FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)The Teaching Process and MethodsMedium
A student pilot has been steadily improving her landing technique over several lessons, but for the past three flights her performance has shown no measurable improvement despite continued practice and instructor feedback. This temporary interruption in the normal progress of learning a skill is best described as a
- Acase of overlearning
- Bsymptom of primacy
- Clearning plateau
- Dnegative transfer of learning
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. learning plateau
A learning plateau is a period during skill acquisition where measurable progress temporarily stalls, even though practice continues, often due to consolidation of learning before the next improvement. It is normal and usually resolves with continued instruction, unlike negative transfer, overlearning, or primacy, which describe different phenomena.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Overlearning is continued practice beyond initial mastery, not a stall in progress.
- B. Primacy relates to the strong impression made by information learned first, not a progress plateau.
- D. Negative transfer occurs when a previously learned skill interferes with learning a new one, not a stall in the same skill.
Learning Plateau
A period during skill development in which a learner shows little or no measurable improvement despite continued practice, often before a new gain in performance.
- Normal part of the learning curve for complex motor skills
- Can be caused by fatigue, boredom, or approaching skill limits
- Instructors should vary practice or provide encouragement rather than assume failure
Memory trick: A plateau is a flat plain — progress goes flat before it climbs again.