| Satisfaction of pilot-trainees with each of four distinct airline training experiences was measured for the perceived effect of individual learning style, demographic data, and instructional delivery using the 2000 Aviation Training Survey (ATS). The ATS was an adapted instrument that incorporated Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) and the researcher's Training Satisfaction Survey (TSS) adapted from Wheeler's and Marshall's Trainer Type Inventory (TTI). Instructor satisfaction and teaching style were measured using the Instructor Background Survey (IBS). The IBS was an adapted instrument that incorporated Wheeler's and Marshall's TTI, Kolb's LSI, and the researcher's questions for the collection of demographic and satisfaction data. Instructor trainer type was compared to respective learning style and tested for the effect on instructor satisfaction with teaching the same four aviation training programs. Statistical analysis showed that a pilot-trainee's learning style, as measured by Kolb's LSI, had no significant effect on the subject's satisfaction with any of the four training programs. However, a subject's perception of instructional delivery did have significant effects. Post-hoc multiple range tests further identified the effects of specific instructional delivery descriptors. Empirical review of the correlation between an instructor's trainer type and learning style showed no significant correlation, although some differences were notable and corroborated by personal interviews. Overall conclusion of the research was that deference to instructional delivery has a significant effect on the satisfaction with a training experience and that this satisfaction could be a factor in a pilot's desire to remain with the company. |
