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

摘要

The 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.