Professional development initiatives for university teachers: Variables that influence the transfer of learning to the workplace

Abstract

Universities seek innovation by designing and implementing professional development initiatives (PDI) for their teachers. Here it is expected that teachers will apply their learning to the workplace. However, such transfer does not always occur. To address this problem, we analyse the PDI design process of 12 universities in terms of how they consider the main variables influencing transfer: intervention design, work environment, and characteristics of the learner. Qualitative data from 16 interviews suggest that programme designers tend to focus mainly on variables related to the intervention design and work environment, but struggle to address the needs of the teacher. These findings can help universities realign their focus, by emphasising teacher-centred PDI to improve the transfer of learning.

Technology professional development for teacher educators: A literature review and proposal for further research

“…Type of TPD includes TPD design features such as delivery mechanism, duration, and content; unit of analysis concerns the impact of TPD, especially programme outcomes and student achievement. The impact of TPD also relates to teacher educators' transfer of learning, defined as successful application of the knowledge acquired in the TPD (Jaramillo-Baquerizo et al 2019). The last aspect of the schema focuses on the evaluation design and methods, which may include experimental or case study designs (Lawless and Pellegrino 2007).…”

“…This thematic area draws upon previous research reporting that the design of a professional development activity is one of the variables that influence learning transfer (Jaramillo-Baquerizo et al 2019). Some of the design elements include inquiry driven, opportunity for reflection, job-embeddedness, and including collaborative strategies for enhancing educators' knowledge and practices (Borg et al 2018).…”

Evaluating professional development for blended learning in higher education: a synthesis of qualitative evidence

“…However, determining the effectiveness of a PDI is challenging (Zeggelaar et al, 2020). Several attempts to evaluate professional development outcomes range from comparing students' scores before and after the PDI, testing the knowledge transfer of the teaching staff, as well as gathering data on the satisfaction and personal experiences of the participants involved (Jaramillo-Baquerizo et al, 2018;Zeggelaar et al, 2020). Zeggelaar et al (2020) addressed the question of PDI effectiveness in a study where a PDI was evaluated based on a list of design requirements, and measuring the outcomes based on an evaluative framework comprised mainly of both the Guskey (2000) and the Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2006) frameworks, as well as measurement concepts such as the stages of concern (George et al, 2006).…”

Analyzing the transition from face-to-face to remote education: an experience in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…La literatura sugiere que entre las variables analizadas en el TAM, la utilidad percibida por los individuos y la facilidad de uso percibida son las más cruciales para la integración de las TIC. Esto coincide con la literatura que sugiere fomentar la motivación de los profesores para integrar mejor las TIC por encima de las estrategias de coerción (Jaramillo-Baquerizo et al, 2019). Parece lógico, por tanto, realizar estudios que analicen las experiencias actuales con las TIC antes de diseñar iniciativas de desarrollo profesional que tengan como objetivo la integración de las TIC en el aula, especialmente durante la drástica transición a la educación a distancia debido a la pandemia del COVID-19.…”