The key difference between instructor and trainer is that an instructor gives instructions on developing a specific skill, whereas a trainer is responsible for training someone on a job, activity, or exercise routine. Both instructor and trainer are job roles that mainly involve teaching practical skills to students. However, what we mean by the two words instructors and trainers can vary according to the geographical location and different industries.
Key Takeaways
- Instructors focus on teaching practical skills in a particular field, while trainers train people or animals for specific jobs or tasks.
- Instructors primarily work with human beings, whereas trainers can work with both humans and animals.
- The role of an instructor or trainer can vary depending on the field, geographical location, and region.
Who is an Instructor?
An instructor is a person who teaches practical skills in a particular field. An instructor does not pay attention to teaching the theoretical side of what he or she is teaching. Nevertheless, in the field of education, an instructor will pay attention to the theories as well as to practical concepts. For example, an IT instructor will develop the IT skills of the students by doing practical sessions with students. At the same time, language instructors also develop the language competencies and skills of the students by making the students engage with different learning activities in the classroom.
An instructor instructs the students on how to do something. Instructors are well educated, and they are well trained on their subject of discipline. They always deliver clear instructions on what they engage with. However, instructors in other fields (apart from education) do not usually focus on the theoretical side. For example, a driving instructor will work on developing the driving skills of a person rather than giving him theoretical knowledge.
Who is a Trainer?
A trainer is a person who trains people. Animals are also trained by trainers. Trainers possess the knowledge and practical experience in their relevant fields. Thus, they deliver their knowledge to students through practical sessions. The word trainer is very common in the field of sports. Athletes are trained by trainers while fitness trainers develop the physical fitness of athletes.
However, trainers are not only used in the field of sports but trainers can also train people on a particular job or a profession. For example, a trainer can train a newcomer on his/her duties and responsibilities, conduct seminars or workshops, as well as individual training sessions at the workplace.
What is the Difference Between Instructor and Trainer?
The key difference between instructor and trainer is that instructor focuses on instructing people on developing a particular set of skills, whereas a trainer is a person who trains a person or an animal according to the necessity. The role of the instructor can be different according to the field in which he or she serves. In the field of education, an instructor pays attention to developing the skills of students while keeping in touch with practical concepts. But in other fields like sports, instructors mainly work on developing practical skills. They do not pay attention to theoretical concepts. Likewise, trainers also do not pay attention to theoretical concepts when they train a person for a specific job or a task.
The other basic difference between instructor and trainer is that instructors only give instructions to human beings, but trainers train not only people but also animals, according to the need. However, it’s important to note that the job role used for instructors and trainers can vary according to the geographical location and the region.
Summary – Instructor vs Trainer
The key difference between an instructor and a trainer is that an instructor gives instructions on developing a specific skill of a person, whereas a trainer is a person who trains someone on a job, activity, or profession. The other focal difference is that instructors deliver instructions only for human beings, although trainers train both human beings as well as animal beings.
Reference:
1. “Instructor .” Vocabulary.com.
Image Courtesy:1. “Lecture-instructor-lecture-room” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Personal-trainer-gym-fitness” (CC0) via Pixabay
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