Examining the Relationship Between AMT Instructor Experience and Student Pass Rates: A Synthesis of Regulatory Standards and Educational Outcomes
Main Article Content
Abstract
This correlational study examined whether Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) instructor experience predicts student pass rates in 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 147 programs. The study investigated whether months of real-world A&P-rated maintenance experience prior to teaching were associated with student success on Airman Certification Standards (ACS) subject areas. Data were collected from 19 U.S. campuses, yielding a final sample of 67 complete responses. Pearson’s correlation revealed no statistically significant linear relationship between instructor experience and student pass rates, r(66) = .06, p = .31. A supplemental analysis compared instructors who possessed an Inspection Authorization (IA) endorsement with those who did not. Due to the assumption of normality violation, a one-tailed Mann-Whitney U test was conducted and indicated a statistically significant difference between the groups (U = 366, z = -1.65, p = .05). Descriptive findings suggested a paradox of experience: instructors with advanced credentials and experience showed lower pass rates than their peers. Reliability analysis indicated fair agreement between self-reported and institutional data (ICC = .52), which is acceptable for exploratory research. This study was the first to examine this relationship in Part 147 programs and established a baseline on AMT instructor qualifications. The findings suggest that experienced instructors may emphasize more rigorous standards than less-experienced instructors. The results suggest that experience alone does not predict student performance, supporting further investigation into instructional effectiveness, assessment practices, and qualification standards in aviation maintenance education.
Article Details
References
Adjekum, D. K. (2017). An evaluation of relationships between collegiate aviation safety management system
initiative, self-efficacy, transformational safety leadership, and safety behavior mediated by safety motivation. International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, 4(2), 4. https://doi.org/10.15394/ijaa.2017.1169
Adjekum, D. K. (2021). Assessing the relationships between organizational management factors (4Ps) and a resilient
safety culture in a collegiate aviation program with a safety management system (SMS). Aviation Faculty Publication, 12.
Adjekum, D. K., & Tous, M. F. (2020). Assessing the relationship between organizational management factors and a
resilient safety culture in a collegiate aviation program with safety management systems (SMS). Safety Science, 131, 104909. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104909
Arreola, E. V., & Wilson, J. R. (2020). Bayesian multiple membership multiple classification logistic regression
model on student performance with random effects in university instructors and majors. PLOS ONE, 15(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227343
Ary, D., Jacobs, L., & Sorenson, C. (2010). Introduction to research in education (8th ed.). Wadsworth.
Aviation Technician Education Council. (2023, December 19). ATEC announces the ATEC Academy [Press release].
https://www.atec-amt.org/news/atec-announces-the-atec-academy
Aviation Technician Education Council. (2024, August 26). School directory: FAA certificated aviation
maintenance technician schools. https://www.atec-amt.org/school-map
Bainbridge, L. (1983). Ironies of automation. Automatica, 19, 775–780.
Baghdasarin, D. (2020). Aviation maintenance instructional design: How to teach the millennial and Gen-Z cohorts.
International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace, 7(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.15394/ijaaa.2020.1441
Boeing. (2024, August 7). The 2024 Boeing technician outlook: A closer look. https://cmo.boeing.com/
Cacciabue, P. C., & Cassani, M. (2011). Modeling motivations, tasks and human errors in a risk-based perspective.
Cognition, Technology & Work, 14(3), 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-011-0205-4
Carrell, S. E., & West, J. E. (2009). Does professor quality matter? Evidence from random assignment of students to
professors. Journal of Political Economy, 118(3), 409–432.
Casanova, R., Bergeoneau, M., & Mestre, D. (2024). Differences between experts and novices in the use of aircraft
maintenance documentation: Evidence from eye tracking. Applied Sciences, 14(3), 1251. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14031251
Chang, Y. H., & Wang, Y. C. (2009). Significant human risk factors in aircraft maintenance technicians. Safety
Science, 48(1), 54–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2009.05.004
Cheng, R. (2018). Human factor analysis about human error on aviation maintenance. Advances in Social Science,
Education and Humanities Research, 181. https://doi.org/10.2991/icsshe-18.2018.30
Cicchetti, D. V. (1994). Guidelines, criteria, and rules of thumb for evaluating normed and standardized assessment
instruments in psychology. Psychological Assessment, 6(4), 284–290.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Day, C. (2017). Competence-based education and teacher professional development. In M. Mulder (Ed.),
Competence-based vocational and professional education: Bridging the worlds of work and education (pp.
–182). Springer.
Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., & Usunov, J., Kornazheva, B. P. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and
well-being in work organizations of a former Eastern bloc country: A cross-cultural study of self-
determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(8), 930–942.
Department of the Air Force. (1999). Maintenance training (AFI 36-2232). Headquarters US Air Force.
Department of the Air Force. (2020). AFSC 2A5X1 airlift and special mission aircraft maintenance specialty:
Career field education and training plan (CFETP2A5X1). Headquarters US Air Force.
Efron, B., & Tibshirani, R. J. (1993). An introduction to the bootstrap. Chapman & Hall/CRC.
