The Influence of Individual Differences in Learning and Motivation on the Performance of Students in RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) Pilots' Courses

Abstract

This study had two objectives: 1. to develop a valid instrument to measure the learning and motivation of students in pilot training for the Royal Australian Air Force; and 2. to test the hypothesis that students of a certain ability level would achieve a level of performance dependent on the learning experiences and their motivation. A survey of all students on course was conducted in late March - early April 1988. Scales were developed to measure variables related to the quality of instruction and the level of motivation reported by the students. The scales appeared to validly discriminate among students on a basis of age and position in the training pipeline. Aptitude test scores and relevant biographical data (e.g., number of hours in powered aircraft prior to the course) were collected to provide an independent measure of ability. Finally, a measure of performance was collected for as many students as possible. The hypothesis was tested by investigating the nature of relationships between the predictor variables and the performance measure. Unfortunately, the hypothesis was not proved. Although this research did not explicitly specify the relationships between ability, instruction, motivation, and performance, it did indicate the potential of some variables to explain part of the variance in student performance in pilot training. Theses.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA202795

Entities

People

  • Terence W. Connolly

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Cognition
  • Computer Programs
  • Data Analysis
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Education
  • Flight Training
  • Information Science
  • Instructors
  • Motivation
  • Psychological Tests
  • Psychology
  • Regression Analysis
  • Students
  • Surveys
  • Training

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Psychometric Testing or Psychological Assessment.
  • STEM Education