Level of schooling and its impact on the training course of 64 Infantry Battalion soldiers

Abstract

The new Strategic Plan for Air Force 100 is a broad process of restructuring of Aeronautical Command (COMAER). Among the areas of action, the refinement of human resources management is highlighted, with emphasis in the fields of recruitment, selection and training. Immersed in this triad, the aim of this study was to verify the influence of soldiers’ level of schooling during the recruitment stage on the degree of performance obtained at the end of the Soldiers Training Course (CFSd) of 2015 and 2016 teams of the 64 Infantry Battalion (BINFA-64). Directing the discussion, the Theory of Meaningful Learning (TAS) was chosen, which interprets the construction of the individual’s cognitive structure and emphasizes that knowledge preexisting in learners’ mental framework acts as an anchor of knowledge (Subsumption), serving as a support to formation of new knowledge. The Mapping of the research objective was established in two aspects. In the foreground, basing and validating the schooling level records of the 421 soldiers under study was sought at the time of the incorporation. It was verified that the military had complete elementary school degree (3%), incomplete secondary school degree (17%), complete secondary school degree (66%), complete secondary school degree (10%) and incomplete higher education degree (4%). Under another perspective, the research focused on recording the soldiers’ final performance score at the end of the course. School and performance data collected were statistically compared using the Pearson coefficient. The value of 0.85, tested by the coefficient, indicated a strong correlation among the variables. Associated with TAS precepts, from this result it was concluded that the highest performance scores corresponded to the highest school levels.