FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)The Teaching Process and MethodsMedium
A flight instructor tells every student after every landing, 'Great job!' regardless of how the landing actually went. Over several lessons, students stop taking the instructor's feedback seriously and fail to correct recurring errors. What principle of effective praise has this instructor violated?
- APraise must be specific, sincere, and connected to actual performance
- BPraise should be withheld until the student demonstrates mastery
- CPraise should be given only at the end of a course of training
- DPraise should always be paired with harsh criticism for balance
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Praise must be specific, sincere, and connected to actual performance
Effective praise must be genuine, specific, and tied to actual performance in order to reinforce desired behavior meaningfully. Generic, indiscriminate praise loses its reinforcing value and can cause students to distrust or disregard instructor feedback.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Withholding all praise until mastery ignores the value of encouraging progress along the way.
- C. Praise should be timely, given close to the performance, not only at course end.
- D. Praise doesn't need to be paired with criticism; that isn't the identified principle.
Effective Use of Praise
Praise is most effective as a reinforcement tool when it is specific, sincere, timely, and clearly tied to the student's actual performance.
- Generic praise loses reinforcing power over time
- Praise should be given promptly after correct performance
- Overuse of undeserved praise can breed complacency or distrust
Memory trick: Praise like a laser, not a fog machine—aim it precisely