Learning Retention in the Singapore Landscape Workforce: Online Training vs. Face-to-Face
This research report, published by Treescape Digital Academy, examines learning retention rates across
two primary training modalities — online (including video-based e-learning) and face-to-face (classroom
and on-the-job instruction) — with specific focus on Singapore’s landscape and horticulture workforce.
The report is intended to assist landscape gardening contractor companies in making evidence-based
decisions about how to structure and invest in staff training.
Adult Learning is Different
Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy (1980) establishes that adult workers learn differently from
children in school. Six principles govern effective adult learning, each with direct implications for
landscape training design:
- Principle 1: Self-direction: Adults prefer to control their own pace. Online self-paced learning is
inherently better aligned to this than fixed-time classroom instruction. - Principle 2: Prior experience: Adults bring years of hands-on experience. Training must connect
to what workers already know, not start from zero. - Principle 3: Job relevance: Adults engage most when training is immediately applicable to their
current role and tasks. - Principle 4: Problem-centred: Adults learn best from real scenarios, not abstract theory. Case
studies and practical scenarios outperform lectures. - Principle 5: Internal motivation: Career progression, job satisfaction, and professional pride
motivate adults more than external rewards. - Principle 6: Need to know the ‘why’: Adults must understand the purpose of training before they
engage with it. Compliance-focused training must explain consequences, not just rules.
A landscape labourer who has pruned trees for five years will not engage with a generic pruning safety
He needs training that acknowledges his experience, focuses on what he does not yet
know (such as SS 724 risk classifications), and demonstrates immediate on-site relevance.