Date of Award
2002
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Programs for Higher Education
Advisor
Diane Bryant
Keywords
employee safety, employee safety assessment questionnaire, employee training, experimental research, interactive simulators, mean scores, OSHA compliance, public utilities, questionnaire, rescue training, safety assessment, safety rescue training, safety training, safety training center, simulation-based training, simulators, statistical significance, t-test, training effectiveness, training evaluation, training retention, transference of training
Abstract
A public utility was redefining employee safety training to achieve OSHA compliance standards. The problem was it was unknown if there was a difference in scores between employees who have taken the safety rescue training program and employees who did not participate.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a difference in mean scores obtained on the employee questionnaire between those who participated in safety training and those who did not participate. The research question was: " Is there a statistically significant difference in the scores obtained on the Employee Safety Assessment Questionnaire between employees who have taken the safety and rescue training program and those who have not taken the training?"
An experimental research design was used to conduct the study. The data was collected from the distribution of a standard safety questionnaire. Comparison of two sample (N = 40) means produced a calculated t value of - 4.10. The critical value was 2.21. Base on the results of a t- test statistical analysis it was determine there was a significance difference between the mean scores. Based on the statistical testing, the null hypothesis, which assumed no difference between the means and was rejected.
Conclusions drawn from the study supported the use of training simulators as means to improve the retention of information and increase the transference of classroom training. Employees who were restricted to classroom training scored lower on the questionnaire than employees who participated in the SRTC simulator program. This suggests a cause and effect relationship in the rate of success of using the simulators to promote learning. As a result of this investigation, recommendations were made to increase training staff, acquire additional interactive simulators, to diversify curriculum, expand the SRTC program, use the training center as a cost benefit center.