Adaptation of Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model of Training Criteria to Evaluate Training Programmes for Head Teachers

Abstract

Training programmes are evaluated to verify their effectiveness, assess their ability to achieve their goals and identify the areas that require improvement. Therefore, the target of evaluators is to develop an appropriate framework for evaluating training programmes. This study adapted Kirkpatrick’s four-level model of training criteria published in 1959 to evaluate training programmes for head teachers according to their own perceptions and those of their supervisors. The adapted model may help evaluators to conceptualise the assessment of learning outcomes of training programmes with metrics and instruments. The model also helps to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the training process. The adaptation includes concrete metrics and instruments for each of the four levels in the model: reaction criteria, learning criteria, behaviour criteria and results criteria. The adapted model was applied to evaluate 12 training programmes for female head teachers in Saudi Arabia. The study sample comprised 250 trainee head teachers and 12 supervisors. The results indicated that the adapted Kirkpatrick evaluation model was very effective in evaluating educational training for head teachers.