Rebuilding international networks through participatory action-oriented training after COVID-19: insights from an action research study.

OBJECTIVES: Participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) programs are pivotal in developing facilitators for workplace environment improvement. However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted long-standing international training programs, requiring substantial reconstruction. This study examined the reconstruction of an international PAOT facilitator training program in the post-COVID-19 context to clarify the requirements for effective facilitator training and associated learning outcomes. METHODS: An action research design consisting of two iterative cycles of action and reflection was employed. Organizers (n=10), participants (n=79), and researchers (n=9) were involved, with partial overlap between organizers and researchers. Data sources included participants' written reports from the second training, reflection meetings, steering committee documents, and supplementary training materials. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive analytic approach with triangulation across sources. Reflections on the first post-pandemic training informed the redesign and implementation of the second training. RESULTS: Key challenges identified after the first training included limited participant interaction, insufficient experiential learning in the introductory phase, and weakened international training networks. These reflections led to the reconstruction of a participatory, experience-based PAOT model grounded in iterative action research cycles. Participants in the revised program reported enhanced experiential learning, a clearer understanding of facilitation roles, broadened occupational health perspectives, and strengthened international and intergenerational learning networks. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic reflection and experiential redesign can effectively reconstruct facilitator training in disrupted contexts. The findings clarify key requirements for effective facilitator development and demonstrate the value of action research in developing context-responsive training programs.