The effect of the competency-based U.S. Army Division Chaplain Course on chaplain student behavior.

摘要

This dissertation describes the history of the development of the U.S. Army Division Chaplain Course and evaluates ifs effect on chaplain student behavior.;The Division Chaplain course was written and first taught in 1985. A Division Chaplain Competency Model was developed using a competency modeling technique based on the critical incident interview process of McBer and Company. Together with a conventional job and task list, the competencies were taught using intense real-life simulations and an instructional methodology based on the learning theories of David A. Kolb. An instrument developed from the Competency Model was used to test changes in three key competency dimensions in the behavior of students attending the course.;In addition to the primary investigation, data were gathered on differences between the self-perception of students and the perceptions of their subordinates. Data were also gathered on the self-perceptions of chaplains chosen to attend the course and those not chosen to attend.;The analysis showed that there was no evidence that attendance at the course significantly improved student behavior, that student self-perceptions were significantly less positive than the reports of their subordinates observing the same student behavior, that there was no evidence that the post-class behavior of the observed group differed from other chaplains chosen to attend the course in other classes, and that chaplains who attended the course in any of its iterations behaved more positively in the three dimensions than chaplains not selected to attend.;It is apparent that the selection process was sufficiently sophisticated to choose chaplains who already possessed the competencies. The course, therefore, reinforced their competence in a homogenous peer-group setting and provided them with the confidence to perform well on the job.