How a Learner-Centred Approach Can Support and Develop Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Within the Police Service

Policing has traditionally been taught in a teacher-led, didactic manner which focuses on rules in a quasi-hierarchical process that leaves little room for students’ individual thought or experiences. This has led to police officers who are able to follow instructions but are unable to make autonomous decisions based on evidence which considers human behaviour. The College of Policing’s (CoP) Police Constable Entry Routes (PCER) acknowledge the far broader skills and knowledge that are required of officers in twenty-first-century policing. How this is delivered within the police education environment will have a huge impact on the qualities that officers possess and take forward throughout their careers. A learner-centred approach to teaching police officers, as adopted at the University of the West of England (UWE), can offer students a chance to develop the skills required to think critically, individually and then to reflect on their operational practice. In so doing, this will develop constables who are confident in making decisions autonomously, understanding risk and solving problems in a way which is adaptable in a changing environment in which police officers are being held to a higher account than ever before.