Training Transfer and Transfer Motivation: The Influence of Individual,Environmental, Situational,Training Design,and Affective Reaction Factors

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of individual, environmental, training design, and affective reaction factors on training transfer and transfer motivation. To determine the relationship between these factors and their influence on training transfer and to test the model, the researchers collected data from employees in the Malaysian banking sector. Structural equation modeling with Amos 16 was used to test the model and determine the relationship. The study suggested that training stakeholders should manage the training program effectively. Transfer is maximized when trainees have social support, high performance self‐efficacy, and transfer motivation. Stakeholders (e.g., trainers, trainees, supervisors, and peers) are important to the training transfer process, as are learner readiness, trainee reaction, instrumentality, and training retention. This study revealed that perceived content validity and transfer design work together and influence the trainee's performance self‐efficacy. In other words, if trainers want to improve the performance self‐efficacy level of trainees, they need to explain how the trainee can transfer the learned skills at the workplace and make sure the content of the training is similar to the actual job. The main objective of training programs is to align the employee's expertise with organizational goals. Organizations can achieve their desired objectives only when employees transfer the learned skills on the job. Unfortunately, employees often transfer only a small percentage of skills they have learned in training. To effectively manage their training programs, organizations need to identify and focus on the factors that resist effective training transfer.     

Evaluating Training Outcomes in Corporate E-Learning and Classroom Training

The study contributes to training evaluation research by systematically comparing training outcomes between corporate e-learning and classroom training. We investigated a sample of vocational trainees (N?=?86) in a field experiment with a time-lag design and examined their subjective as well as objective training success. While training success was subjectively perceived to vary in effectiveness depending on the setting right after the training, with higher scores for trainees in classroom training, it was perceived similarly effective in both training settings after six to eight weeks. With regard to objective training success, we found that whereas declarative and procedural knowledge scores increased for e-learning trainees, they decreased for trainees in classroom training. However, strengths of e-learning become more prevalent six to eight weeks after the training. Thus in the end, e-learning is as effective as classroom training for procedural knowledge and more effective than classroom training for declarative knowledge as e-learning trainees catch up on previous differences across time. We conclude that it is not the training setting or delivery media per se that leads to higher levels of trainings success in the long run but in order to be effective, trainings should be designed taking especially the type of learning content (declarative or procedural knowledge) into account.     

The Influence of Specific Supervisor Support Types on Transfer of Training: Examining the Mediating Effect of Training Retention

The aim of this study was to examine the differential effects of specific types of supervisor support on transfer of training, taking into account established trainee characteristics, such as trainees’ motivation to learn, motivation to transfer, and training self-efficacy. More specifically, nine types of supervisor support were examined (pre-training information, role modelling & facilitation, request sharing, favourable attitude, coaching & feedback, openness, involvement & accountability, work coverage, and training participation). In addition, the mediating effect of training retention is explored, as learning outcomes may present an intervening variable that connects supervisor support to transfer of training. A time-lagged design was used to investigate the relationships in the proposed model and it was evaluated using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). Data was gathered in Belgium through online questionnaires at three points in time from 111 participants of work-related training. Participants were employees from a retail organisation and different government agencies. Results indicate that only supervisors’ accountability and involvement positively predicted employees’ transfer of training three months after training. In addition, it was found that supervisors’ involvement and accountability had an indirect effect on transfer of training through training retention.     

Special education trainee teachers’ perceptions of their professional world: motives,roles, and expectations from teacher training

To open a window into perceptions entailed in the professional world view of special education teacher trainees, three research questions were developed: (a) What are their motives for joining the profession? (b) How do they perceive the role of the special education teacher? and (c) What are their expectations from teacher training? The research was carried out using a qualitative approach. Ninety-three students about to begin their professional training in special education in an Israeli teacher-training college completed a questionnaire consisting of five open questions. The data were analyzed according to the grounded theory approach. The research findings showed that the trainees chose special education because they wanted to belong to a group of teachers perceived as the most ethical; one that considers its mission to help ‘vulnerable’ individuals, mold their characters, and ‘have an impact on society.’ The role of special education teachers was perceived mainly as caring for students and their parents; the trainees expected that during their training, they would become completely familiar with the range of disabilities and how to deal with them, as well as learn about themselves and strengthen their teaching skills. The world of special education was perceived as ‘mysterious,’ having a high moral standing; as a closed profession, in that relations are limited to teacher, child, and parents; but with a spiritual aspect. The professional world of special education as perceived by the teacher trainees was different than that actually waiting for them, and for which teacher training institutes must prepare them.     

