Factors affecting the transfer of training to the workplace after a faculty development programme: What do trainers think?

OBJECTIVES: Faculty development plays a pivotal role in developing competent and effective teachers. The eventual goal of faculty development is to transfer newly acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes to the workplace to positively influence students’ learning. However, the transfer of training skills is a complex phenomenon, and not much has been reported about the factors affecting this process, especially in the health sciences. This study aims to explore the factors hindering or aiding the transfer of training (newly learned competencies) to the workplace. METHODS: This cross-sectional qualitative study employed a purposive sampling technique and incorporated seven programme developers. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and then analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The interviews with programme developers and faculty trainers revealed that the transfer of training to educational practices is a complex and multidimensional process. Primarily, such transfer is influenced by many variables that can be broadly categorised into three groups: trainee characteristics, training design features, and environmental factors. CONCLUSION: The current study has implications for understanding learning transfer after a faculty development programme. It provides a brief overview of the individual, programmatic, and environmental factors that influence the transfer of training to an educational setup.