MODELING THE SELECTION SYSTEM FOR POTENTIAL PILOTS–INSTRUCTORS
O. Yu. Buchel’nikov, A. A. Grishkov, F. V. Mal’chinskij, L. M. Medjanikova, S. D. Nekrasov  pp. 147-163

Abstract. The article deals with building a psychological model of concepts and tools necessary to select future instructors among cadets taught to become military pilots. Theoretical model-ing is based on competency approach to cadets’ professional training which is an integral part of the concept of professionally important qualities of a competent military pilot-instructor. The authors single out and substantiate the following three competencies in the structure of the model: communicative, didactic and airmanship. It is justifiable to regard the point “Cadet’s Adequacy to Work as a Pilot-Instructor” as a model of subject of objective reality properties acquired by a cadet during the training period. These properties are: theoretical knowledge, communicative competencies, didactic competencies and airmanship. Modeling the system of selection for the future pilots-instructors has been confirmed both empirically and theoreti-cally and has enabled the researchers to outline the borders of the model “Cadet’s Adequacy to Work as a Pilot-Instructor” along the following parameters: theoretical knowledge necessary to work as an instructor; the acquired competencies of a pilot-instructor, and preparedness to work as a pilot-instructor. The authors have worked out an original complex of selection pro-cedures for potential pilots-instructors which was checked for validity and reliability, and con-formed to the standard. Standardization made it possible to shape a set of testers and a graphic level scale of the model “Cadet’s Adequacy to Work as a Pilot-Instructor”. The content validity of the selection procedures complemented the base elements in the model of professionally important qualities of a competent military pilot-instructor. The discriminant validity of the selection procedures formed the basis for defining testers for cadets’ personality measure in their readiness to work as pilots-instructors. The authors drew up a set of formulas to test the level of cadets’ readiness to work as pilots-instructors. Modeling instruments for the selection on the basis of psychological testing made it possible to reveal the cadets’ basic ideas about the professionally important positive and negative qualities in the work of a pilot-instructor. A set of testers to verify the cadets’ readiness to work as instructors has been checked; the model consists of a number of procedures called “knowledge”, “competences”, “preparedness” respectively. The procedure “Knowledge” measures cadets’ theoretical knowledge necessary to work as a pilot-instructor. The procedure “Competences” measures the cadets’ competences, acquired in training and necessary to work as a pilot-instructor. The procedure “Preparedness” measures parameters of the cadets’ readiness to work as a pilot-instructor.

Keywords: selection of potential pilots-instructors based on psychological testing; profes-sionally critical characteristics of military pilots-instructors; modeling the system of selection of potential instructors; competency approach to evaluating instructor’s work; a complex of selection strategies for potential pilots-instructors