What influences transfer of training in an African agricultural research network?

Purpose: This study determined the extent to which transfer of training among trainees from national partners of an international bean research network in Africa was perceived to have taken place; including determining the factors that predicted transfer of training back to the job. Methodology/approach: Online data collection using the Learning Transfer Systems Inventory (LTSI) from 139 respondents was made and analyzed using bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings: An average of 75% of the training skills were perceived as transferred. ‘Personal capacity’ significantly predicted transfer, while ‘motivation to transfer’, ‘transfer design’, ‘supervisor’, and ‘peer support’ positively correlated with training transfer. Theoretical implications: The LTSI factors remain relevant explanations for training transfer with in African agricultural research and development organizations. Certain work environments are likely to have new factors such as ‘Supervisor and peer’ support which operated as one explanatory factor for training transfer, revealed the closeness of supervisors and peers in agricultural research and development settings. Practical implications: The international agricultural research network needs to consider the trainees’ ability to transfer new training given workload-related hindrances. Originality/value: The applicability of the LTSI for international agencies that conduct training for agricultural research and development in Africa has been tested. Such institutions need policies that enhance trainee capacity to transfer training to the work place.     

Pursuing a Multidimensional View of Transfer

Training researchers and practitioners have typically focused their attention on one type of transfer, the transfer of tasks that require trainees to learn and apply a prescribed standard procedure. Further, researchers and practitioners have examined this type of transfer in situations where supervisors hold trainees accountable for applying the trained knowledge and skill, Performance professionals have developed theoretical frameworks, training principles, and training guidelines to improve transfer based on this conception of transfer. In contrast, this paper presents a multidimensional perspective to training transfer. One dimension concerns task adaptability-a continuum from relatively closed tasks, where task steps are highly prescribed, to relatively open tasks, where the task steps can be adapted to varying circumstances of the job. The other dimension concerns worker autonomy-a continuum from heavily supervised to highly independent work. Based on this expanded perspective of transfer, for each combination of variable, we offer principles for effective transfer as well as specific problems which must be solved to achieve the best results. We also provide suggestions for evaluating training success and derive research propositions that deserve attention.     

Effects of an Inductive Versus a Deductive Instructional Approach on the Constructive Feedback and Problem-Solving Skills of Supervisors

This study investigated the effects of an inductive versus a deductive instructional approach on the constructive feedback and problem-solving skills of supervisors. Sixteen supervisors were randomly assigned to either an inductive or a deductive instructional group for one of the instructional units in a supervisory training program. The topic of the unit was the constructive feedback process. Supervisors' acquisition and transfer of skill in giving constructive feedback, problem-solving skill, facilitation of subordinate problem-solving skill, and attitudes toward training were assessed. The findings showed that while supervisors in the deductive group demonstrated greater ability to transfer their learning, supervisors in the inductive group perceived that the quality of their training experience was better. No significant differences were found on either measure of problem-solving skill. Implications of these findings for instructional design theory, research, and practice are discussed.     

The Relationship of Facilitative Functioning to Effective Peer Supervision

This study was conducted to investigate the process of peer supervision. The criterion used was counselor trainees' growth in facilitative functioning. The study sought to ascertain whether the facilitative counselor trainee was also the effective peer supervisor, to provide information on evaluating the peer-supervisory experience, and to shed light on the most effective techniques of supervision. Peer supervisors were found to be effective in improving the performance of counselor trainees in the core dimensions of empathy, respect, genuineness, and concreteness. A significant positive correlation was found between peer supervisors' level of empathy in the counseling relationship and the trainees' ratings of supervisors on the relationship questionnaire. No significant correlation was found, however, between the trainees' ratings of their supervisors and the improvement demonstrated by the trainees in the core conditions. In addition, no significant correlation was found between the extent of the trainees' improvement and the supervisors' level of functioning as counselors. The relationship between trainees' responses to the supervisor role-analysis form and their improvement in counseling skills suggested that the most effective supervisors were structured, didactic, and more technique oriented.     

