The Best and Worst Things Staff Report About Behavioral Training Workshops: a Large-Scale Evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Behavioral science
• Applied behavior analysis
• Human services training

Background:

• Trainee acceptance is a critical factor in the effectiveness of staff training programs.
• Behavioral training workshops are commonly used in human services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate staff acceptance of behavioral training workshops.
• To identify key factors influencing trainee satisfaction with training programs.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale, 10-year evaluation involving 646 human service staff.
• Analysis of qualitative feedback from 132 workshops regarding best and worst aspects.

Main Results:

• The most frequent positive comments concerned training content (specificity, relevance, novelty), followed by trainer style and trainee activities.
• Negative feedback was less common and primarily related to the physical training environment.

Conclusions:

• Training content should be specific, new, and relevant to the trainees' work.
• Incorporating frequent demonstrations, examples, and active trainee participation enhances acceptance.
• Addressing environmental factors is important for improving the overall training experience.