| The purpose of this research has been to propose a curriculum model for basic and field law enforcement training. In order to develop such a model, the history and development of law enforcement training, which is a relatively recent and rapidly evolving phenomenon, was explored. Consideration was given to two aspects of basic law enforcement training, the initial academy training and field training. The current status of field training was examined nationwide and very specifically in North Carolina. Particular attention was given to curriculum problems identified in the literature and how those problems could be addressed through a systematic development of a curriculum model.;The theoretical foundations of such a model were derived from Richey's instructional design model (1986). These foundations included learning, communications, and systems theory. The literature yielded five clusters of variables, the learner, the content, the environment, the delivery, and feedback. A total of 181 variables were initially identified from the literature as a suggested model being relevant to the development of a curriculum model for initial law enforcement training. A panel of experts consisting of ten law enforcement training professionals from across North Carolina reviewed the "suggested" model and validated 97 of the variables. The experts rated the variables on a scale of 1 to 5 and any variable with a mean rating of 4.0 or better was accepted for the model. The resulting conceptual model provides a tool to plan and monitor the status of law enforcement training. |
