Study guide to pass the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) exam required to become a CFI. Complete review of the textbook covered on this exam, the Aviation Instructor's Handbook. All acronyms included - this is a must have for the practical exam as well as the FOI written!
FUNDAMENTALS OF INSTRUCTION (FOI) 1 of 26
Task A: Human Behavior and Effective Communication
Overview
• Learning: The acquisition of knowledge or understanding of a subject or skill through education, experience,
practice or study.
• A change in behavior results from learning.
• The instructor must know why people act the way they do, how people learn, and then use this understanding to
teach.
Definitions of Human Behavior
• How and why humans function the way they do
o Combination of innate human nature and individual experience and environment
• The product of factors that cause people to act in predictable ways. For example, how people handle fear.
• The result of attempts to satisfy certain needs.
o Simple: food, water
o Complex: respect, acceptance
• Life course - as humans grow, behavior changes.
o As a student ages, dependency turns into self-direction.
• Myers Briggs type indicator - 16 distinct personality types based on individual’s perception and judgment.
• Instructor/student relationship
o Everyone has a different teaching style and learning style.
o Instructor must understand his or her teaching style and adapt to students learning style. Example: adjust
scenarios.
Instructor/Student Relationship
• Different personalities result in different learning and teaching styles.
• Learning about yourself and your student’s personality will help teaching and learning.
• Matching up styles contributes to satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
• Bridge the difference. Change scenarios to adapt your students learning style.
Human Needs and Motivation
• Human needs are things all humans require for normal growth and development.
o Primary/biological: food and water
o Secondary/psychological: independence
• Human needs are satisfied in order of importance.
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs
, FUNDAMENTALS OF INSTRUCTION (FOI) 2 of 26
PSBES
Physiological: biological needs – air, food, water, shelter, sleep.
Security: the need to feel safe.
Belonging: People seek to overcome feelings of loneliness and alienation. The need for friendship or to be part of a
group.
Esteem/Ego:
• Internal – A person judges themselves (dignity, achievement, independence.)
• External: Social approval and esteem from others. Judging themselves by what others think of them (status,
prestige.)
Self-Actualization: a person’s need to do that which the person was “born to do”.
Human Nature and Motivation
• Relies on one’s goals; put in effort to attain goals.
• A good teacher channels student motivation toward the goal of learning aviation.
Defense Mechanisms
CPR DR DR FFAR
Compensation: Emphasize a strong quality to make up for a weak one. For example, student is having a hard
time with steep turns, but only focuses on the fact that he greases every landing.
Projection: Placing blame on others for your own pitfalls. For example, when the student blames the instructor
for lack of knowledge or training after failing a test.
Rationalization: Use of excuses instead of accepting real reasons for behavior. For example, a student forgets
to chock the airplane and tells the instructor it's fine since it's not a windy day.
Denial of Reality: Ignoring unpleasant realities. For example, a student doesn't practice emergency procedures
because they don't believe anything bad will ever happen.
Reaction Formation: If you cannot do what you desire, you develop a dislike towards it. For example, when a
student fakes a belief that scoring a 70% on a knowledge test is fine because it's passing, but in reality, they
wish they had scored better.
Displacement: A shift of emotion from the original problem to a more acceptable, less threatening substitute.
For example, when a student has a bad flight and shifts their anger from the instructor to their spouse or
friends.
Repression: Something bad happens and you pretend it didn't. For example, abuse as a child, failed
checkride, accident.
Flight: Mental or physical escape from a situation. For example, a student has a bad flight and stop showing up
for lessons.
Fantasy: Daydreaming about the way things should be instead of dealing with the way things are. For
example, a student says they're going to work for the airlines but doesn't want to put in the work or effort to get
there.
Aggression: Gets mad at critique; lack of participation. For example, instructor critiques student performance
and student slams door shut without saying anything.
Resignation: Frustration leads to giving up, caused by not understanding the fundamentals. For example,
student doesn't understand crosswind landings resulting in a bad landing and doesn't continue to fly the plane
– gives up!
Student Emotional Reactions
• Anxiety
o The most significant psychological factor affecting flight instruction. Flying is a potentially
threatening experience to those not accustomed to flying.
• Normal reactions to anxiety and stress:
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