Evaluating the Impacts of Technology Education on Military Maintenance Students

Abstract

The United States Air Force (USAF) provides career and technical education (CTE) to a wide variety of specialty career fields. Training airmen to carry out the mission while honoring the USAF core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do is the top priority of military leaders and trainers. Vehicle maintenance is especially important as one minor malfunction could cause multiple injuries and deaths. Vehicle maintainers are thus trained in grueling learning environments and follow arduous regulations to ensure the utmost adherence to standards. This paper presents the findings of a recent study at the Port Hueneme Naval Station in California, home of the technical school of Air Force Vehicle maintenance. The results focus on three specific areas that contribute to performance: student learning preferences, Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) scores and other personal characteristics, and a comparison of alternate training aids. Jeremy Jordan is a Captain at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He can be reached at Jeremy.Jordan@us.af.mil. Christopher Curtis is a civilian in the Air Force Research Laboratory. He can be reached at Christopher.Curtis@wpafb.af.mil. 42 JOURNAL OF STEM TEACHER EDUCATION