The role of natural abilities, intrinsic characteristics, and extrinsic conditions in air traffic controllers’ vocational development

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply the Developmental Model of Vocational Excellence (DMVE) in the domain of air traffic control and to describe the characteristics and predictors related to air traffic controllers’ (ATCO) vocational expertise and excellence. Based on DMVE, the study analyses the role of natural abilities (gifts), intrinsic characteristics (self-regulatory abilities) and extrinsic conditions (domain and non-domain specific factors) in ATCOs’ vocational development. Design/methodology/approach – The target population of the multiple case study consisted of ATCOs in Finland (N = 300), of which 28 were interviewed. The interviewees represented four different airports. Initially, three key personnel interviews were conducted to validate the structured theme interview instrument that was subsequently used for the 28 interviews. The data set also included the ATCOs’ aptitude test scores and training records. Employee assessments were used to determine their on-the-job performance level (expertise vs excellence). The research questions were examined using theoretical concept analysis. The qualitative data analysis was conducted with content analysis and Bayesian classification modelling. Findings – The findings indicate that cognitive skills, self-reflection, volition and goal-orientation are considered to be ATCOs’ most important vocational characteristics in addition to interpersonal, intrapersonal and spatial skills. The main differences between the ATCOs representing vocational expertise and those representing vocational excellence were related to self-regulation; motivation and volition in particular proved to be somewhat stronger in the latter group. Research limitations/implications – It was acknowledged that there are limitations in the present study. First, the four airports were not selected randomly. Although they represent different types of airports (and ATCO job profiles) in Finland quite well, future studies should include comparative aspect to airports in other countries. Second, the number of participants (N = 28) in the study was quite small, limiting generalization of the results to the target population (N = 300). Future research on this domain should be extended to include also quantitative measurements, allowing more generalizable results. Third, although the analysis for the research question 3 was based on a technique that is not sensitive to missing values (BCM), missing data in ATCOs’ aptitude test scores, training records and employee assessments added uncertainty to the results. Practical implications – ATCOs’ highly controlled and pre-defined work presents a challenge to work motivation, which is seen as one of the determining factors in safety in air traffic controlling (ATC). In the future, more emphasis should be placed on the prerequisites of professional development such as leadership (human resource management, feedback, employees’ opportunity to influence), working environment (physical and social environment), educational possibilities and career progression, as well as professional benefits (salary and working hours). Originality/value – Although ATC is a fairly studied topic since 1970s, most studies related to ATCOs have concentrated on training, learning on the job, cognitive capacity and processing and stress tolerance. This study extends the emerging research in the field on self-regulation by adopting DMVE to investigate its role, alongside natural abilities and domain and non-domain specific factors, to vocational talent development in different skill acquisition stages.

Success: A 9 Layered-based Model of Giftedness

“…On the third level, lay critical and creative thinking skills, which lead to academic success (Kaufman et al 2008). The following layers compose individual's metacognitive skills; metacognitive skills are at the top of this hierarchy because it has been found that they can distinguish expertise from excellence (Pylvas, 2015).…”

“…Motivation assists learners to formulate decisions and promote decision-making accompanied by volitional processes, which guide the subsequent enactment of the decision. Moreover, self-reflection is congruent with intrapersonal skills, which correspond to one's need to form attribution interpretations for success or failure (Pylvas, 2015, Macnamara, 2016. Critical reflection on one's own experiences carries two important benefits for the individual; first, these self-reactions are under one's own control and strengthen one's tolerance of stress and commitment to the task, thus help the learner to identify the best coping strategies in a given situation and enhance his self-efficacy (Starks, 2014).…”

“…Intelligence is a multi-faceted construct encompassing one's natural abilities, affected by non-cognitive characteristics and environmental conditions (Pylvas, 2015, Jessurun, 2016). Thus, intelligence cannot be measured as one single entity or conceived as an unchangeable, theoretic notion.…”

“…In advance, giftedness is most certainly tied to self-regulatory abilities, embracing one's motivation towards self-regulation and self-reflection (Pylvas, 2015). When self-generated thoughts, feelings and actions are planned and systematically adapted to affect one's learning and motivation, self-regulation is achieved.…”

Finnish WorldSkills Achievers’ Vocational Talent Development and School-to-Work Pathways

“…The developmental model of vocational and professional excellence (DMVE) (Nokelainen, 2016;Pylväs, Nokelainen, & Roisko, 2015) is developed on the basis of the earlier empirical research on modeling of vocational expertise and excellence (Nokelainen, Stasz & James, 2013;Nokelainen, 2010;Ruohotie, Nokelainen, & Korpelainen, 2008;Tirri & Nokelainen, 2011;Nokelainen, Tirri, Campbell, & Walberg, 2007;Nokelainen & Ruohotie, 2002). The DMVE model is applied in this study to investigate the vocational skills competition participants', their co-workers' and their employers' perceptions of the natural abilities, intrinsic characteristics (self-regulation) and extrinsic conditions that influence the development of vocational expertise.…”