Essay writing on Kirkpatrick Model

What is Kirkpatrick Model?

In terms of learning and development, training plays a vital part in improving the effectiveness of an individual, team, and organization. Training mainly focuses on individual preferred outcomes and also improves them in a specified area by balancing the training cost. The effect of the organization itself highly impacts training programs. APSC, 2005 provides an overview of the purpose of the training evaluation as 1) to assess whether the training objectives are met, 2) to continuously improve learning and development, 3) to assess whether resources are properly used, 4) to assess the value for money of the learning and development. An effective training program changes job performance and other skills (acquiring new skills) constructively. However, Systematic need assessment is a crucial step in designing and developing the training program that influences the positive outcome of the training program. Read the essay on Kirkpatrick Model further to learn more details about the topic. 

Training Need Analysis (TNA)

To overcome these issues and to shape the organization, the Training Need Analysis (TNA) is to be considered primarily. TNA determines what the training is taught.  And how is it trained?

The training objective is one of its specifications. Training Need Analysis (TNA) is conducted before the training program to design the goals of the program and also consider the trainee’s preparation for the program. However, TNA needs theoretical and empirical guidance toward the assessment.

Evaluation is the main step in the training process and is considered the last stage of the systematic approach, where it judges the effectiveness and worthiness of the training.

Why do organizations prefer Kirkpatrick model?

Kirkpatrick’s model has been the most popular model in an organizational training program for more than 50 years. It is 4-level model consist of reaction, learning, behavior, and results.

At the reaction level, the participant’s reaction to the training program is measured to improve the quality of the training, and it is done immediately after the program through feedback. Learning the level considers the participants’ skills, knowledge, and attitudes gained from the training program. It measures what trainees have learned from the training program and also distinguishes what they learned before and after the training program.

At the behavior level, it measures the participants’ job behavior or performance immediately after the training program or depending on the situation. The result level measures an organization’s economic outcome from the improved performance of the trainees. It is presumed that it correlates with each level in the model.

Previous research on Kirkpatrick model has stated that it is either individually or interconnected between two levels. For example, the trainee impacts training design and delivery factors. However, many researchers have not confirmed this statement. Several factors make this model so popular.

Firstly, it ensures the need to conduct an evaluation systematically. Secondly, it is straightforward in assessing the outcomes of the training program. In this model, learning (level 2) and behavior (level 3) are important in the transfer training process, making the training program effective. Other evaluation models evolved from the Kirkpatrick model.

However, this model has its limitations in a certain aspect. Firstly, this model is extremely simple regarding the program’s effectiveness, particularly on the context, as it does not focus properly. This model is not so clear in terms of the level of importance or implementation process.

The model is incomplete and focuses on the training evaluation rather than other aspects. In this model, the data provided at each level is more informative than the previous level.

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