Browse Theses

Child welfare agencies are becoming increasingly automated, but workers have been found to resist computer training. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to explore the effect of trainee characteristics on response to training; (2) to test training elements hypothesized to increase positive response to child welfare computer training; (3) to test the effect of organizational variables on transfer of training to the workplace.

Trainee characteristics (collected at pretest) included demographics, experience with computers, technology confidence, agency position, learning style and cognitive type. The correlation between the sample's characteristics and response to training (collected at posttest) were analyzed using Spearman's rho, and every pretest measure was significantly related to at least two posttest (response to training) variables.

The main hypothesis of the study was that child welfare employees receiving modified Adoption Monitoring System (AMS) training would respond more positively to training than would those receiving traditional training. AMS is a database system that tracks the progress of foster children with a goal of adoption in New York State (NYS). Training modifications included a problem-solving focus directed toward practical, trainee-driven questions, with an experiential, “right brain” (“big picture” over details, creativity over logic) approach.

Traditional and experimental training was alternated, delivered throughout NYS to an accidental sample of 232 foster care and adoption employees, with no random assignment to groups.

Between-group t-tests were run on posttest scores, and forced entry multiple regression equations were run for each posttest variable. The experimental group had a significantly more positive response to training on five of ten posttest measures.

A second hypothesis was that environmental/organizational variables would affect transfer of AMS training to the workplace. Follow-up data were gathered through focus groups and telephone interviews one year to 18 months after training and were analyzed using qualitative methods in order to develop a broad and deep picture of trainee attitudes and circumstances. Data revealed that most trainees valued the system but did not use it because of workplace circumstances, upholding the hypothesis. Factors affecting usage included AMS access, time pressures, organizational change, supervisory support, and access to AMS reports without using the system.