Relation of Study Factors to Performance in Navy Technical Schools

This study was conducted to determine which study factors lead to success in Navy technical schools and to ascertain whether the effects of study factors vary from one school to another. Study factors refer to all clearly definable elements that may affect student learning and that may be influenced by training. A Study Factors Survey (SFS) was developed and administered to 1,762 students in seven Navy technical schools. Scores on high-failure tests (those failed by 10% or more of the students) were collected for the beginning, middle, and end of each course. Partial correlations between mean test scores and study factor scales were calculated, controlling for ability as measured by the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Of 304 possible correlations, 87 were significant. Four study factors-Concentration, Competition, Memorization, and Motivation - had the greatest number of signif- icant correlations with achievement scores. Anxiety and Mastery Beliefs had the next largest number of significant correlations.