Perceptions as Measures of Training Transfer

This study investigated the extent to which trainees' perceptions of the applicability of what they learned, gathered immediately after training, can predict their perceptions of actual application of the training six months after they return to the job. It also investigated whether support to apply what trainees learned during training after they returned to the job affected their six‐month perceptions. The study found that in all cases, the six‐month perceptions were statistically significantly lower than the immediate after‐course perceptions. However, using a three‐point Likert scale, with “good” being the highest rating, the actual practical judgments about the training program retained the same rating (good) for the program that received the most job environment support. For the training program that received less support, the decisions made from the initial data and the follow‐up data were different. The initial ratings were “good,” and the follow‐up ratings were “fair.” This study suggests that the immediate after‐course perceptions of training are a reasonable estimate of the six‐month perceptions when there is substantial reinforcement from the home job environment.     

The Nature of Counselor Supervisor Nondisclosure

This study examined the types of information counselor supervisors do not disclose to their trainees. Results from a national sample of 90 supervisors indicated that their nondisclosures fell into 12 categories, and that there were 9 reasons associated with these 12 types of nondisclosures.     

Motivation and self‐regulation assessments: Professional practices and needs of school psychologists

The current study examined differences between urban and suburban school psychologists in terms of their motivation and self‐regulation assessment beliefs, practices, and professional development needs. Using a sample of 96 urban and 47 suburban school psychologists sampled from 22 school districts in a Midwestern state, we found that the two groups were not differentiated across most survey items. Of primary practical importance, however, urban and suburban practitioners encountered motivation and self‐regulation referrals on a relatively frequent basis, perceived these processes to be valuable, and were strongly interested in professional development training. Interestingly, both groups of practitioners indicated that they do not routinely evaluate these processes in youth and were unfamiliar with many commercially available and research‐oriented motivation/self‐regulation self‐report scales. These results are consistent with the premise that there is a disconnect between the types of assessments that practitioners perceive to be valuable and the extent to which they actually engage in those practices. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Supervisor Training: A Discrimination Model

The delivery of supervision skills to those who direct counselors through practicum is not well defined in the counseling literature. This article addresses that issue by presenting a model for identification and training of those skills, the roles in which the skills are demonstrated, and the types of choices or discriminations that are necessary to make in tutoring trainees through the counseling practicum. This model attempts to pair the training of supervisors with the training of counselors in a systematic fashion.     

The statistical knowledge gap in Higher Degree by Research students: the supervisors’ perspective

This study sought to gain an understanding of the current statistical training and support needs for Australian Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and their supervisors. The data reported herein are based on the survey responses of 191 (18.7%) eligible supervisors from a single Australian institution. The survey was composed of both forced-choice and open-ended items relating to supervisors’ background and experience, supervisors’ perceptions of their own statistical knowledge, the capabilities of their HDR students and supervisors’ attitudes towards the provision of statistical support for HDR students. Most supervisors described themselves as being at either an intermediate or advanced level of statistical experience (74.4%) and were moderately to very confident (72.3%) supervising students in relation to statistical matters. In contrast, supervisors identified a substantial discordance, or gap, between HDR students’ statistical knowledge, which they rated at an overall introductory or lower level (76.6%), and a requirement to have at least an intermediate level of statistical knowledge to complete their degree (74.5%). The findings suggest that supervisors perceive HDR students’ statistical knowledge to be underdeveloped, that both students and supervisors are likely to benefit from the provision of formal statistics training and that supervisors value access to statistical consultancy services.     

The Interns Play: A Mimetic Approach to Introducing and Working with Countertransference in Professional Training

An approach is presented that introduces the concept of countertransference to predoctoral interns and externs in a unique way during their professional training. This approach goes beyond a didactic presentation of the concept and even beyond discussion of case material in supervision. Through an experiential role-play process called Mimesis, trainees are encouraged to enact scenes from literature that depict typical dilemmas that psychotherapists working in a psychodynamic framework must face. By using carefully chosen stories, supervisors can highlight aspects of the therapeutic process such as managing countertransference feelings. This approach fosters a more flexible and open inquiry into one of the most daunting aspects of professional development for both trainees and supervisors.     

Some comments on the curriculum for training teachers for the primary school system in Bendel State Nigeria

This study was designed to determine the adequacy of the quality of training in terms of the programme of studies offered to the teacher‐trainees in Bendel State, Nigeria, in preparation for their role as primary school teachers. When the content of the training was evaluated against the general aims and objectives for teacher‐education in Nigeria and the objectives of primary education, it was found that:

• The aims and objectives for teacher‐education at the teachers’ grade II level in Nigeria are not sufficiently plausible to facilitate their meaningful translation into concrete and observable actions.

