Definition
Statements written by an instructor that describe exactly what a student should be able to do, under what conditions, and to what standard, by the end of a lesson or training period. Each objective typically has three parts: the description of the skill or knowledge (performance), the conditions under which it must be demonstrated, and the criteria for acceptable performance.
Plain English
Clear targets that say what the student will be able to do by the end of the lesson, when they have to do it, and how well they have to do it.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor training, lesson planning, and the use of instructional aids in ground or flight lessons.
Derivation
From 'behavior' (observable action) plus 'objective' (a goal or aim, from Latin 'obiectum,' meaning 'something thrown before' the mind as a target). Together it means a goal expressed as something the student can be observed doing — not just something they 'know' or 'understand' in their head.
Why Pilots Care
They keep training focused on what a pilot must actually do rather than on topics that sound good but cannot be checked.
Intuition Check
Do not read behavioral objectives as vague hopes like “understand navigation.” In this context, they are specific, checkable statements such as what the student will do and how well they must do it.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor wrote behavioral objectives for the lesson stating that the student would perform a power-off stall and recover with a loss of no more than 100 feet.
Example Sentence 2
Using behavioral objectives helped the instructor confirm the student could complete the entire emergency checklist without prompting.