Date of Award
December 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education, Health & Behavior Studies
First Advisor
Zarrina Z. Azizova
Abstract
This interdisciplinary study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to advance innovation in aviation education by incorporating eye tracking technology with enhanced performance traceability through visual modeling and comparative feedback. Specifically, the study investigated student pilots’ scanning behavior, cognitive strategies, and proficiency development on a normal approach and landing task by modeling flight instructors’ cognitive behavior. The first research phase revealed statistically significant differences in scanning ratios between 10 flight instructors and 10 student pilots along with substantial performance variation. The result showed that student pilots exhibited excessive outside fixation, often failing to monitor or respond to energy management in a timely manner. In the second research phase, a separate cohort of 10 student pilots took part in a structured training intervention—comprising three training modules—designed to model flight instructors’ scanning behavior and gain an understanding of cognitive awareness. Post-intervention analysis shows student pilots exhibited a significant reduction in excessive outside fixation and alignment toward flight instructors’ scanning ratios along with performance improvements per ACS standards for the Private Pilot airplane. Thematic analysis of student pilots’ interviews across the training modules highlighted the value of technology-assisted learning for enhancing conceptual clarity and self-assessment and for reducing teaching ambiguity with a deliberate, cognitively engaged learning style by bridging the instructional gap beyond the traditional training method.Keywords: education, aviation, technology-assisted learning, eye tracking, scanning technique, cognitive behavior, teaching methodology, flight instruction, approach and landing.
Recommended Citation
Jo, Hyungwoo, "Integrating Cognitive And Visual Scanning Strategies In Flight Instruction: Effects On Student Pilots’ Learning During Approach And Landing" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 8226.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8226