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This study assessed transfer from a customized executive training program involving 89 public sector employees. Participants who set a distal goal had higher self-efficacy than those in both the do your best (DYB) and the proximal plus distal goal conditions. Participants who set proximal plus distal goals had higher maintenance than those who set distal outcome goals, and those who were urged to DYB. The distal goal participants had a higher level of applied generalization than their DYB counterparts. Maintenance did not differ between DYB and distal goal conditions.

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For more than a century learning psychology has dealt with the so-called transfer problem: that what has been learned in one context often can be difficult to recall and apply in a different context. This article, building on many years’ theoretical and practical work in the field, starts by defining five main learning spaces in contemporary society, arguing that transfer problems usually turn up in relation to the transition of the boundaries between these spaces, and especially between the school and education space and the spaces of everyday life and working life. Focus is then turned to contemporary theories of learning and knowledge and four different learning and knowledge types are described, which are activated in different situations and imply different transfer possibilities. Finally, two ways of dealing with the problem in school and educational practice are outlined and discussed.

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Companies are increasingly focusing on corporate management education, and the quality of business schools becomes central. Although some studies have pointed out that perhaps the success of the business schools has been overestimated, a majority of studies have found business school education useful in management practice, both from the trainer's and the trainee's perspective. This study reviews the literature on the linkages between the business school programs and the actual transfer of the training to workplace, and suggests some determinants, hitherto unreported, through propositions, which can be tested in future to facilitate this transfer of training. The paper also suggests some steps the business schools can take to make their learning more effective.

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COST is an acronym for 'European Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research'. It is an intergovernmental European framework for international co-operation between nationally funded research activities. COST creates scientific networks and enables scientists to collaborate in a wide spectrum of activities in research and technology. Action A11 was located in the field of Social Sciences. COST financially supports the co-ordination within the Action, for example workshops, meetings, short-term scientific missions, publications.

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Some elected Health and Safety Representatives in Australia choose to undertake a Certificate IV level [occupational health and safety] OHS course. To determine if they are more effective at representing their designated work group [DWG] as a result, a sample population of Health and Safety Representatives and members of their [DWG] were surveyed. The survey participants were also tested in regard to their approach to solving health and safety problems posed in three hypothetical workplace scenarios. The results were compared with the results of the same test undertaken by Health and Safety Representatives that had only completed a five-day training course.

As a result of undertaking a Certificate IV OHS program, Health and Safety Representatives have more confidence in undertaking workplace inspections and the frequency and the quality of those inspections is increased. They seek more information from their employer in regard to workplace hazards and are consulted by management more often and also consult with the members of their [DWG] more frequently. There were statistically significant differences between responses to the three hypothetical workplace scenarios given by subjects that had undertaken a Certificate IV course and those that had only completed a five-day training program. The Certificate IV course group were more likely to apply safe place control principles to problems. Together with increased frequency of inspections and greater consultation, this is likely to lead to more effective representation of the DWG.

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Applying learning technologies to improve the current practices of [career and technical education] CTE requires a more holistic view focusing not only on the aspect of learning but also the transfer needs of CTE within educational institutions and private sector organizations. In an effort to address the need for using technology appropriately for CTE, we provide a conceptual framework that synthesizes the literature of learning technologies and learning transfer within CTE. This chapter has the following sections: (1) developing learning content for CTE; (2) learning frameworks and instructional strategies for learning transfer within CTE; (3) key considerations for utilizing learning technologies for CTE; and (4) future trends of CTE in using advanced learning technologies.

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This paper argues that much contemporary educational policy makes assumptions about learning that are directly contradicted by the best research and theorising of learning that has occurred over the last decade and more. This worrying mismatch is largely attributable to adherence by policy makers (and other key stakeholders such as employers), to ‘common sense’ notions of learning transfer. In fact, these ‘common sense’ notions of transfer have increasingly been discarded even in the learning transfer literature. However, we go further in arguing that transfer is a totally inappropriate metaphor for thinking about most learning, but especially for vocational learning. Accepting that thought about learning inevitably involves metaphors, we consider the merits and otherwise of various other learning metaphors including participation and construction. We conclude that the conceptual flaws of transfer can be avoided by employing alternative metaphors. The value of our recommended alternative is illustrated by its power to illuminate data on learning collected from various research projects.

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Purpose - This paper aims to provide easy-to-use strategies to improve the transfer of training knowledge to the real-world job setting. Design/methodology/approach - The approach is to summarize successful techniques used in a variety of industries over the past 15 years. Findings - For most training professionals, learning in the classroom does not have a direct correlation to new workplace behaviors. However, with planning, diligent attention, and small changes to the process, training professionals can buck this trend. Keys to transferring training from the classroom to the workplace include a reasonable number of objectives, pre-learning and post-learning activities, active training experiences, and follow-up to create follow-through. While the current statistics may be dire, when it comes to transfer of learning, simple changes can yield big results for organizations. Practical implications - Training professionals must make changes to create meaningful learning transfer. Originality/value - The paper includes successful strategies for improving transfer in a variety of industries.

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Purpose - The purpose of the paper is to present an empirical study based on a trainee-oriented systemic model for training transfer. The paper examines trainee characteristics which affect the motivation to learn and transfer and determine the trainees’ entry behaviour. Then, during the training process, the complex interactions among the trainer, the trainees and the content and method used are taken into account to assess what are here termed direct and indirect training transfer. Finally, organizational factors affecting both the training transfer and the trainee him/herself are examined. Design/methodology/approach - The authors used 44 in-depth interviews with trainees from different organizations who participated in a training program that was based on an innovative experiential training method (project method). Findings - The results reveal the importance of trainee characteristics in the training transfer process and provide useful insights regarding the design and management of the training program. Originality/value - The qualitative methodology used is a strong element of this study as it provides rich information regarding the training transfer process. The research design framework, i.e. interviewing trainees one year after the training took place, revealed important factors affecting the training transfer process.

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Purpose - The purpose of this exploratory research is to test the model of training transfer as a two-way process. Design/methodology/approach - Based on self-report data gathered from 58 to 44 respondents in a field experiment, it is argued that there is not just learning in the context of training and not just application in the context of work. For training design may ask for performance during training, and data show significant further learning of skills in the context of work. Findings - The overall results of the data analysis suggest support for transfer as a two-way process. Data show a dip in transfer in the first interval, three weeks after training. In the longer term (one year), transfer restored significantly. Practical implications - Discusses how to combine learning and performance, in the training context and the work context. Originality/value - The usual view of transfer is one-way (from training to work; from learning to application), while transfer may be a two-way process. A presented model is put to the test.

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