This is the fourth article in a series covering the Check Test and how you can maximise your grading. Earlier articles covered professionalism, the test appointment and fault identification. In this article I consider 'Fault analysis' and explore the importance of the old saying "Two heads are better than one".

Fault Analysis

Fault analysis refers to your ability to determine the root cause of the mistakes made by your pupils. For example, a right-hand corner cut is a fairly obvious mistake that will be easily spotted by most driving instructors; however, what might not be so obvious, or easy to determine, is why the mistake occurred. The cause could be any one of the following reasons, and it's your job to find out which:

While this list is not exhaustive, it shows that there can be many causes for even the most seemingly obvious mistakes.

Determining the root cause of your pupils' problems is essential for effective tuition and good business. From a tuition standpoint, poor fault analysis can lead to the error being repeated and becoming habitual - this in turn will lead to low confidence levels and a longer learning period. Pupils who learn slowly and lack confidence are not good for business; their conversations with others will reflect their discontentment, which in turn will affect your 'recommendation business'. There is also a risk of losing pupils who feel they are not learning as well as they could be.

Fault analysis should be fairly straightforward as long as you follow the rules for watching and listening (see previous article in Driving Instructor). However, there will be occasions when the root cause of an error is not obvious. In these instances you need to explore some of the unseen information.

Unseen Information

By this, I simply mean the things that you can't observe directly i.e. the things that are going on inside your pupil's head.

How was it for You Darling?

Because unseen information plays a part in all mistakes (to a greater or lesser degree) it's good practice to get into the habit of starting all of your fault analysis with a question. The best questions for this purpose fall into the category that I refer to as "How was it for you darling" questions.

These questions are simply designed to find out what the learner is thinking in a non-judgemental way.

There are probably only a few questions that fit into this category ­ they need to be very open ended. The following examples are questions that I often use to explore my students' thinking during instructor development courses:

These question stems are followed by simple factual statements relating to whatever you are exploring. For example, you might ask: "How do you feel about the way we moved off?"; "What can you tell me about positioning when turning right?" These questions will supply information that will give a clue to your pupil's knowledge or understanding of the situation.

The question "How do you feel about ?" can be especially useful. Often, pupils who think that they have done something wrong will be embarrassed ­ especially if their previous experience of training has been judgemental. If a pupil is embarrassed or unsure, the "What can you tell me about ?" question might just draw a blank with the pupil either offering no answer at all or saying something like "I don't know. What do you think?" However, by exploring the way your pupils are feeling, you will nearly always gain useful feedback. If the pupil is reluctant to answer, simply explain that, although you know what they did, you cannot possibly know how they feel, and the way they are feeling will affect the way that you approach the remedy.

While suggesting that you should always start the fault analysis process with a question, there are some traps you should try to avoid.

The 'Why' Trap

It's perhaps common sense that driving instructors should always give a 'reason why' for all of the things that they teach. However, when trying to discover the reasons for your pupils' actions, asking the question "Why did you ?" can be very destructive. If used repeatedly, it can break rapport and the bond of trust between pupil and instructor.

Try the following brief exercise from the SmartDriving Instructor's Guide.

Imagine for a moment that you are a learner driver who has just cut a right-hand corner. How do you feel when you are asked the question "Why did you cut the corner?"

Take a break for a moment and get someone to ask you that question in varying voice tones. You will probably notice that, although you are not a learner and you haven't just cut a corner, you will still experience a reaction to the 'why' question (possibly a negative, physical 'gut reaction').

Many people feel uncomfortable when asked the 'Why?' question. It will often be interpreted as a judgement suggesting that they did it on purpose, or should have known better. Reactions to 'Why did you ?' questions are usually defensive and will often result in a withdrawal from the interchange.

If you must use 'Why', frame your questions in such a way that they are non-personal. For example, "Why is it important to keep well to the side of the road when turning right?"

As an alternative to why, you might frame your questions in a similar way to the following examples:

These are just three of the thousands of 'safer than why' questions that you might ask.

The 'What did you get wrong?' Trap

In order to get the information required for effective fault analysis you need full co-operation from your pupils. While pupils will generally do their best to help you solve their problems they are all victims of their own emotions. That is, if they are feeling fine they will offer useful feedback in response to your questions, but if they are feeling uncertain, unsure, upset or nervous their input will usually be less than useful.

The question "What did you get wrong?" will sometimes confirm that the pupil is aware of a problem. However, this question carries a big risk of a negative emotional response. If a pupil is genuinely unaware of the mistake that has been made, the "What did you get wrong?" question will be confusing; if your pupil feels that he/she has done particularly well, the question could be positively upsetting. On the other hand, some pupils who are aware of their problems will be embarrassed by the question and simply want to move on rather than wallow in the mud of failure.

Again, an open ended "How was it for you?" question would be a better option. If you find it hard to get your head around non-judgemental strategies you can at least frame your questions positively, perhaps "Is there any way that we could improve the way that ?"

Two Heads are Better than One

At the start I mentioned the old saying that 'Two heads are better than one'. Having read the article, you can perhaps now understand that working with your pupil to analyse their mistakes will usually be more beneficial than trying to do all the work on your own! By utilising your pupil's brain as well as your own, you will get the golden keys to unlock any likely problems.

You can contact John Farlam by:
email: John@smartdriving.co.uk
and/or get free driving, training and business advice by visiting:
www.smartdriving.co.uk