I__. - International Military Testing Association

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EJectronlcs KnowledQg (Table A-3). Hypothesis 3. Students with higher academic school final scores
will score hi her on the TAE test than students with lower scores. The correlation between academic school
final scores aover
course final score) and TAE test scores is significant at the .05 level. However, the correlation
between academic school comprehensive scores (final test) and TAE test scores is positiie but not
significant. Therefore, academic school final scores were significantly correlated with TAE test scores, but
school comprehensive scores were not.
Hypothesis 4. Students wfth higher academic school subsystem test scores will score higher on the TAE
subsystem tests (episodes) than students with lower school subsystem test scores. For Subsystem 1, the
correlation of academic school subsystem test scores with TAE subsystem test scores is significant at the .05
level. Subsystem 2 has a positive correlation, which is not significant. Both Subsystems 3 and 4 have negative
correlations, which are not significant. Therefore, the only significant correlation between academic school
subsystem test scores and TAE subsystem test scores was for Subsystem 1 (the computer).
Hypothesis 5. Students with higher appropriate Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
scores for Electronics Technician selection in general science, electronics information, mathematics
knowledge, arithmeticreasonin (jGS + El + MK] +AR), and the armed forces qualification test (AFQT), will
score higher on the TAE test ta an subjects with lower ASVAB and selection scores. All but one of the
correlations is negative. The only significant correlation between ASVAB scores and TAE score is Arithmetic
Reasoning (AR) with a negative correlation significant at the .05 level. The only positive correlation is between
General Science (GS) and TAE score, which was not significant.
There was no generally consistent relationship between electronics knowledge and TAE performance.
There was a relationship where performance testing was a component of the academic score used. There
was, however, a negative relationship between the scores used to determine selection to the occupational
speciality (electronic technician) and performance scores.
The lack of relationships of electronic theory or academics and troubleshooting performance need further
investigation. As with a number of other studies of this type, there was no consistent relationship between
knowledge of theory and the ability to perform. This may have been related to the method of determining
knowledge and academic success in the school. Testing in the school does not appear to rovide
discriminatory capability and correlational analyses do not show statistically significant results. tchools
should ensure tests discriminate between student’s academic and performance ability and assess student
behaviors in a more structured, formalized, objective way. Otherwise, effects of a change to instructional
methods or techniques cannot be assessed in terms of course outcomes. FurtherTAE testing might determine
the resulting relationships.
Also, the relationships of selection requirements and troubleshooting performance need further
investigation. Of greatest interest is the failure of performance results to positively relate to the ASVAB scores
used to select personnel for this occupational speciality. The consistent negative trend seems to indicate
that, while the ASVAB tests may relate to academic performance, there may be no relationship between
ASVABs, TAE performance, and/or on-the-job performance.
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7 Fable A-4). Hypothesis 6. Subjects with a higher level of
troubleshooting proficiency will make ewer invalid checks than less proficient subjects. The correlation
between TAE score and the number of invalid checks is not significant.
Hypothesis 7. Subjects with a higher level of troubleshooting proficiency will make fewer illogical
approaches than less proficient subjects. The correlation between TAE score and the number of illogical
approaches is significant at the .Ol level.
Hypothesis 8. Subjects with a higher level of troubleshooting proficiency will make fewer incorrect
solutions than less proficient subjects. The correlation between the TAE score and the number of incorrect
solutions is significant at the ,001 level.
Hypothesis 9. Sub’ects with a higher level of troubleshooting proficiency will make fewer redundant checks
than less proficient sub jects. The correlation between TAE score and the number of redundant checks is not
significant.
Hypothesis 10. Subjects with a hi her level of troubleshooting roficiency will test significantly more proof
ooints than less oroficient subjects. 7 he correlation between the f-AE score and the number of proof points
js significant at the .OOl level. .
Hypothesis 11. Subjects with a higher level of troubleshooting proficiency will make significantly fewer
tests than less proficient subjects. The correlation between the level of troubleshooting proficiency and
number of tests is significant at the .OOl level.
The only proficiency factors that failed to show significance were invalid and redundant checks, which
could have been caused by design of the delivery system and/or the method of determining these factors.
This set of hypotheses strongly support the validity of the TAE technique and approach.
The utility of the TAE as a job performance measure and as an objective measure of readiness in the skill
area addressed (in this case, system troubleshooting) should be investigated further.
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DIfflcultv (Table A-45 . Hypothesis 12. The more difficult the episodes, the longer the average time
needed to find the solution. ihe
correlation of TAE difficulty with length of time to find the solution is significant
at the .OOl level.
Hypothesis 13. On episcdes of equal difficulty, subjects with a higher level of troubleshooting proficiency
will take significantly less time than less proficient subjects in finding the solution. Episode difficult levels
were determined and episodes were grouped with level 1 being the easiest and level 5 the most di fricult as
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