Predicting non-traditional learners’ intentions to transfer generic information literacy competencies for the benefit of lifelong learning: A multi-contextual and longitudinal approach
- This dissertation investigates the significance of adopting a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach when designing transfer-enhancing education in generic information literacy competencies. To this end, it examines the influence of theory- and evidence-based contextual variables, taken from Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (1991) and the Learning Transfer System Inventory model (Holten et al., 2000), on the intention of non-traditional students enrolled in a-synchronous online education, to transfer generic information literacy competencies to two different contexts: their study and work. Studies 1 and 2 focus on organizational variables, Study 3 on learner characteristics, and Study 4 on variables from both domains. Investigating this within a single study adds a novel multi-contextual approach to the conceptual development of transfer studies that is currently absent from the literature. To investigate the longitudinal and dynamic nature of the transfer process, multi-itemThis dissertation investigates the significance of adopting a multi-contextual and longitudinal approach when designing transfer-enhancing education in generic information literacy competencies. To this end, it examines the influence of theory- and evidence-based contextual variables, taken from Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (1991) and the Learning Transfer System Inventory model (Holten et al., 2000), on the intention of non-traditional students enrolled in a-synchronous online education, to transfer generic information literacy competencies to two different contexts: their study and work. Studies 1 and 2 focus on organizational variables, Study 3 on learner characteristics, and Study 4 on variables from both domains. Investigating this within a single study adds a novel multi-contextual approach to the conceptual development of transfer studies that is currently absent from the literature. To investigate the longitudinal and dynamic nature of the transfer process, multi-item self-report questionnaires were used to gather data related to the two contexts at three moments in time: before, directly after and three months after training. Studies 1, 2 and 3 focused on the understudied pre-training phase, while Study 4 examined the dynamic character of the transfer process by including all three measurement times. In all studies, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to uncover the structure underlying the relatively large set of variables. Furthermore, structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses regarding the interrelationships among the multiple interacting variables in the studies. Results indicated that these variables had a distinctive influence on the students’ transfer intentions, depending not only on the different stages of the transfer process but also on the transfer environment. This confirms the relevance of a multi-contextual and longitudinal perspective in designing education for the transfer of generic competencies. Implications for theoretical development and educational practice, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.…
