Abstract:

Problem Based Learning (PBL) techniques have gained prominence in classrooms at all levels of education: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Globally, a large investment is made in training teachers in the education and higher education (HE) sectors. This also includes training teachers on PBL, which is considered a technique for making the content more relevant to students. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on the transfer (use and application) of such training back into classroom settings. This study explores the training on PBL in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) via the Zoom platform during the COVID–19 pandemic, and the teachers' intention to transfer such training. Specifically, we ask two research questions:
(1) How effective is the use of virtual platforms for PBL training? and
(2) What is the potential for and extent of transferring PBL training conducted virtually?

Our study is based on the theory on Training Transfer (TT), more specifically Baldwin and Ford (1988) model on TT, and the five types/ levels of TT proposed by Yelon, Ford and Bhatia (2014), using the former as an a priori model. We used a single case study on a PBL training conducted in a VLE, in a business faculty at a leading Sri Lankan state university. Primary data was gathered using semi-structured interviews from 12 teacher respondents, which were analysed thematically.

We found that:
(1) a majority of teachers were less exposed to training on VLE generally, and on PBL specifically,
(2) teachers preferred onsite training over training in a VLE,
(3) teachers expect to customise the learning from the PBL training to suit their teaching context in terms of subjects taught, classroom size, facilities available, course duration, and personal resources available,
(4) teachers will mostly transfer at types/levels 1, 2 and 3 of TT which includes performing desired actions, assessing desired outcomes (mostly one’s own outcomes), and explaining learned ideas (only on request), and
(5) teachers’ preference to transfer learning of PBL at TT types/ levels 4 and 5 is minimal – they are reluctant to instruct others to perform as desired, and lead others to apply learned ideas.

We provide three central contributions. Firstly, we extend Baldwin and Ford (1988) model on TT to be relevant to the training of PBL in a VLE in an educational setting. Thereby we capture teacher characteristics, trainer characteristics, work environment features, learning and retention, and generalization are important to training in HE. Secondly, we present an empirically developed understanding of how teachers intend to use and apply PBL trained in a virtual context. Thirdly, the paper provides an empirically grounded basis for further theorising training of teachers in HE. This understanding will assist institutions and policymakers in HE to make optimal returns on the investments made in teacher training.

Keywords:

COVID–19, Higher Education, Problem Based Learning, Training Transfer, Teacher Training, Virtual Learning Environment.