Not the sort of research you may have had in mind, but based on years of
experience teaching skills to pilots and lawyers (management skills),
here are some thoughts.
But first, a supposedly true story: At the Stanislavski School of
Acting, they teach the 'Method' scheme of learning - as in, in learning
to simulate behaviour. A well-known thespian was going to have to play
scenes for a movie as if he was badly hungover from a night out. So, the
night before the shoot, he went out and partied, got drunk, smoking
heavily throughout. Observing the resultant wreckage the next morning, a
fellow actor said, 'Wouldn't it be easier to learn to act?'
As you know, I always add to Thorndike's sixpack the 'Law of Age'. The
older a person gets, the less capable are they of learning skills, and
the more efficient they become at absorbing knowledge. 'As I recall, the
younger crews were more open to role playing and the older crews wanted
straight lecture.' Thank you, Gerry. Yet we know that crm is skill-based
and lectures won't - can't - teach skills.
As you never tire of reminding us, skills can only be learned through
exercise, by doing things. They can only be maintained that way, too,
through frequent practice, repetition. It's not happening, is it? Well,
it's not as widespread as you'd maybe like. Which is where you might run
into trouble setting up as training objectives 'observable' behaviours.
Most airline pilots I know would leave Stanislavski graduates for dead
when it comes to simulating enthusiastic commitment to crm principles
and practice in observed sessions.
A while ago Neil asked if there was any 'new' learning theory around.
There is. I have written extensively (in other places) on the reasons
for these 'barriers to skill learning', and am prepared to put some of
it into a 4-5 page paper if the interest is there. In short, it's about
awakening within the individual the desire to learn, while at the same
time assisting them to discover appropriate self-learning strategies.
It's about as popular as selling rattlesnakes as pets for kids.
Which brings up the related questions of motivation and the onus for
providing the learning effect. (Note: 'effect', not 'opportunity'.) To
use one of your paradigms, Model A has the company thinking up and
delivering innovative ways to bring crm skills into their cockpits,
Model B has the crews themselves work up their individual skills, in
their own time, and then put their skills on display within training
sessions as well as on the job, daily. Pick the one that will work best.
And good luck with it.
Cheers
Doug