Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age

Military students are often believed to possess different traits compared to civilian students, e.g., discipline and motivation. Yet, to implement a technology-enhanced learning environment, stakeholders must first address the complexity of student learning in military higher education institutions....

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Main Authors: Andrea Luna, Mauro Ocaña, Javier Rodríguez-Moreno, Ana María Ortíz-Colón
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1593326/full
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author Andrea Luna
Mauro Ocaña
Javier Rodríguez-Moreno
Ana María Ortíz-Colón
author_facet Andrea Luna
Mauro Ocaña
Javier Rodríguez-Moreno
Ana María Ortíz-Colón
author_sort Andrea Luna
collection DOAJ
description Military students are often believed to possess different traits compared to civilian students, e.g., discipline and motivation. Yet, to implement a technology-enhanced learning environment, stakeholders must first address the complexity of student learning in military higher education institutions. Through a mixed-methods approach, we used latent profile analysis of MSLQ scores, complemented by a comprehensive study of academic programs and faculty interviews, to reveal that heterogeneity among military students is not significantly different from that of civilian students. We identified four distinct groups: (1) highly motivated students with strong self-efficacy and learning strategies, (2) students with low self-efficacy and high anxiety, (3) moderately motivated students, and (4) students with inconsistent learning profiles. Our analysis revealed that while the current pedagogical structure aims to balance theoretical, practical, and autonomous learning, it may not effectively meet the needs of all student profiles. However, LMS platforms, military simulators, and other digital tools can serve not only as instructional resources but also as potential catalysts for truly personalized and adaptive military education. Effective military pedagogy in the 21st century must recognize and address the diversity of learning profiles. This includes strengthening self-regulation and cognitive strategies through tailored technological interventions, optimizing digitally enriched hands-on activities, and increasing teacher awareness of motivational and emotional factors. This research offers a concrete roadmap for optimizing military training, positioning technology as a key driver of pedagogical transformation to better prepare future military leaders for the challenges of an ever-evolving world.
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spelling doaj-art-677edbd8959f47c0aac3545db3e37b222025-08-20T03:53:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-05-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15933261593326Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital ageAndrea Luna0Mauro Ocaña1Javier Rodríguez-Moreno2Ana María Ortíz-Colón3Human and Social Sciences, University of the Armed Forces (ESPE), Sangolquí, EcuadorHuman and Social Sciences, University of the Armed Forces (ESPE), Sangolquí, EcuadorDepartment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, SpainDepartment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, SpainMilitary students are often believed to possess different traits compared to civilian students, e.g., discipline and motivation. Yet, to implement a technology-enhanced learning environment, stakeholders must first address the complexity of student learning in military higher education institutions. Through a mixed-methods approach, we used latent profile analysis of MSLQ scores, complemented by a comprehensive study of academic programs and faculty interviews, to reveal that heterogeneity among military students is not significantly different from that of civilian students. We identified four distinct groups: (1) highly motivated students with strong self-efficacy and learning strategies, (2) students with low self-efficacy and high anxiety, (3) moderately motivated students, and (4) students with inconsistent learning profiles. Our analysis revealed that while the current pedagogical structure aims to balance theoretical, practical, and autonomous learning, it may not effectively meet the needs of all student profiles. However, LMS platforms, military simulators, and other digital tools can serve not only as instructional resources but also as potential catalysts for truly personalized and adaptive military education. Effective military pedagogy in the 21st century must recognize and address the diversity of learning profiles. This includes strengthening self-regulation and cognitive strategies through tailored technological interventions, optimizing digitally enriched hands-on activities, and increasing teacher awareness of motivational and emotional factors. This research offers a concrete roadmap for optimizing military training, positioning technology as a key driver of pedagogical transformation to better prepare future military leaders for the challenges of an ever-evolving world.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1593326/fulllatent profile analysisMSLQlearning profileseducational technologymilitary studentsself-regulated learning
spellingShingle Andrea Luna
Mauro Ocaña
Javier Rodríguez-Moreno
Ana María Ortíz-Colón
Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
Frontiers in Psychology
latent profile analysis
MSLQ
learning profiles
educational technology
military students
self-regulated learning
title Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
title_full Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
title_fullStr Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
title_full_unstemmed Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
title_short Establishing the foundation for technology adoption: profiles of military students in the digital age
title_sort establishing the foundation for technology adoption profiles of military students in the digital age
topic latent profile analysis
MSLQ
learning profiles
educational technology
military students
self-regulated learning
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1593326/full
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