Factors Influencing Effectiveness of the Acquisition Career Field Initial Education Course

This study analyzed the affect of the acquisition career field's initial education course on the individual level variables of commitment, motivation, self-efficacy, and knowledge, and developed a measure for future use of organizational factors that may impact that effectiveness. Course effectiveness was assessed using a recurrent institutional cycle design, using two classes of students in the Air Force Fundamentals of Acquisition Management course. A total of 89 students responded to the surveys. Even with a small amount of data, the results showed that fulfilling the course expectations of the students increased the affective commitment to their career field. More data is required before recommendations for change in course design can be made.