The beliefs and practices of general chemistry students and faculty members regarding knowledge transfer: A phenomenographic study
Abstract
Knowledge transfer is, in essence, the application of knowledge or skills learned in one context to a new context. While it is generally considered to be a primary goal of education, there is still a great deal of debate among researchers about transfer. The goal of this study was not to simply examine whether transfer occurred, but rather to tell the stories of students and faculty members, to explore their beliefs and practices in regards to knowledge transfer. By focusing on transfer from the perspectives of those who were actively engaged in fostering it on a daily basis, the results of this study provide new insight into this fundamental educational phenomenon. The primary sources of data for this study were individual, semi-structured interviews with students, faculty, and professional staff members. At the completion of their interviews, the student participants also completed one or more novel transfer tasks using a think-aloud protocol to reveal how they made connections between the concepts and transferred their knowledge. Supplemental data sources included classroom observations and two free-response surveys.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Bodner, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Chemistry|Science education|Higher education
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.