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Student Behaviour

While strictly speaking instructors are concerned with student behaviours rather than attitudes, personality does colour student learning and performance. From the judgement training material, the personality traits of students do influence how they make decisions in particular.

On a general level there is a wide range to the emotional reaction of different people. When we react strongly it appears that we must use some means to release these effects. Strong emotion generally means that we are aroused, and we cannot maintain this stage for long periods. The general escape mechanisms are projection, rationalization, resignation, flight, and aggression. Projection means that the cause of our arousal becomes externalized. It must be somebody else’s fault why I reacted. Rationalization means constructing a logical scheme for actions, which might not necessarily be connected with reality. Resignation is letting go, and forgoing action. Flight is to run away or escape the situation, and aggression is to attack or lash out. Of course each of these emotional reactions to a situation may not be bad in small doses. However, in the extreme, they can be somewhat incapacitating.

Aside from these basic mechanisms for learning and behaviour we can also look at student behaviour on a more general level. When we encounter a nervous student it is generally an indication of fear or under confidence. Our best action is to slow down the pace of training, encourage what they are comfortable with, and avoid harsh rebukes. The overconfident or conceited student requires us to answer the question, “Do they have the ability to go with the confidence?” If not, counselling may be necessary. Otherwise demand a higher level of performance.

The forgetful, inconsistent students, and the slow starters require patience and repeated review. With fast starters it is important not to omit any details since students may only be well prepared and motivated and not necessarily above average. They will probably progress at the same rate as others after the quick start.

With immature individuals it is important not to be too harsh. Attitude is extremely important. Set a standard and don’t become overly familiar as these students can become quite dependent. This is where having multiple instructors can be useful.

While at first it might seem odd, students that are prone to airsickness should be treated as a group. Many more students and pilots are affected by this than is generally admitted, and this can be a serious barrier to effective instruction. The key is to recognize the problem and promote the right attitude. This should not be viewed as the trait of a lesser pilot, only something to be controlled or overcome. It is often useful for such students to be directed to others who have themselves experienced this problem. It often takes several different approaches until a particular method is found to work. It is important for the student to find out what works for them.