Maintaining the transfer of in-service teachers’ training in the workplace

Abstract

Professional training and development is a major component of updating teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and skills. However, transferring such knowledge and skill may not always be successful. Based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the present study has developed a model specifying the factors affecting transfer maintenance intention and behaviour. This model was tested with the partial least square approach to structural equation modelling. The results indicate that the TPB-oriented model is able to explain in-service teachers’ intention to maintain what they have learned from training in their jobs and their subsequent transfer maintenance behaviour. Moreover, the β coefficients indicate that attitude towards the behaviour was the major predictor of transfer maintenance intention, which was in turn the major predictor of transfer maintenance behaviour. Finally, research implications and practical implications have been provided in this study.

Keywords:

• teacher education
• professional development
• higher education
• transfer maintenance
• theory of planned behaviour

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by The Hong Kong Institute of Education under Grant [RG32/2011-2012]. The author would like to thank his research assistant, Lai-Sze Sin, and a group of student assistants from The Hong Kong Institute of Education (Gary Law, Carman Lai, Emily Liu and Natalie Law) for their assistance in completing the research. My appreciation also goes to the three anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on earlier drafts of the paper.