Endsley, M. R. (1994). Individual difference in pilot situation awareness. International Journal of Aviation
Psychology, 4(3), 241–264. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327108ijap0403_3
Eraut, M. (2000). Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational
Psychology, 70, 113–136. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709900158001
Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of
expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis
program. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193146
Federal Aviation Administration. (2015, March 9). Safety management system voluntary program guide (AFS-900-
-G201).
Federal Aviation Administration. (2020). Aviation instructor’s handbook (FAA-H-8083-9B).
Federal Aviation Administration. (2022). Advisory Circular 147-3C: Certification and operation of aviation
maintenance technician schools.
Federal Aviation Administration. (2024). 14 CFR Part 65: Certification: Airmen other than flight crewmembers.
Federal Aviation Administration. (2024). FAA order 8900.1: Flight standards information management system
(Revision 1).
Goh, J., & Wiegmann, D. (2002). Human factors analysis of accidents involving visual flight rules flight into
adverse weather. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 73(8), 817–822.
Gramopadhye, A. K., & Drury, C. G. (2000). Human factors in aviation maintenance: How we got to where we are.
International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 26, 125–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-8141(99)00062-1
Gunes, T., Turhan, U., & Acikel, B. (2020). An assessment of aircraft maintenance technician competency.
International Journal of Aviation Science and Technology, 1(1), 22–29.
Hager, P. (2017). The integrated view on competence. In M. Mulder (Ed.), Competence-based vocational and
professional education: Bridging the worlds of work and education (pp. 203–228). Springer.
Hattingh, A., Hodge, S., & Mavin, T. (2022). Flight instructor perspectives on competency-based education: Insights
into educator practice within an aviation context. The International Journal of Training Research, 20(3), 264–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/14480220.2022.2063155
Hodge, S. (2017). Standardized curriculum and hermeneutics: The case of Australian vocational educators. Journal
of Curriculum Studies, 50(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2016.1278042
Hodge, S., Mavin, T., & Kearns, S. (2020). Hermeneutic dimensions of competency-based education and training.
Vocations and Learning, 13(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-019-09227-y
Hoffman, F., & Oreopoulos, P. (2009). Professor qualities and student achievement. The Review of Economics and
Statistics, 91(1), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest.911.83
Houston, S. J., Alton, R. O., & Conway, B. A. (2012). Analysis of general aviation instructional loss of control
accidents. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education and Research, 22(1), 35–49.
https://doi.org/10.15394/jaaer.2012.1402
Johnson, J. A. (1996). Faculty professional development imperatives in collegiate aviation education. Journal of
Aviation/Aerospace Education and Research, 6(3).
Johnson, R. L. (2023). Competency-based human factor and risk assessment training in 14 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 147 maintenance schools. The ATEC Journal, 44(2), 16–25.
Johnson, R. L. (2024). Aviation maintenance technician (AMT) learning styles and technology integration in Title
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 147 maintenance school classrooms. The ATEC Journal, 46(1), 20–24.
Johnson, R. L., & Wheeler, B. E. (2025). Promoting excellence in aviation maintenance education: A review of 14
CFR Part 147 standards and instructor qualifications. The ATEC Journal, 47(1), 28–43.
Johnson, R. L. (2025). Examining the relationship between title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 147
maintenance school Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) instructor experience and Instructor pass rates for Airmen Certification Standards (ACS) Element subject areas [Dissertation].
Florida Institute of Technology.
Jones, D. (2021). Aviation mechanic instructor’s handbook. Avotek Information Resources.
Marsh, H. W. (2007). Do university teachers become more effective with experience? A multilevel growth model of
students’ evaluations of teaching over 13 years. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(4), 775–790.
Marx, D. A., & Graeber, R. C. (1994). Human error in aircraft maintenance. In N. Johnson, N. McDonald, & R.
Fuller (Eds.), Aviation psychology in practice. Ashgate.
Olcott, J. W. (2022). Primacy: For greater enjoyment and safety, learn it right from the start. AOPA.
Olaganathan, R. (2024). Human factors in aviation maintenance: Understanding errors, management, and technical
trends. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 18(2), 92–101.
https://doi.org/10.30574/gjeta.2024.18.2.0021
Polstra, P. A., Sr. (2012). Examining the effect of instructor experience on flight training time [Dissertation].
Northcentral University.
Rashid, H. S. J., Place, C. S., & Braithwaite, G. R. (2014). Eradicating root causes of aviation maintenance errors:
Introducing the AMMP. Cognition, Technology & Work, 16(1), 71–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-012-0245-4
Summey, J. B., Schultz, M. C., & Schultz, J. T. (2004). Are four-year universities better than two-year colleges at
preparing students to pass the FAA aircraft mechanic certification written examinations? Journal of Air Transportation, 9(1), 3–20.
Wheelahan, L. (2019). Knowledge, competence, and vocational education. In D. Guile & L. Unwin (Eds.), The
Wiley handbook of vocational education and training (pp. 97–112). Wiley.
Yother, T. L., Johnson, M. E., & Ha, S. (2023). Faculty and administrator credentials in FAA Part 147 airframe and
powerplant programs. The ATEC Journal, 45(2), 6–14.
Yother, T. L., & Ropp, T. R. (2025). Airframe and powerplant faculty and their workplace challenges: Impacts on
aviation sustainability. The ATEC Journal, 47(1), 28–43.