KAITSEVÄE ÜHENDATUD ŐPPEASUTUSTESSE VASTU VŐETUD KADETIKANDIDAATIDE MOTIVATSIOONI JA TUNNETATUD JUHIOMADUSTE MUUTUMINE AJATEENISTUSES

When young persons wish to study to become officers in the Estonian National Defence College (ENDC), it is necessary that they should have finished their secondary education, and also have completed the obligatory conscript service in Estonia. Sometimes, however, after their service, some cadet candidates do not wish to continue their studies at the ENDC. The aim of the paper is to examine the changes in the motivation, attitudes and values of future cadets who come to study in the ENDC. We examined cadet candidates who were accepted to the ENDC in the summer of 2013 (n=13) and started their conscript service either in July or October of 2013 and then compared their results to the reference groups (those who applied but were not accepted as candidates, n=13 and ordinary conscripts, n=84). The participants were examined three times during the conscript service. They responded to a survey regarding different aspects of their conscription. Together with evaluations of their motivation to study in the ENDC, they were also asked questions about their attitudes and values. The results demonstrated that there were no great changes in cadet candidates’ motivation during their conscript service. Future research is necessary to analyse this trend more in depth.