Definition
A broad, general statement that describes the overall purpose of a course or training program — what the student will know or be able to do by the end of instruction. Educational objectives set the direction for the course but do not specify the exact conditions, behaviors, or standards used to measure achievement; those details are handled by performance-based objectives derived from the educational objective.
Plain English
A big-picture goal for what a student should learn or be able to do by the end of a course. It points in the right direction but does not spell out exactly how performance will be measured.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation lesson plans, training syllabi, and instructor discussions about what a student must accomplish during a lesson or training stage.
Derivation
From Latin educare, 'to bring up or train,' and objectum, 'something thrown in front of you' — literally the target placed ahead. Together they describe the learning target an instructor sets in front of the student.
Why Pilots Care
It turns vague training goals into measurable results, letting instructors know precisely when a student is ready to move forward safely.
Intuition Check
Do not read educational objective as a general hope like “learn landings.” In this FAA training context, it means a clear result the student can actually show, with a known standard for success.
Example Sentence 1
The educational objective of the private pilot ground school is to prepare students to safely operate a single-engine airplane under visual flight rules.
Example Sentence 2
Every lesson plan opened with educational objectives so the student and instructor could both see exactly what needed to be accomplished that day.