رویکردهای نوین آموزشی (Aug 2023)
Investigating and Validating the Measurement Model of the Construct of Drivers of Learning Transfer to the Workplace (Case: Employees in a Selected Organization in the Field of Information and Communication Technology)
Abstract
This research was conducted with the aim of investigating and validating the measurement model of the construct of drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. The research is quantitative in nature, applied in terms of purpose, and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population of this research included the employees of a selected organization in the field of information and communication technology who had participated in the organization's in-service training courses. Using Cochran's formula, 169 employees were selected as a sample by a simple random method. The tool of data collection was a revised Learning Transfer System Inventory and its content validity was determined through experts' opinions and its reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient by SPSS 26. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis and the goodness of model fit using Amos 22.0 showed that the measurement model had a good fit. Also, the individual component had the most power to explain the variance of the construct of drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. In the individual, educational and organizational components, respectively, the variables of learner motivation for learning transfer to the workplace, learner satisfaction from educational processes, and colleague support for learning transfer to the workplace had the greatest explanatory power among other variables. It is suggested that the organization takes an approach to getting the support of managers to provide opportunities for employees to transfer what they have learned. In order to develop practical content and increase the satisfaction of the learners, joint meetings between the lecturer and the heads of the departments should be held before the training courses. Also, for reducing learner resistance, endogenous and exogenous sources of resistance to change work methods and processes should be identified.IntroductionThe rapid growth of technology, the complexity and instability of the environment, job changes or transfers, promotion of employees, improvement of job performance, specialized and professional needs of human resources, improvement of the vision of human resources, and creating a better future for them and the organization, all It has made it necessary to train human resources in organizations. Accordingly, most of the leading institutions and organizations have focused their attention on training and promotion of human resources. However, there is a concern that a significant part of the effectiveness of educational expenses will not be transferred to the organization. It can be stated that educational programs are effective, when, in fact, the transfer of learning, which is defined as the process of applying knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other characteristics acquired from the educational program, takes place in the workplace. Various models have been developed concerning learning transfer to the workplace. In this research, Halton's inventory of learning transfer system was used. The model of Halton et al. (2000) includes individual, educational, and organizational components that are introduced as drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. Some studies at the national and international level have investigated these drivers. The innovation of this research presents the addition of two variables to the educational component, including learner satisfaction from educational processes and learner satisfaction from instructors. Based on this, the general aim of the research was to investigate and validate the measurement model of the construct of drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. The research aimed to test the hypothesis that the research model has a good fit. MethodologyThis research is quantitative, applied in terms of purpose, and descriptive survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population of this research was the employees of organizations working in the field of information and communication technology, who participated in specialized courses of in-service training. Based on Cochran's formula, 169 employees were selected randomly. The data collection tool was the revised inventory of learning transfer by Holton et al. (2000). The content validity was measured through experts' opinions and its reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient using SPSS version 26 software. The first part of the questionnaire included the variables of age, work experience, and education. For the second part, the inventory of learning transfer validated with 68 items, was translated into Persian, which included 16 variables in three categories of individual, organizational, and educational components. From this inventory, in the opinion of four human resources experts, 14 variables including 53 statements were selected in the three mentioned factors. In line with research innovation, two variables "learner satisfaction from educational processes" and "learner satisfaction from instructors", each with six researcher-made statements, were added to the educational component. To examine the hypotheses of the research, second-order confirmatory factor analysis was used with Amos software version 22. FindingsThe correlation coefficients showed a low correlation between the variables of age, education, and work experience with individual, educational, and organizational components. Assessing the fit indices of the model showed that the model has a good fit. According to the results, the amount of all the standard factor loadings in the model is above 0.3, and the t-value for all the paths under test is above 1.96, so the individual, organizational, and educational components have the appropriate power to explain the variance of the drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. Also, the individual component had the most power to explain the variance of the construct of drivers of learning transfer to the workplace. In the individual, educational, and organizational components, respectively, the variables of learner motivation for learning transfer to the workplace, learner satisfaction from educational processes, and colleague support for learning transfer to the workplace had the most significant explanatory power among other variables. Discussion and ConclusionRegarding the individual component, six constituent variables had sufficient explanatory power. Since the motivation of learners to transfer learning to the workplace has been an influential variable, it is suggested that the organization adopt an approach to motivate employees to apply what they have learned in the work environment, as well as an approach to gain the support of managers to provide opportunities for employees to transfer what they have learned from training courses. Also, considering the prominent role of effort-performance expectations variable, it is suggested that managers should not have an exclusively result-oriented perspective. Regarding the educational component, it is suggested to use the collaborative planning approach in the specialized courses where the learners are from different departments and various job descriptions. Regarding the organizational component, the variable of resistance to change also has high explanatory power for the organizational component, but its relationship is negative, and if it is not paid attention to, there is a possibility of its occurrence as a serious obstacle in learning transfer. In this way, it is suggested that managers provide employees with the opportunity to use what they have learned, even in the form of defining new activities. Acknowledgment The authors consider it necessary to express their gratitude to Mrs. Faraji, the head of the Department of Training and Improvement of Human Resources of the organization under research, and Mrs. Ghorbani, the expert of the department, for their cooperation in executive coordination.
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