car course must be taught in its entirety, in the sequence specified.
The in-car lessons are comprised of a minimum of 6 hours behind the wheel with an additional 6 hours of optional observation time. The in-car lessons include the following areas:
Look objectively at the instruction students are receiving to determine where improvement in instruction might improve student performance. Particularly helpful is the assessment of the achievement of stated objectives, to determine areas of weakness in the instruction. Improving the quality of instruction contributes to the quality of the driver education program as a whole.
Checklist criteria are identified as one means of assessing the quality of instruction (see Appendix C). These tools may be adapted to coincide with the needs of the program. A checklist may be most successfully used as a self-check by the instructor.
Through the primary role of the Driver Education Assessment Coordinator, Saskatchewan Education is to assess instructors in-car. The Coordinator is a resource for the province to assist those responsible for the local driver education program to improve the program collaboratively by supporting the instructor.
The residual influence of any driver education program is primarily dependent on the organization, implementation, and substance of the course. Driver Education 10 is a Practical and Applied Art within the Transportation Cluster. A student normally has only one opportunity to benefit from the guidance of the driver education program. As a consequence, the course should be organized in such a manner that all materials that can be covered in the classroom are taught, and in-car sessions are planned in such a manner as to best use the limited amount of time available.
The program should be offered and operated as a separate course, although teachers of other subject areas are encouraged to complement the efforts of the driver instructor through the provision of lessons/materials/activities related to traffic safety in their respective classrooms; for example, the "Physics of Collisions!".
In-class and in-car instruction should allow for the maximum amount of coordination and integration within the school and the community.