• The grade II teacher‐trainees are not adequately equipped, in terms of the content of their training, to discharge their responsibilities effectively in order that the objectives of primary education may be realized.

It is, therefore, suggested that teacher education at the level under consideration demands a new direction whereby the trainees will be equipped with appropriate skills, knowledge, attitudes and values.     

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN GERONTOLOGY

If training programs with older participants can be implemented and evaluated through Title IV‐A of the Older Americans Act, the gerontological community can compare the relative merits of these types of programs with the more typical ones that train younger adults to serve older persons. An emphasis on older participants may be particularly relevant in the 1980s, when career training for younger adults in the human service occupations appears to be less promising. Older participants are more likely to complete training programs and enter part‐time or volunteer work. Studies have found older participants to be competent trainees, effective workers, and likely candidates to improve self‐esteem. However, much work needs to be done in the area of program evaluation. The Institute of Gerontology at the University of the District of Columbia has developed and implemented three training programs with older participants. Two future objectives of the Institute are to evaluate the programs with more rigorous methodologies and to encourage similar programs to be developed, implemented, and evaluated at ofher institutions of higher education.     

Group Supervision of Supervision: A Relational Approach for Training Supervisors

The issue of training psychologists to become competent supervisors has only been clearly articulated in the past two decades. In this article a rationale for training supervisors in a group format is given. Then, a supervision of supervision group is presented that the authors co-led with two successive cohorts of four predoctoral interns in a large university counseling center as part of its training program. The authors focus on the need to attend to group process and relational themes. Finally, the authors discuss the inevitable boundary concerns that emerge given the multiple levels of relationships that exist among several tiers of trainees and supervisors.     

M.A.S.S.: A Model for Producing Transfer

Transfer is the application in the workplace of the knowledge, skills and attitudes learned in training. With transfer, trainers hope to link training to increased job performance. However, training alone will not produce transfer. To affect job performance as a result of training, trainers must intentionally promote transfer using a variety of strategies based on known principles of human performance technology. The MASS model, presented in this paper, brings together four of these principles. According to the MASS model, trainers who promote transfer (and who thereby become performance technologists) 1) Motivate trainees to learn and use the training material; 2) increase trainees' Awareness of when to use new skills and ideas; 3) enable trainees to master and to apply Skills; and 4) give trainees psychological and physical Support on the job. When performance technologists follow the MASS model, they can expect to produce trainees who apply at work what they have been taught in training. Use of the model is illustrated with two examples.     

Feedback during active learning: elementary school teachers’ beliefs and perceived problems

Giving feedback during active learning is an important, though difficult, task for teachers. In the present study, the problems elementary school teachers perceive and the beliefs they hold regarding this task were investigated. It appeared that teachers believe conditional teacher skills, especially time management, hinder them most from giving good feedback. The most widely held belief was that “feedback should be positive”. Teachers also believed that it is important to adopt a facilitative way of giving feedback, but they found this difficult to implement. Only some teachers believed goal-directedness and a focus on student meta-cognition were important during active learning and teachers did not perceive problems regarding these aspects. It was discussed whether teachers’ feedback behaviour was in line with these perceived problems and beliefs. The results give directions for the professional development of teachers to improve their feedback during active learning.     

Enhancing employability through industrial training in the Malaysian context

This study discusses the industrial training programme at the University of Malaya in Malaysia, specifically the issues that need to be addressed in order to enhance the employability skills of graduates. Findings from the feedback obtained from trainees and organizations in the 2008/2009 academic session were examined in terms of the extent to which trainees felt they were prepared for their training, and the extent to which the tasks given to them during their training were appropriate. Further, trainees’ self-rating of particular skills and industry’s rating of the trainees were also examined. The feedback is discussed in the context of the need to equip graduates with employability skills, an issue facing Higher Education Providers worldwide. The findings indicate that most of the students were prepared to face the world of work. However, there were several issues which needed attention. These included the need to address the possible mismatch between the tasks assigned to trainees and their areas of study, and the need to enhance English language competency and particular soft skills throughout their degree programme. Continuous input from industry is also necessary to ensure that the training benefits all parties and contributes to the employability skills of trainees.