THE SYSTEMS APPROACH TO TRAINING IN THE MILITARY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM – AGGREGATION OF INTEGRATION PROCESSES

This report looks into the Systems Approach to Training, in the context of educational institutions in the armed forces, as a logical and systematic process. Documents regulating the implementation of the Systems Approach to Training in the US Army, United Kingdom and Bulgaria are analyzed. The first part of the report outlines the requirements of the military educational system based on the made analysis. It is reasonably stated that these requirements apply to all military education systems and constitute a valid framework for all models. This framework sufficiently allows those who make the training to do so in a flexible way, in accordance to the learners’ educational needs. From the standpoint of the management of each education system, the Systems Approach to Training is the most appropriate way to identify learning and development needs. It is reasonably stated that this is an adaptive, continuous training model focused on providing quality, appropriate and effective learning practices. The main features of the Systems Approach to Training applied in the military education systems of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Bulgaria are examined in the second part of the report. Different definitions are used to describe the Systems Approach to Training. From the analysis of the definitions given, the authors justify the assertion, that inherently, the Systems Approach to Training to a certain extent approaches the architectural approach. It is established that for the needs of the armed forces of all three countries the Systems Approach to Training is presented as an aggregation of interrelated and interdependent processes (or stages) aimed at designing the modern military education process in a highly dynamic and external environment. A comparative analysis of the stages (phases) of the Systems Approach to Training applied in the military education systems of the United States, United Kingdom and the Republic of Bulgaria is made. In conclusion of this report the authors justify the opinion that the Systems Approach to Training in the context of the armed forces is an aggregation of integration processes not only aimed at the end result, but also in the learning process itself.