Transfer of Learning and Teaching: A Review of Transfer Theories and Effective Instructional Practices

One of the primary goals of education is to ensure that learners can apply their acquired knowledge in various ways and under different circumstances. However, this expected “transfer” does not always occur and, therefore, the acquired knowledge cannot be flexibly employed in different contexts. One way to minimize this problem is to understand how transfer occurs and what learning conditions can improve this process. This review paper provides major theoretical perspectives and pedagogical practices to explore the most effective ways to optimize knowledge acquisition and transfer. The results of the comparison of the selected theories indicated that transfer was a multi-dimensional process that could occur at any stage of learning and could be enhanced through coaching, scaffolding, interacting, assessing and reflecting in situated learning environments.